Positive Only Training

Positive ONLY training is by design comfortable for the dog.

It shows the dog what, where, and how to do a desired behaviour in small incremental steps that make sense to the dog and are enjoyable to do/discover with a positive reinforcer that ensures it; something the dog finds pleasurable follows immediately on the heels of every effort (we have about 3 seconds max to provide a reinforcer that the dog will associate with the behaviour/support learning). The approach ensures both understanding and positive or neutral emotions are attached to the process of learning.

Research shows that using pressure or punishment when training slows learning and de-motivates the learner. Stress, startle, pain, dominance are not necessary; techniques that use force, cause fear or pain almost always have negative fallout, and are often less effective long term.

Read more here from the VASAB on the use of aversives in training.

Positive ONLY training refers to an approach that supports behaviour change and learning with a commitment to never intentionally employ techniques, communication, or tools that the dog experiences as uncomfortable, negative, or punishing.

Positive ONLY represents a commitment by trainer and handler to be tuned-in to the dog, the immediate environment, and the training process, so as to avoid putting the dog into a state of mind or circumstance that produces fear, confusion, startle, or pain.

The Positive ONLY commitment extends to being thoughtful about how much and for how long the dog is being asked to engage in training, and an awareness of the potential to pressure dogs into behaviour through the use of rewards, rather than skillfully staging training and reinforcement in ways that protect the dog from conflicted and ambivalent feelings.

Positive ONLY acknowledges that no creature can avoid negative, uncomfortable experiences in nature, in the course of day-to-day life, and sometimes inadvertently in training, but that every effort and awareness is aimed at protecting the dog from stress and discomfort when training.

Positive ONLY is NOT to be confused with 'permissiveness'. Or with bribery. To the contrary, the skillful delivery of carefully-timed and relevant reinforcers enable dogs to learn rules and boundaries very quickly, while they also become eager to learn.

It comes down to how we train.

Many dog lovers unknowingly engage in practices or expectations that can confuse or upset our dogs. This is often due to cultural beliefs that, until recently, have not represented the dog's point of view and/or incorrectly represented the dog's true nature as dominant. These and other myths about what dogs need and want can harm dogs and undermine their potential as thinking, feeling beings.

My methods are humane, respecting the needs and lived experience of the dog in front of me while motivating and reinforcing learning with things dogs naturally enjoy--play, food, access to outdoors, other dogs, favourite people etc.

Training is HUMANE when it is subjectively, non-threatening to the dog; when the dog would give it 4 or 5 stars; when the dog has an experience of clarity--not confusion, safety--not suspicion, pleasure--not pressure. HUMANE training results in behaviour changes that carry positive associations and therefore stick.

Positive ALWAYS means that training methods are NEVER intentionally threatening or painful. The dog's point of view/experience (emotional, mental and physical) moment-to-moment, is relevant, respected and informs the training process.

The dog decides what is reinforcing

Only that which the dog finds pleasant is positively reinforcing. This is a law of nature. Throwing the ball a third time, a piece of carrot or a piece of kibble will not be reinforcing (won't motivate or propel learning) if the dog doesn't find a third throw interesting, doesn't like carrots, or doesn't find the kibble appealing in that moment. End of story. There is no way to change the reality of what the dog likes or doesn't like in any given moment. Our dogs are not being stubborn or trying to manipulate–dogs don’t think like that; that game or those foods simply don't affect them in any way that is reinforcing. (When we humans don’t like a particular food, we just don't like it. It’s our biology, or involuntary learning history that makes it so, and no amount of cajoling or threat will change the taste experience.) Even things dogs like are not always reinforcing if they're not excited by them. (I like going to movies, but I don't always want to go to the theatre: Maybe I don't like the movie; maybe I have been several times in recent weeks; maybe I don't want to go because of the weather, or the traffic, or because I'm not in the mood; maybe I'd love to go see that particular movie but my cousin is in town and I prefer to visit.) Guardians whose dogs like and seem to be motivated enough with their kibble, are often pleasantly surprised and sometimes astounded at the leap in learning that occurs when they pair a challenging or boring learning step with a novel food or high-value treat.

