How do dogs learn, and why do they behave a certain way in specific contexts?
These are questions you've surely asked yourself. Issues like, why doesn't he stop bothering us when we're dining at the table? Why doesn't he stop pulling me when we go outside? Or even, why doesn't he stop jumping when I get home or when I have visitors? These are all questions I constantly face and are typically subjects of displeasure and concern for caregivers. The truth is, dogs are always learning (not only when we are training them) and they learn very quickly (generally speaking) for better or worse, so to speak.
In this regard, to help you understand the workings of our furry friends' minds and to be at the forefront of educating them correctly, we'll discuss Science, specifically the Science of Learning and Behavior.
We will cover some key concepts without which it would be impossible to understand how everything unfolds. The most important concept to grasp at this point is Operant Conditioning.
Operant Conditioning is a part of Behavior Science that explains the functional relationship between environmental stimuli and behavior.
Thus, Operant Conditioning encompasses four operant procedures through which the dog learns based on the consequences of its behaviors. Namely Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, Positive Punishment, and Negative Punishment.
Simply put, they will act to obtain a positive consequence for themselves or to avoid a negative one.
We will delve into these concepts and procedures, detailing their nature and the benefits and drawbacks of their application, while also discussing the ethical issues surrounding their use.
At Dog Aware, we prioritize the use of positive reinforcement methodologies and avoid any techniques that induce fear, pain, or discomfort.
A Bit of History
Operant Conditioning was developed by B.F. Skinner in the 60s and 70s, building on earlier studies by Ivan Pavlov (a Nobel Prize winner) on Classical Conditioning or Respondent/Reflexive Conditioning, and J.B. Watson, an experimental psychologist, known as the founder of the movement in psychology called Behaviorism.
Thus, we can say there are two learning processes: by association (Classical Conditioning developed by Pavlov and Watson) and by consequence (Operant Conditioning developed by Skinner). At times, these processes go hand in hand, making it challenging to distinguish one from the other.
However, we can say that the former is reflexive and involuntary. The subject is passive in the sense that they don't make a conscious decision about their behavior. In the latter, the subject plays an active role in choosing their actions.
In 1938, Skinner published "The Behavior of Organisms," giving rise to the science of Operant Behavior. Through his efforts, it became not just a science, but also a technique for behavior modification, used not only in humans but also to teach other animals.
The contributions of Scott and Fuller (1965) are no less critical to understanding behavior and learning. The publication of "Dog Behavior – The Genetic Basis," later adapted to "Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog," highlights the importance of heredity in behavior development and identifies critical periods for puppy socialization. They also point out differences between breeds concerning emotional and motivational traits. Different breeds have varied behavioral and temperamental predispositions, leading to differences in what motivates them.
Operant Conditioning: Reinforcement and Punishment
To understand how Operant Behavior works, it's essential to grasp some fundamental principles of behavior.
Firstly, we have the concept of Reinforcement, which is key to understanding how learning occurs.
Reinforcement takes place when a behavior, followed by a consequent stimulus, is strengthened or becomes more likely to occur again. A stimulus is any object or event that can be detected by the senses and can affect a person's or animal's behavior. Stimuli can include sounds, food, scents, touches, or visual signals.
In dog training, we say we are reinforcing a behavior when we apply consequences that might increase or maintain a particular behavior.
A reinforcer is a stimulus that, when presented immediately after a behavior, makes that behavior more likely to happen in the future. Depending on the breed, temperament, and individual preferences of the dog, different reinforcers are used.
Reinforcers can be primary or secondary.
- Primary reinforcers are biologically related, including food, drink, certain types of touch, and sexual contact.
- Secondary reinforcers, also known as conditioned reinforcers, refer to stimuli that have a social context and need to be learned. For instance, initially, when we say "good boy" or "well done," the dog doesn't understand until it begins to have a positive meaning for them. This happens when that stimulus is paired with a primary reinforcer. Over time, the previously neutral stimulus becomes conditioned, turning into a secondary reinforcer capable of working as a primary one.
Reinforcement can be positive (+) or negative (-). Both increase the likelihood of a behavior reoccurring in the future.
- Positive reinforcement involves adding something the dog desires. For example, when a treat is given each time the dog sits, we are positively reinforcing that behavior, increasing its frequency.
- Negative reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus after the desired behavior is exhibited, making the behavior more likely in the future. For instance, if a dog is being trained with a choke collar, the pressure is released when the dog behaves as desired.
While negative reinforcement can be effective, it is not always ethical. Inducing fear or discomfort can lead to issues such as frustration, reactivity, and aggression. The bond between the dog and its caregiver can also be affected.
Another technique of Operant Conditioning through which your dog learns by establishing an association between a behavior and a consequence is Punishment.
Like reinforcement, punishment can also be positive (+) or negative (-).
Positive punishment involves the addition of an aversive stimulus after the undesired behavior, intending to decrease the likelihood of the behavior occurring again. For example, if a dog jumps up and is hit or shouted at, this is a form of positive punishment.
Negative punishment, on the other hand, involves the removal of a desired stimulus following an undesired behavior, also intending to decrease the likelihood of the behavior reoccurring. For instance, removing the dog from the dining area when it jumps on the table is a form of negative punishment.
However, excessive or misapplied punishment can lead to behavioral problems and damage the bond between the dog and the owner. It's crucial to employ positive reinforcement techniques that promote well-being and establish relationships based on trust and mutual understanding.
Conclusion
In summary, the use of Operant Conditioning as a tool for teaching/learning through the described procedures allows the "subject", or the dog in this case, to learn the consequences of their behaviors and be active in choosing them. We can make certain behaviors occur more or less frequently by using reinforcements or punishments.
In conclusion, it is important to note that training methods grounded in ethics prioritize the physical and emotional mental health of the dog. Just as with humans, we should respect their learning pace and rhythms. It's paramount to understand what motivates the dog to display certain behaviors and its purpose.
When you wonder why your dog keeps pulling on the leash, jumping on you or guests, or begging in a mismatched and inconvenient way (for you - he doesn’t have this concept), ask yourself what consequence he gets from exhibiting this behavior. It's often simple: It works! He learned through repetition and past experiences that he gets what he wants by behaving that way.
It's possible to modify such behaviors, however, the challenge is often linked to the amount of practice the dog has already had.
Nevertheless, he has the right and is always able to learn new skills, and we, because we chose to have him in our care and make him a family member, have the duty to teach him appropriate ways to get what he desires.
For this, we can use other techniques based on positive reinforcement. Punishing by ignoring an unwanted behavior when your dog seeks your attention, or removing him from a situation by taking away the reinforcements he wishes to obtain, might not yield the desired result because we are only telling the dog what we don't want him to do, instead of teaching and reinforcing acceptable and appropriate behaviors (in our view) to get what he wants.
In this regard, we can use "Differential Reinforcement" techniques through the reinforcement of alternative behaviors - DRA (Differential Reinforcement of Alternative behaviors), incompatible behaviors - DRI (Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behaviors), or the reinforcement of other behaviors - DRO (Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors).
Since we've already delved deep and there's a lot of information to process, we'll leave it at that, saving these explanations for another article.
In the meantime, remember, if you need help, we're just a message away.
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Bibliography:
Burch, M. R. PH.D & Bailey, J.S. PH.D (1999) How Dogs Learn. Whiley Publishing, New York.
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