Seven Reasons To Purpose Reward-Based Domestic Dog Training

Reward-based preparation is the best way to prepare dogs. Here's what it means, too 7 reasons to give it a try.

By Zazie Todd, PhD

What is reward-based domestic dog training? Put simply, it's using rewards to prepare dogs - giving rewards for skilful behaviour too withholding rewards for behaviours nosotros don't like.

Instead of using ideas similar honor or dominance to prepare dogs, reward-based preparation looks at what motivates dogs too uses that inward a humane mode to improve your dog's behaviour.

Reward-based preparation is also normally known equally forcefulness gratuitous domestic dog preparation or positive domestic dog training, because it relies on positive reinforcement.

Whether you're novel to preparation or an experienced pro, hither are 7 reasons to role reward-based domestic dog training.

1. Positive reinforcement is recommended yesteryear professional person organizations

Many professional person organizations accept spoken out against the role of punishment inward domestic dog preparation because the scientific evidence shows that it carries risks.

For example, Dogs Trust recommend the role of rewards inward domestic dog training.

“In monastic tell to move effective too to gain the best results, all preparation should move based roughly positive rewards. Positive payoff preparation industrial plant because if you lot payoff your domestic dog amongst something he wants equally presently equally he does what you lot ask, he is far to a greater extent than probable to exercise it again.”

In their advice on finding a domestic dog trainer, the how to direct a domestic dog trainer.

2. People written report improve results amongst positive reinforcement

Several studies accept flora that people who role positive reinforcement to prepare their dogs written report a better-behaved domestic dog than those who role aversive techniques.

In i study, the dogs of people who used alone positive reinforcement training were less probable to accept behaviour problems (Blackwell et al,, 2008). They suggested this could move because dogs don’t associate punishment amongst their behaviour, but instead amongst the possessor or the context, too thus may acquire fearful too anxious.

Another study flora if domestic dog owners used penalization (whether or non they also used rewards) their dogs were to a greater extent than probable to accept occupation behaviours (Hiby et al., 2004). People who alone used reward-based methods reported to a greater extent than obedient dogs

These results apply to dogs of all sizes. In a study that compared minor too large dogs, those whose owners used to a greater extent than penalization were reported to accept to a greater extent than problems of aggression too excitability whatever their size (Arhant et al., 2010). However this was most pronounced for piddling dogs (less than 20kg).

Of detail draw organisation is the finding that people who role confrontational methods (such equally prong, choke too daze collars or growling at the dog) sometimes written report an aggressive answer (Herron, Shofer too Reisner, 2009). This was never reported inward answer to using rewards.

These studies relied on possessor reports, but some other study used an experimental blueprint to compare positive reinforcement to daze collars. They looked at pedagogy recall inward the presence of livestock too flora that, reverse to pop belief, the daze collars did non Pb to improve trained dogs (Cooper et al., 2014). And inward fact, the dogs trained amongst daze showed signs of stress, which brings us to the adjacent point.

3. Reward-based preparation is improve for animate beingness welfare 

Good animate beingness welfare is an of import consideration inward domestic dog training, too interrogation shows that reward-based preparation is skilful for animate beingness welfare, piece preparation amongst aversive methods has risks for welfare.

The determination of the daze neckband study precisely mentioned is that,

“immediate effects of preparation amongst an e-collar give ascent to behavioural signs of distress inward pet dogs, peculiarly when used at high settings.”

Another study looked at the trunk linguistic communication of dogs at 2 preparation schools where the dogs had already learned sit down too loose-leash walking. One schoolhouse used positive reinforcement piece the other schoolhouse used tugging the leash or pushing the dog’s bottom downwards until it did the required behaviour.

Dogs previously trained amongst the aversive techniques showed to a greater extent than stress-related behaviours, such equally a lowered trunk posture, too looked less at their possessor compared to those trained amongst positive reinforcement (Deldalle too Gaunet, 2014).

If you lot role reward-based training, you lot avoid the adventure that aversive techniques volition campaign stress, anxiety or fear. This is improve for both the domestic dog too you.

“Ultimately, reward-based preparation is less stressful or painful for the dog, and, hence, safer for the owner,” (Herron, Shofer too Reisner, 2009)

H5N1 review of the scientific literature concluded that reward-based preparation has fewer risks than aversive methods, too may fifty-fifty accept improve results.

4. Positive reinforcement domestic dog preparation is skilful enrichment 

Successful problem-solving, similar learning a behaviour inward telephone commutation for a reward, makes dogs happy.

Research has shown dogs that operate to earn a payoff are happier than those that are precisely given a payoff (McGowan et al 2014). The scientists called the domestic dog learning s/he could earn a payoff the “Eureka effect”.

Dr. Ragen McGowan told me

“Think dorsum to concluding fourth dimension you lot learned a complicated novel task... exercise you lot cry back the excitement you lot felt when you lot completed the occupation correctly? Our operate suggests that dogs may also sense this 'Eureka Effect.' In other words, learning itself is rewarding for dogs.”

This study shows that giving your domestic dog the chance to earn rewards is a skilful enrichment activity (another affair that's good for animate beingness welfare).

If you lot demand ideas for skilful rewards, banking concern represent out the best domestic dog preparation treats which includes recipes too.

5. Dogs acquire improve at learning amongst rewards

Dogs that accept previously been trained using positive reinforcement exercise improve at learning a novel task.