Learning to ‘read’ our dogs' body language is how we come to know our dog's point of view in any given instant, and is integral to positive handling and training. Body language is canine communication. It lives in the movement, position and degree of tension or looseness of body parts--ears, tail, eyes, mouth, body posture.

‘Reading’ your dog's body in conjunction with its behaviour allows for two-way communication, meaning the information each party sends and receives facilitates the relationship. When we understand our dog's body language it will in many cases change how we interpret their behaviour. When we understand, take seriously and are responsive to the signals our dog is giving off, then we have succeeded in becoming attuned, and our understanding of the meaning of a specific look or behaviour or movement in a particular context may grow dramatically.

What exactly is Positive Reinforcement training?

Positive Reinforcement training is based on the science of applied behaviour analysis, the laws of which state that “...behaviours that are reinforced are more likely to be repeated…” (the animal will be motivated if reinforced, and will want to do the behaviour again--provided there are no accompanying uncomfortable emotions--and in the future) and "... behaviours that are not reinforced in some way will extinguish..." The methodology lends itself to some fast and easy wins with our dogs!

“You just use treats, right?”

To be effective, and especially to avoid frustrating, or unintentionally punishing your learner, dog guardians should learn from a trainer who has been educated in the theory and methods of applied behaviour analysis and is qualified to practice.

More About Learning Theory (Applied Behaviour Analysis, ABA)

The science is much deeper than meets the eye; ABA is complex and rich with nuances that guardians don't need to understand in order to be effective with their own dogs, but are essential for the trainers of guardians to know. The theory of positive reinforcement (R+) training is a study for professionals teaching others, and for behaviour geeks. At Kindred Creatures, pet guardians learn basic ABA theory disguised as “guidelines for effective training”.

The important thing is that YOU have a qualified trainer to set you and your dog up for success. (To recognize a qualified positive reinforcement trainer, look for letters behind the name, and then do a search on the letters and the organization and qualifications associated with those letters. Once found, check that the code of ethics explicitly denounces training with correction and aversives, and then search that organization’s trainers directory to find the name and photo of the trainer you’re considering.)

The first learning is play. The best learning is play.

The single most important element in "effective" training is for the dog to find the interaction with the trainer appealing--(dog is interested, enjoys the interaction, finds it reinforcing and doesn't feel, pressured, or concerned about mistakes). Normalizing mistakes and keeping immediate goals flexible are key for success; in response to an error always offering another (easier) repetition so the dog can earn the reinforcer. When we're really engaged and paying attention to our dogs' experience while training, we are going to be smiling a lot!

Training with KC, guardians are encouraged to keep a ‘toddler perspective’ to help with attunement; this is how we can see and appreciate the dog’s innocence, and how we can be sure to notice if there is a loss of comfort and adjustment required to meet to his/her needs as we go, and...

...thoroughly enjoy your dog's personality and antics as you train.

We use the things each individual dog naturally enjoys (small pieces of healthy treats, a toy, a game of tug, or that 'thing' that you do to him that he loves) to reinforce skills that we're teaching.

Skills are taught by first breaking them down into small steps that gradually, and one-by-one in tiny increments, lead to the goal behaviour (the skill).

For example when teaching your dog to come when called, our very first step might be to reinforce the dog for just looking at you while already right in front of you; the final step might be calling your dog from half a football field away in the presence of a squirrel.

For example, when teaching leash-walking, we might start with first reinforcing the dog for just standing near us; we might finish with your dog walking loosely and happily at your side while you cross the parking lot at the dog park.

Progressing in tiny increments isn’t only about being gentle; it's also about being effective.

The instant an animal becomes stressed from confusion or frustration, learning and/or motivation is negatively affected. Therefore, attunement (awareness and responsiveness to our dogs' experience moment to moment while training) is essential to success; our attunement ensures that the rate at which the training progresses is right for our dogs.

Learning is a layered affair where success builds skill, and skill builds success.

When behaviour is complex, it takes more steps and time to achieve reliable behaviour change. Think of learning a new sport or musical instrument. Learning happens in skill clusters that are consolidated into bigger clusters, and so on until the behaviour is mastered in a particular setting. Then the learning is extended into different situations and environments. Success builds gradually, and sometimes imperceptibly, but

when you look back after a few weeks or months ‘from where you first started’ you are impressed!

Learn what your dog loves. Love what your dog learns.