Meet my dog Monty. The first trip to the ravine after we moved was all about him overcoming “negative reinforcements” – things that he needs to get used to. I don’t think Monty ever crossed a bridge over running water before – and it scared him. The sound of the rushing water is a “negative reinforcement”.
It’s pitiful to watch, but I can’t feel bad for him. Picking him up and carrying him across the bridge is only going to reinforce that fear. Why would I lure him with food – that’s so wrong. I want him to make a choice to overcome fear because he trusts me and wants to be with me. The onus is on him – I’m pushing him to use his brain to make a choice and socialize to the bridge over running water.
Guess what, there were 3 bridges, on the trail and we had to cross them again to get home. On the way back, the bridges weren’t an issue. He crossed them with no issue because they weren’t a “big deal” anymore – he socialized himself to a “negative reinforcement”. He removed a “negative reinforcement” through his own choices – and that is “positive reinforcement”.
All this training ideology goes back mainly to B.F Skinner – he defined “positive reinforcement” as the removal of “negative reinforcement”. Once you understand what that really means – the dog is easy.