Welcome to the 12th post in our Dog Training blog series. This ongoing series features guest posts by local professional dog trainers and highlights some of the big questions they address to their clients. Today’s post was written by Adam Miller of Big Dog Canine Behavioral Dog Training.
In order to better comprehend how your dog learns and to properly teach appropriate behavior, you should understand the ABC’s of Learning theory. Simply stated:
A is for Antecedents – triggers or cues that come before and illicit a behavior
B is for Behavior – any conduct that can be observed and measured
C is for Consequences – the outcome or result of a behavior
When a dog performs a specific behavior and there is a good consequence, that specific behavior is reinforced and will most likely be repeated or continued. When a specific behavior elicits a negative consequence, that specific behavior is weakened and will most likely diminish or cease.
Managing your dog’s environment is the initial phase in teaching your dog proper behavior by preventing the triggers or cues for undesired behaviors. Being very consistent with the consequence for any wanted or unwanted behavior is the second phase in reinforcing appropriate conduct. It is important to set your dog up to succeed by making it easy to do the right action and hard to do the wrong action. You can help prevent unwanted behaviors from occurring, or being reinforced, if you can manage the antecedents (cues) in your dog’s environment.
Here are some simple examples of how dogs learn and how unwanted behaviors can be reinforced because management of the antecedent or consequence was incorrectly applied:
- A – You ask your dog to sit
- B – Dog sits
- C – Dog is highly praised and rewarded
This behavior will continue because there is a positive and rewarding consequence for the behavior.
- A – Shoes are left on the floor and dog has access to the area
- B – Dog chews shoes
- C – Dog learns that shoes are fun to chew
This behavior will continue because there is a positive and rewarding consequence for the behavior.
- A – Food is left unattended on the counter
- B – Dog eats food on counter
- C – Dog learns that the counter means food
This behavior will continue because there is a positive and rewarding consequence for the behavior.
- A – You ask your dog to come
- B – Dog does not come and ignores you
- C – Dog is not praised or rewarded and you disagree with behavior
This behavior will diminish because there is no positive or rewarding consequence for the behavior.
You can probably think of many other examples of dogs being positively reinforced for unwanted behaviors. Proper management of the dog and the environment would have not allowed the unwanted behavior from happening or from being rewarded. So, be very aware of your dog’s environment and the consequences for any behaviors. Dogs, and their humans, tend to repeat behaviors that have good consequences…we do not willingly perform actions that cause us harm or to feel uncomfortable. Best of luck in your training and remember to stay calm and confident while working with your dog.
This post was written by Adam Miller of Big Dog Canine Behavioral Training. For more information or to learn how Adam can help with your dog needs, contact him at bigdogcbt@gmail.com.
