Positive Reinforcement Training
/Positive Reinforcement Training (R+)
Positive reinforcement (also referred to as R+ training) works effectively and it preserves the awesome relationship you want to keep with your dog! It's used so widely (and NOT just in dog training) and is a scientifically proven way for dogs to learn in a safe, effective, and mentally stimulating process.
Why do we ONLY use positive reinforcement (R+)?
Using punishment-based training seems to work faster and more effectively in the moment to achieve "results" because you're adding an aversive stimulus (a physical punishment) in order to get your dog to stop doing a "bad" behavior. The most common form of this are prong collars and shock collars ("e-collars") and using what are known as "corrections" (punishments) on dogs. Usually these methods are used when owners are feeling overwhelmed and helpless to "control" their dog who has behavioral problems. These methods are not sustainable or helpful, mostly because the punishment acts as as a sort of bandaid to stop the immediate issue instead of taking time to solve the problem in a more humane way by communicating ahead of time to your dog what the choices are.
But using positive reinforcement training goes beyond just correcting 'bad' behaviors, it can also be used to train some really amazing things!
Positive reinforcement works by showing your dog how to respond correctly in specific situations in a slow but positive manner that allows you to preserve the amazing relationship you have with them.
R+ training means we're not putting your dog into an overly stressful situation where they can't handle themselves, but instead we're giving your dog the tools along the way to help them make the correct choice, and over time doing so in increasingly more difficult situations.
We can control the settings/parameters of the training sessions we put them in, therefore, we can help them to understand that if when make the right choice, good things will happen.
Below, you can see Laura teaching Bear the chocolate lab how to voluntarily take his eye drops! Training like this is done patiently and slowly, but can greatly increase the animal's quality of life and relationship with you.
This exact teaching method is also used by child behavioral specialists as well as in Zoos and Aquariums around the world because it's such an effective form of communication, and it also help to keep animals mentally stimulated as well as safe and healthy.
In fact, a few of our trainers started out in the Animal Care field at Zoos and Aquariums! Below you can see some of our trainers (Laura, Frankie, and Emily) working with some amazing animals, implementing positive reinforcement training to achieve many different things.
In the first photo you'll see Frankie performing a voluntary body exam/checkup on Pickles the Harbor Seal. In the second photo, you'll see Laura doing a similar behavior, asking another Harbor seal, Sandy, to open her mouth so we can check and brush her teeth! In the last photo, you'll see Emily teaching storks to go to their "stations" so they can be given their individual meals/exams/medication.
Training husbandry (voluntary care) behaviors like this is crucial to allowing the trainers to make sure the animals under their care are healthy, because it allows them to do exams on the animals without causing them any unnecessary stress or restraining them in any way.
Pictured above: Frankie and Pickles doing a voluntary body exam
Pictured below: Laura and Sandy doing a voluntary mouth/teeth check
Pictured below: Emily and three storks practicing their "station" behavior
If you're having a behavioral problem with your dog and you're not sure how else to help/teach your dog, please reach out and let us know, and we will find a way to help you through it, or we will refer you to a positive reinforcement trainer who can!
Below, you can read about some other dog trainers who used to use punishment-based ("correction") methods for training, and switched their methods to R+ only once they realized they were not helping their dog as much as they thought they were.
You can also read below about one of our amazing clients we've highlighted who considered starting to use punishment-based training for her dog, but had a change of heart and is so glad she did!
Crossover Trainers:
Crossover trainers are animal trainers who have transitioned or are transitioning to positive reinforcement based dog training. They come from all kinds of backgrounds but have now found themselves in search of science-based, less-force training methods and techniques for one reason or another. Here are some examples of some crossover trainers you can check out!
Pat Miller
CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
"Josie was also my first “crossover” dog; until she was three years old, I had trained her with conventional force-based methods. Josie prompted my conversion one day when she hid under the deck and unhappily refused to come out when she saw me getting out a set of retrieving dumbbells in preparation for a training session. (I had been working to teach her to retrieve using a conventional coercive training method, the ear-pinch.)
After this incident, I took a two-year time-out from training to learn about modern, positive methods that are grounded in the science of behavior and learning. Only then did I begin training Josie again. This time, I used only dog-friendly training methods, and she responded beautifully. Our accomplishments continued apace.."
Eileen and Dogs
"I came to dog training a typical way: I got a dog with problem behaviors. After a brief but all too long stint with local trainers who mixed aversives and rewards, I found the positive reinforcement training community on the Internet, then locally. I got turned on by behavior science and the wonderful realization that force-free training is not only humane and kind, but is science-based and shown to be extremely effective in training all animals."
Victoria Stilwel
"Old school dominance and punishment-based trainers continue to use outdated and dangerous methods and equipment to harm the human/animal bond. Victoria has created a global network of world-class positive trainers to help provide access to those who need it most. This site is designed for everyone: those just beginning their journey into the canine mind, 'crossover' dog people who previously used pack theory and punitive methods, experienced trainers and owners looking for more scientific information, and more."
Trainee of the Month:
Solveig a.k.a "B"
B is a 2 year old Pit mix, and her owner started fostering her last April and formally adopted her in June! She naturally has a very high prey drive, so if she was allowed, she would chase squirrels and rats endlessly. When B first came to her owner, she was "completely wild,” and she found it impossible to walk B outside at all without getting literally dragged down the street. They couldn’t go to any park because B would try to chase and hunt squirrels and rats, pulling on the leash, leaping up and down, and screaming.
Her owner felt out of her depth because B has such a high prey drive. She tried doing some research on how to handle dogs with high prey drives, and since she is a veterinarian by training, she knew she wanted something that was science-backed. All she wanted to do was learn how to walk B outside without being pulled into traffic.
Someone close to her suggested trying a prong collar and an e-collar but she was very hesitant because she knew it would cause B pain. An acquaintance lent her a prong collar and she tried it, but B's neck was getting so red and irritated that she realized it definitely wasn’t fair, and "all this physical pain isn’t helping her."
She finally did some research on R+ training and came across Shelby Semel Dog Training, and started working with Corinne.
Working with a positive reinforcement-only trainer helped her understand and set realistic expectations for B. She learned from R+ to shift her mindset and realize that B isn't ever going to be a dog that can go to a park and relax 100%.
A lot of pain and stress can be spared one you start accepting the dog you have rather than trying to create the dog you wish you had. Instead of seeing your dog as a list of problems you have to fix, try to shift your mindset and see them as a list of traits that are good and not so good, and your expectations may start to shift!
Since she started working with Corinne, her behavior has become more manageable when she goes to the park now! They can practice long line recall now, which she is getting better at with time. She can even concentrate on going to bathroom outside at night with rats outside the building - she's still on high alert but not hunting anymore!
B's owner says she is now "enjoying her a lot more, now that I realized and accepted that she’s just one of those dogs - slightly anxious and very vocal - I can really see her strengths and not just her weaknesses. She's lovely in so many other ways." B seeks her owner out in any situation, and always next to her in some way shape or form, and is very loyal and protective.
Thanks to positive reinforcement training, B and her owner have made huge strides in her behavior, and they continue to have an amazing relationship to this day!
If you have any questions or would like specific help and advice, feel free to contact your SSDT trainer, or contact us on social media!!
If you have not worked with us before, but you’d like to have a private session to begin your training process, and start working on your dog's basic obedience or other training needs, our virtual training sessions are a perfect place to start!