Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Dog Coaching - Reward And Punishment

By Myron Rayfield


Most training revolves around giving the dog consequences for his behaviour, within the hope of influencing the behaviour the dog will exhibit within the future. Operant conditioning defines 4 types of consequences:

Good reinforcement adds something for the scenario to increase the possibility on the behaviour becoming exhibited once more (for instance, providing a dog a treat when he sits.)

Damaging reinforcement removes one thing in the situation to increase the likelihood on the behaviour getting exhibited again (for instance, releasing the tension on an uncomfortable training collar when the dog stops pulling on the leash).

Optimistic punishment adds something towards the predicament to lower the possibility in the behaviour being exhibited again (by way of example, growling at a misbehaving dog).

Adverse punishment removes one thing in the predicament to reduce the likelihood in the behaviour being exhibited once more (for example, walking away from a dog who jumps up).

Most contemporary trainers say that they use "positive coaching methods", that is a distinct meaning of the word "positive" from that in operant conditioning. "Positive coaching methods" generally implies preferring the usage of reward-based coaching to increase very good behavior more than that of physical punishment to decrease negative behavior. Even so, an excellent trainer understands all 4 methods, whether or not or not she can place operant-conditioning terminology to them, and applies them as acceptable for the dog, the breed, the handler, and also the circumstance.

Rewards

Optimistic reinforcers might be anything that the dog finds rewarding - particular food treats, the chance to play with a tug toy, social interaction with other dogs, or the owners consideration. The a lot more rewarding a dog finds a certain reinforcer, the far more operate he will probably be prepared to complete in an effort to get the reinforcer.

Some trainers undergo a method of teaching a puppy to strongly wish a specific toy, in order to make the toy a much more potent constructive reinforcer for excellent behaviour. This approach is known as "building prey drive", and is generally used in the education of Narcotics Detection and Police Service dogs. The goal is to create a dog who will perform independently for long periods of time.

Some trainers think that the toy acts as a good reinforcer for the preferred behavior, when in all likelihood the prey drive operates on an entirely diverse level from common coaching and conditioning techniques. This can be observed most clearly inside the fact that, based on the laws of operant conditioning, good reinforcers shed their effectiveness if they are offered each single time a dog does what's desired of him; the far more predictable the reinforcer, the significantly less trustworthy the behavior. But detection dogs only perform effectively after they are always rewarded with a toy, every single time they uncover drugs or explosives, and so on. The explanation for this disparity is the fact that when a dog is educated by way of the prey drive, the coaching activates an instinctive, automatic sequence that has to become completed in order for the dog to feel satisfied. That sequence is: search, eye-stalk, chase, grab-bite, and kill bite. So when a dog searches and finds drugs or explosives, he feels he hasn't completed his job unless he can bite some thing. This can be the principal explanation he's usually offered the toy. It's not actually a constructive reinforcer. If it have been it would minimize the reliability from the behavior all round. It's a means of finishing the predatory sequence for the dog.

Punishments

"Positive punishment" is most likely the consequence that's least employed by contemporary dog trainers, since it has to be utilised really cautiously. A dog is usually only provided this kind of punishment if it's willfully disobeying the owner. Punishing a dog who will not recognize what exactly is becoming asked of him is just not only unfair towards the dog, but could make the dog a fearful or unwilling worker.

Punishments are administered only as suitable for the dog's character, age, and encounter. A sharp No works for a lot of dogs, but some dogs even show indicators of worry or anxiety with harsh verbal corrections. On the other hand, specific dogs with 'harder' temperaments may possibly ignore a verbal reprimand, and could operate greatest if the reprimand is coupled using a physical punishment like a quick tug on a coaching collar. Trainers normally advise keeping hand contact with the dog to constructive interactions; if hands are used to threaten or hurt, some dogs may start to behave defensively when stroked or handled.

Avoiding punishment

Keeping a puppy on a leash in challenging conditions or in his crate or pen when not closely supervised prevents the puppy from getting into circumstances that may well otherwise invite an owner's harsh reaction (like chewing up a favourite pair of shoes).




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