Adding something the dog wants immediately after a behaviour, making that behaviour more likely to happen again.
Positive reinforcement means adding something the dog wants immediately after a behaviour, which makes that behaviour more likely to happen again. The word "positive" here simply means something is added, not that the method is gentle, though in practice positive reinforcement training tends to be low-stress for the dog.
Food is the most common reinforcer, but play, praise, access to sniffing, or being let outside can all work, depending on what the individual dog values.
If a dog sits and is given a treat straight after, that treat is the positive reinforcer. Over repeated sessions, the dog sits more often because sitting has reliably led to something good.
Timing matters. The reinforcer needs to arrive close enough to the behaviour that the dog connects the two. A marker word or clicker is often used to bridge the gap between the behaviour and the treat arriving a second or two later.
What counts as reinforcing depends entirely on the dog. A tennis ball might be a strong reinforcer for one dog and mean nothing to another, so working out what an individual dog actually values is part of the process.
Reinforcing the wrong moment is easy to do without noticing. If a dog sits, then stands back up, then gets the treat, the standing up is what actually gets reinforced.
No. It's a specific mechanism where a behaviour is followed by something the dog wants, which makes that behaviour more likely in future. It's a training method, not a general approach to indulgence.
Negative reinforcement, where something unpleasant is removed rather than something good added, though both increase the likelihood of a behaviour happening again.
It's widely used across behaviour work, including reactivity and anxiety, often alongside other techniques such as counter-conditioning and desensitisation.
Removing something unpleasant the moment a dog performs a behaviour, which makes that behaviour more likely to happen again.
Using a specific sound or word to pinpoint the exact moment a dog does something worth rewarding, bridging the gap before the treat arrives.
Rewarding a behaviour inconsistently rather than every time, which tends to make that behaviour more resistant to fading.
