Reinforcements/Rewards
The key to reinforcement is giving the dog something s/he values – contingent on the desired behavior. For most dogs, a pea sized piece of food is a great reinforcement/reward. You
reinforce when the criterion for that behavior is met (the reinforcement does not show up until afterward). S/he will then repeat the behavior in order to get more of whatever you’re offering that’s valuable to him. For example, say you want your dog to lie down on a towel. Well, if you reward him/her for doing it, then s/he will do it more! This is what reinforcement is all about. The behavior becomes stronger, more intense, more frequent! You could also lure the dog to the towel and when he lays down, reinforce it with what the dog finds rewarding: treat, ball toss, tug play, etc.
Technically, you are not giving rewards, you are giving reinforcers – because of the effect that they have on the dog's behavior. I say it often, reinforce the behavior you want and you will get it more often!
Punishing the behavior you think is wrong does not teach your dog what you want him/her to do. You can make that happen through shaping behavior, luring it or targeting it. You can also teach your dog by having him/her observe another dog doing that behavior. Shaping, luring and targeting are unobtrusive and therefore are acceptable methods in modern dog training.
No comments:
Post a Comment