Dog training 101 - Negative Reinforcement and Operant Conditioning.

Have you heard of the term Operant Conditioning? This is a scientific theory behind learning, both in animals and humans. There are 4 quadrants to Operant Conditioning; last week, we dove into positive reinforcement. Today, we look at negative reinforcement, and over the next 2 weeks, we will cover the final 2 quadrants.

If you missed last week's post about positive reinforcement, you can catch up with it here!

Operant conditioning is a learning principle that was developed by psychologist B.F. Skinner in the early 20th century. It is based on the idea that behaviours are influenced by the consequences that follow them. In essence, behaviours that are rewarded tend to be repeated, while those that are punished tend to diminish.

Before we get started, let me make a few things crystal clear:

• I’m not a dog trainer yet; I’m on my way to becoming one. Everything I share here comes from what I’ve learned in my journey toward becoming a qualified dog trainer.

• In this theory, "negative" and "positive" don’t refer to bad and good. Instead, they mean to remove or add something, much like in math.

  For example, giving your dog a treat is considered positive because you’re adding something enjoyable to the situation. On the other hand, not fussing over your dog when they jump up is seen as negative because you’re removing attention.

• Reinforcement means to encourage the frequency of a behaviour, and discouragement is to reduce the frequency of a behaviour.

• I’m not promoting punishment as a way to correct a dog’s behaviour. This

  
  
  
  

  information is meant to help you understand Operant Conditioning, how it works, and the best methods you can use for training your dog at home.

  
  

Here's a quick breakdown of the quadrants:

Positive Reinforcement - Adding a reward to increase the frequency of a behaviour.

Negative Reinforcement - Removing something to increase the frequency of a behaviour.

Positive Discouragement - Adding something to decrease the frequency of a behaviour.

Negative Discouragement - Removing something to decrease the frequency of a behaviour.

In today's post, we will focus on negative reinforcement, what it means and how it works. We will discuss the pros and cons of using this method and explore the controversial views on it.

The Basics - What is Negative Reinforcement?

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an aversive stimulus to encourage a desired behaviour.

A relatable human example is the seatbelt alarm in cars. When you don’t wear your seatbelt, the car beeps until you buckle up, right? The moment you click it on, the alarm stops, eliminating that annoying sound.

It's crucial to remember that the removal of the negative stimulus should occur immediately when the desired behaviour is exhibited.

Negative does not mean to punish, only to remove something from the situation. For example, in this picture I stopped walked until Anayah stopped pulling on the lead, and then we continued.

In the context of dog training, here are some examples of negative reinforcement:

• You apply pressure on the lead to guide your dog in a specific direction, and as soon as they move, you release that pressure.

• You gently push on your dog's rump to encourage them into a sitting position, and you take your hand away the instant their bottom touches the floor.

• If your dog jumps on guests, you might temporarily confine them behind a baby gate or in their crate. Once they calm down and are ready to behave appropriately, you release them from confinement. This release serves as the negative reinforcer.

  
  

The Positive/Negative debate

Many new trainers, and even some who are more experienced, often view any form of "non-positive" (positive here meaning good, not the addition of something) as a negative approach. However, most of them still utilise other aspects of operant conditioning, sometimes without even realising it.

The reality is that you cannot train a dog without engaging with all four quadrants of operant conditioning, regardless of your intentions. These quadrants are interconnected; you can't effectively use one without incorporating the others.

Here are some examples of what I mean:

• You withhold a reward until a desired behaviour is demonstrated. This is negative reinforcement, as you are removing (negative) the reward until the desired behaviour is performed (reinforcement). Then you would move into positive reinforcement by adding (positive) the reward to encourage that behaviour to happen more often (reinforcement).

• Your dog is pulling on the lead. You stop walking, which is removing something from the dog. This is negative discouragement and negative reinforcement. It is negative discouragement because you are removing (negative) their freedom to walk to discourage the pulling (discouragement), but at the same time you are removing (negative) their freedom to walk to encourage them to walk on a loose lead (reinforcement).

• Your dog is digging in the garden, so to stop them, you tell them a sharp "No!". This is positive discouragement because you are adding (positive) something unwanted by the dog to reduce the digging (discouragement). When they stop digging, you move into positive reinforcement by rewarding them for not digging.

  
  

Have I lost you yet? I know it's a lot to wrap your head around.

The important thing to remember is that when adding or removing a stimulus to modify behaviour, it should always be safe and non-harmful to your dog's physical and mental health.

Let's break down the pros and cons of using negative reinforcement.

Pros of Using Negative Reinforcement

• It can make learning easier for your dog as it helps them understand what is expected of them.

  
  

• Increased motivation - the dog is more likely to follow your commands and meet your expectations to escape the unwanted stimulus.

  
  

• When used in conjunction with the other quadrants of operant conditioning, it can provide fast, long-lasting results.

  
  

• For dogs that are harder to train, this addition of pressure may help them learn the desired behaviour.

  
  

• It can help your dog transfer the behaviour from one setting to another with the consistency of the command and stimulus.

Cons of Using Negative Reinforcement

• Negative reinforcement can cause anxiety or aggression in dogs if done incorrectly.

  
  

• It can increase a dog's stress levels if done incorrectly, which can cause health problems.

  
  

• Can increase avoidant behaviours (such as rolling on the grass, barking or sniffing) so the dog avoids the negative stimulus.

  
  

• It can damage the trust between the dog and the owner if done incorrectly.

  
  

• It is easy to get carried away and add too harsh stimuli, such as an E Collar or Prong Collar.

  
  

Things to Consider

When training your dog and incorporating negative reinforcement, there are some things you need to think about first:

• Negative reinforcement does not mean that it is okay to punish your dog.

• The stimulus used should not be harmful in any way.

• If done incorrectly, it can cause further behavioural issues.

• You should use negative reinforcement with other quadrants of operant conditioning, not on its own.

• Timing is crucial; the stimulus must be removed the instant the wanted behaviour is demonstrated, or it loses its effect. There is a 1-second (ish) window where you can correct or reward a wanted behaviour; after this, the consequence is too late to have the desired effect.

• Keep an eye on your dog's body language and other signals. If they become stressed or anxious, it's best to stop the training and consider alternative methods.

I believe that negative reinforcement has its place in dog training and is misunderstood by a lot of people, trainers and dog owners alike.

Specifically, I find that using it to remove a dog from an exciting situation—essentially providing negative discouragement—and then reintroducing them once they have calmed down is an effective strategy for managing over-excitable dogs. In this context, the reintroduction serves as the negative reinforcer, and I frequently apply this method with my dog.

Let me elaborate on this.

Anayah, my rescue German Shepherd/Husky mix, is an incredibly excitable, high-energy dog who can become overwhelmed and overly stimulated when we have visitors or when she wants to play and doesn't take "no" for an answer.

To help her manage her excitement, I place her in her crate for a short period until she calms down. Often, I don’t even need to close the door, as she understands she must stay there until I release her. Once she has settled enough to re-enter the situation, I let her out, and she approaches the environment with a much better mindset.

It is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of information and opinions about different dog training methods, that's why I provide you with the relevant information and facts for you to be able to make your mind up about it. I am here to help clear up any confusion and encourage a better bond between you and your dog.

I hope that helps! Next week we will cover another of the 4 quadrants in detail and see how it interlinks with dog training.

See you next week!