This was the finding of a study which took videos of owners too their dogs interacting at abode (Rooney too Cowan, 2011). One of the tasks involved giving owners a ball too a handbag of treats that they could role (or not) equally they wished. The owners were asked to instruct their domestic dog to touching a spoon.

The dogs who learned the novel occupation to a greater extent than chop-chop were the ones whose owners had used to a greater extent than rewards inward before training.

The explanation? It’s in all likelihood downwards to a to a greater extent than motivated dog. The scientists say,

“a yesteryear history of rewards-based preparation increases a dog-owner partnership’s success inward futurity training; maybe yesteryear increasing the dog’s motivation too aptitude to learn, because it learns to anticipate rewards.”

6. It focuses on what your domestic dog tin dismiss do

It makes sense to instruct your domestic dog what to do, rather than what non to do. It tin dismiss acquire really frustrating if your domestic dog keeps doing something you lot don’t like. It’s in all likelihood frustrating for your domestic dog too.

For example, suppose your domestic dog jumps upwards on you. They are in all likelihood trying to acquire closed to you lot too wanting some fuss, which they don’t acquire if you lot force them away.

However you lot tin dismiss instruct them that if they move on all 4 paws on the dry ground they volition move rewarded amongst affection too a treat. Over time, they volition larn to exercise this instead. It’s a win for you lot too the dog.

If you lot don’t genuinely instruct them what to do, how tin dismiss you lot human face them to larn it?

7. Reward-based domestic dog preparation is fun 

Dog preparation should move fun for you lot too your dog. Using rewards to instruct your domestic dog what to exercise tin dismiss move a fun game for you lot too your domestic dog to savour together. As good equally basic obedience behaviours similar sit, downwards too stay, you lot tin dismiss instruct tricks such equally milkshake hands, wave, tell your prayers, sit down pretty, or spin.

Don’t forget to payoff yourself afterward a skilful preparation session – you’ve earned it, too!

What exercise you lot similar best nearly using rewards to prepare your dog?

is opened upwards to everyone too supported yesteryear animate beingness lovers similar you. If you lot similar what you lot see, maybe buy me a java on Ko-fi?


Zazie Todd, PhD, is the writer of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. She is the founder of the pop weblog , where she writes nearly everything from preparation methods to the human-canine relationship. She also writes a column for Psychology Today too has received the prestigious Captain Haggerty Award for Best Training Article inward 2017. Todd lives inward Maple Ridge, BC, amongst her husband, i dog, too 2 cats.

Useful links:

• Check out what the Animal Book Club is reading this month
• Get merch  
• Support me on Ko-fi
• Visit my Amazon store

This page contains affiliate links.

You powerfulness also like: What is positive reinforcement inward domestic dog training? on this blog; too the double payoff of reward-based training (over at the Academy for Dog Trainers).

This post was business office of the 2016 Train for Rewards Blog Party,  a fun too inspiring lawsuit for pet bloggers hosted hither at . If you're a blogger who supports the role of reward-based preparation methods, banking concern represent out how you lot tin dismiss bring together us for the 2019 Train for Rewards weblog party.

If you're looking for inspiration, banking concern represent out other posts from previous years:
2016 Train for Rewards weblog party
2017 Train for Rewards weblog party
2018 Train for Rewards weblog party



References
Arhant, C., Bubna-Littitz, H., Bartels, A., Futschik, A., & Troxler, J. (2010). Behaviour of smaller too larger dogs: Effects of preparation methods, inconsistency of possessor behaviour too marking of 24-hour interval of the month inward activities amongst the domestic dog Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 123 (3-4), 131-142 DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2010.01.003
Blackwell, E., Twells, C., Seawright, A., & Casey, R. (2008). The human relationship betwixt preparation methods too the occurrence of conduct problems, equally reported yesteryear owners, inward a population of domestic dogs Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications too Research, 3 (5), 207-217 DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2007.10.008
Cooper, J., Cracknell, N., Hardiman, J., Wright, H., & Mills, D. (2014). The Welfare Consequences too Efficacy of Training Pet Dogs amongst Remote Electronic Training Collars inward Comparison to Reward Based Training PLoS ONE, 9 (9) DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102722
Gaunet, F. (2009). How exercise guide dogs too pet dogs (Canis familiaris) inquire their owners for their toy too for playing? Animal Cognition, 13 (2), 311-323 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-009-0279-z
Herron, M., Shofer, F., & Reisner, I. (2009). Survey of the role too outcome of confrontational too non-confrontational preparation methods inward client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 117 (1-2), 47-54 DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2008.12.011
Hiby, E.F., Rooney, N.J., & Bradshaw, J.W.S. (2004). Dog preparation methods: Their use, effectiveness too interaction amongst behaviour too welfare Animal Welfare, 13, 63-69
McGowan, R., Rehn, T., Norling, Y., & Keeling, L. (2013). Positive touching too learning: exploring the “Eureka Effect” inward dogs Animal Cognition, 17 (3), 577-587 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-013-0688-x
Rooney, N., & Cowan, S. (2011). Training methods too owner–dog interactions: Links amongst domestic dog behaviour too learning powerfulness Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 132 (3-4), 169-177 DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2011.03.007

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As an Etsy affiliate, I earn from qualifying Etsy purchases.