CANINE served improper or inappropriate behavior, and these confrontational methods can actually elicit aggressive behaviors. Dog owners' use of the word ‘no’ caused aggression in 15 percent of the dogs studied. Karen Overall MA, PhD, DVM, referred to dog aggression in her recently published Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats. According to the author, operant conditioning is the basis for most positive reinforcement training and has demonstrated that rewarded behaviors are more likely to be repeated. Overall believes “the most valuable reward for our dogs is good information.” Below, Overall details various types of rewards, and yelling is not included as either information or a reward: • • • • • • • • •
Information, especially about risk Food Touch Praise Play Attention Social access Chewing or access to special chew toy Avoidance of discomfort
It is vitally important for handlers and dogs competing in obedience, agility, and rally to understand learning theory and the best way to deliver the information. Learning is defined as the acquisition of information or behavior through exposure and repetition, and reinforcement is the catalyst to effective learning. Positive reinforcement “encourages desirable behaviors because it marks and identifies the preferred behavior…coupling it with a reward.” Negative reinforcement is not punishment and will be discussed in future articles. Positive reinforcement is effective for dogs because “the repeated reinforcement insures better, more numerous and more efficient connections between the neurons in the brain.” Rewards that are of particularly high value for the survival of the species, such as food, will have a much higher value to our dogs. Food is a higher value reward than praise or play because food is necessary for survival. As long as one reinforces will not everything be fine? No, it will not be fine because aversive stimuli interfere with learning at the cellular level. Dogs trying to learn skills for agility, obedience or
rally become stressed, anxious, and fearful when handlers yell at them. As the Penn study showed, even ‘no’ can evoke enough fear that the dog may become defensive, aggressive and even fight back. According to a 2009 study by De Quervain, fear and anxiety will adversely affect the training program. Learning tasks such as heeling, retrieving, or rally exercises are enhanced when stress, fear and distress are mitigated. I believe that statement is particularly relevant to dogs still being trained in obedience with aversive methods such as choke and prong collars. The data from the 2009 study suggests that the training programs should not rely on aversive methods or raised voices to the dog. A therapist friend of mine’s favorite saying is: “Nothing changes if nothing changes,” which sums it all up. The research shows that raising voices and aversive methods are not beneficial. It’s up to dog trainers as teachers to change thinking and behavior to enhance the relationship and training of our dog. If we don’t change, nothing changes. It is our responsibility as dog trainers to become advocates for change and the betterment of our dogs. n Barb Levenson has been competing in dog sports since 1981 and teaching obedience and agility private lessons and classes since 1985. She has competed with eight dogs and has titles in Obedience (American & Canadian), Agility and Herding. Barb’s first book Flatwork for Agility was released in early 2007.
resoUrCes Wang, Ming-Te & Kenny Sarah (2014) Longitudinal Links Between Father’s and Mother’s Harsh Verbal Discipline and Adolescents’ Conduct Problems and Depressive Symptoms Child Development Herron, Meghan E., Shofer, Frances S., Reisner & Ilana R. (2009) Survey of the Use and Outcome of Confrontational and Non-Confrontational Training Methods in Client-Owned Dogs Showing Undesired Behaviors Applied Animal Behaviour Science Overall, Karen L (2013) Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats De Quervain, DJF, Aerni A Schelling G, Roozendaal B. (2009) Glucocorticoids and the Regulation of Memory in Health and Disease Front Neuroendocrinol BARKS from the Guild/April 2014
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