How Dogs Learn
Before you begin any type of dog training it is important to understand how dogs learn. This understanding will speed your training and make the entire process more enjoyable for both you and your dog.
1. Learning by observation
This might seem obvious but is still one of the earliest and most common ways that dogs acquire knowledge. One of my dogs will go over to the Toy box, pick out a toy, bring it back and chew on it. The other, observing what the first dog has done, makes a decision in her mind and does the same thing. This type of learning by observation has been demonstrated in laboratory conditions too. Puppies in the juvenile period of development were taught to pull a food cart on a runner by means of a ribbon. Other puppies in an adjacent compartment were allowed to watch and learn to do the same thing.
2. Classical conditioning
Classical conditioning (also Pavlovian or respondent conditioning) is a form of associative learning that was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov. The typical procedure for inducing classical conditioning involves presentations of a neutral stimulus along with a stimulus of some significance. The neutral stimulus could be any event that does not result in an overt behavior response from the organism under investigation. Pavlov referred to this as a conditioned stimulus. Conversely, presentation of the significant stimulus necessarily evokes an innate, often reflexive, response.
The original and most famous example of classical conditioning involved the salivary conditioning of Pavlov’s dogs. During this research on the physiology of digestion in dogs, Pavlov noticed that, rather than simply salivating in the presence of meat powder (an innate response to food that he called the unconditioned response), the dogs began to salivate in the presence of the lab technician who normally fed them. Pavlov called these psychic secretions. From this observation he predicted that, if a particular stimulus in the dogs surroundings were present when the dog was presented with meat powder, then this stimulus would become associated with food and cause salivation on its own. In his initial experiment, Pavlov used a metronome to call the dogs to their food and, after a few repetitions, the dog started to salivate in response to the metronome. Thus, a neutral response (metronome) became a conditioned stimulus as a result of consistent pairing with the unconditioned stimulus (meat powder in this example). Pavlov referred to this learned relationship as a conditioned reflex (now called conditioned response).
3. Operant conditioning (otherwise known as dog training)
Operant conditioning is the behaviorists’ term for standard dog training. Other terms are used also, instrumental conditioning, instrumental learning or operant learning. The words ‘learning’ and ‘conditioning’ are interchangeable. The most important fact to remember is that dog training is constantly going on whether or not people are actually involved in it. The principle of this type of conditioning of the dog’s mind is that a certain action carried out under certain circumstances is followed by a reward. They dog chases a car driving by and the car “runs away”. Action — reaction — reward. This simple approach to learning is based on work that was originally carried out by B.F. Skinner in the late 1930s in which rats in boxes were “trained” to do things for food rewards.
Reinforcement
Dogs are constantly learning in the operant conditioning since of the word. They learn fastest when their behavior is consistently rewarded. The rewards themselves will vary. The dog addicts under a garden fence and escaped out onto the street is rewarded by the mental stimulation that comes with exploration. It was fun. He’ll do it again. The behavior is reinforced. Food rewards, praise and padding are simple methods of reinforcing behavior that we want our dogs to have. Dogs have been trained in the laboratory to bark exactly 33 times for a food reward. Dogs differ in their enjoyments. To some, exercise is the greatest pleasure. To the more gluttonous, food is the supreme reinforcer. With this in mind, any dog training that we participate in, that we want to control, should be reinforced with a variety of rewards — food, praise, touch or activity.
Food and physical contact can be called primary reinforcers. Both are potent rewards to the dog. Purple praise is a less potent reward and can be called a secondary reinforcer. And operant learning, it is always best to use a primary reinforcer first to reward a dog and then to couple that with the secondary reinforcer. An example can be teaching a puppy to sit. His meals are potent rewards, primary reinforcers of behavior. Bolding his food bowl directly above his head can naturally bring the pop into the “it” position and once he is in that position, we can be given his food. We will so learn to sit when he seized his food bowl. And if you command “set” each time you feed him, this acts as a secondary reinforcer. Soon, simply say the word “sit” will have him okay without the need of the original primary reinforcer.
Types of rewards
In the dog’s mind there are degrees of reward and the more valuable the reward, the faster his learning will be. This means that whenever possible and especially during the juvenile learning. We should with whole the most potent rewards, food and touch, and only give them at the proper time to suit or a listed proper behavior. We should also very rewards as much as possible to reinforce specific behaviors.
Reinforcers are positive or negative. Positive reinforcers are pleasurable. Negative reinforcers are punishing.
1. Food
This is a powerful reinforcer of behavior.
2. Touch
Contact is a potent reward for the sociable canine and should be used wisely and carefully simply because different types of touch mean different things to the dog. Gentle petting has a calming effect but linked the padding, while giving us emotional satisfaction, actually means “dominance” to the dog and can result in chronic attention seeking from him. Rough-and-tumble contact will make a dog more excitable and is not conducive to learning.
3. Sound
Praise is an excellent secondary reinforcer but must be used initially with a primary reinforcer such as food or touch. The tone of voice, rather than the actual word, it is most important. A relaxing tone of voice should be used for positive reinforcement and a harsh tone should be associated with negative reinforcement and punishment.
4. Play
Physical activity is an outstanding reinforcer of behavior but because it is so exciting, it is often difficult to use.
5. Owner attention
As leaders of the pack, or at very least, as members of the pack, we often inadvertently reward behavior simply by paying attention to our dogs. A shout in response to a dog barking can be a potent reward for parking. Acting as doorman to your dogs scratching to go in and out is another suitable reinforcer of this behavior. And rewarding this behavior intermittently makes it even harder to extinguish.
6. Chewing
Mal being activities such as chewing on toys (or chewing up carpets and furniture) can be rewarding by having a subduing effect on the dog’s state of arousal, on his adreno- pituitary axis. Urinating and defecating might produce similar reports.
7. Discomfort avoidance
Avoiding physical or psychological discomfort can be a potent reward. This can be a cruel method of training and physical pain must be avoided except in the most heinous of crimes. Shock collars and high-frequency sound collars are high-tech methods of negatively reinforcing behavior. Punishment is not always productive but it does have a place in altering the dog’s mind.