Positive Reinforcement vs. Punishment: Which is more EFFECTIVE?

Help the Dog Training rEvolution do more and get better access to me to help you with your dog starting at $2 a month!

An introduction to clicker training:

Video now available, ”Teach your dog to whisper””

We were having a discussion about animal behavior science and decided to record and share it with you guys. Are there benefits to punishment? What are the benefits to positive reinforcement? Does one method yield better results? What are your thoughts?

Tomorrow we’re gonna be shooting a dog Training video you guys are gonna love It a lot of you have asked for puppy Videos and we have been using a lot of Puppies lately that actually is not a Conscious decision it has just been Working out that way because of that one Right there she falls in love with every Puppy she sees not only am i excited About doing a puppy video I have also Been waiting to do another trick video I’m really trick than you so we’re gonna Teach whisper and speak hopefully so That’s like bark and then bark quieter Animal behavior is an elective that I’ve Been waiting to be able to take it’s a 4000 level class so I had to do all These other like prerequisites to be Able to take it and I’m finally in it And I’ve been really enjoying it the Title of this chapter is learning Actually and it’s not really they Haven’t been using dogs as examples very Much so I was pleased to turn the page And come across a clicker so this is a Clicker and the bottom line with clicker Training is you click every time your Dog does what you like and then you Follow it up with a reward it’s just Basic classical conditioning if you’ve Ever learned about that in school to me It seems like new people especially if They have that button in their hand to Press and click like that the moment

Their dog does what they like and then Of course follow it up with the food Reward to let them know that you really Like it or toy If you’ve conditioned them to the toy But that’s the major benefit but there’s A lot of benefits of clicker training And I think it’s great they also talked About how different currencies are Valuable and that for many animals a toy Can be more exciting than food imagine That it’s so nice to see it printed you Know in a college I expected them To be a little more traditional when They came to like dog treating itself Yeah I think I think if you would have Been taking this class several years ago There would be a stronger emphasis on You know things like like punishment the Book is very clear that it’s a more Effective way to learn as a matter of Fact the most advanced types of learning Can only be taught with positive Reinforcement training and the book is Very explicit about that the book goes On to explain a shock mat and compare it To positive reinforcement training and I Think it makes the point that yes a Shock mat can be effective a shock nap If you don’t know is where you can put It down a dog can Walk on it and it will provide on my Mild electrical stimulation of some kind Is that safe to say let’s say that right

Yes but actually they make the point That the shock mat by itself is not Effective at all because once you take The shock mat away the dog is back on The couch so if you put a shock man on a House you keep your dog off and you Teach them to avoid a piece of plastic But you see that’s anyway I give it so That’s a bit superficial it’s all that Saying but it’s very nice to see that Some scientists have taken the time to Do like a technical study where they see How hundreds of dogs respond to a shock Mat versus just being given a nice place To sleep and shown that this is where You sleep could it be true that a Science textbook is encouraging you to Use less technical terms is it possible I was not sure it was possible Officially it is out of favor to use Like the technical positive punishment Negative reinforcement term because it’s Too confusing these distinctions do not Drip off the tongue and can degenerate Into semantic squabbles as a result many Behaviorists are often now content to Use reinforcement and punishment without Adding qualifying terms such as positive Or negative isn’t it nice to hear and I Think a lot of you will agree out there If we follow dog training whether you do It professionally as a hobby or your Brand new I think we can all kind of Agree that a lot of the terminology that

That they use in dog training today is Just unnecessarily over complicated Don’t you think yeah it’s almost more Than art than a science just because Every dog is different and every person Is different and there’s no way you can Convey that in a little formula we know That if the outcome of a behavior is Good that a dog is likely to repeat that Behavior if the outcome is unpleasant Then the dog is less likely to repeat That behavior and which one do you kind Of favor which path you choose for Yourself when you adopt a strategy of Teaching your dog by reinforcing Behaviors you like instead of punishing The behaviors you don’t like one of the Instant benefits is there is no risk to Having any side-effects you know your Dog dreading training or ears going back Or tail going between the legs or Whatever it might be A the most advanced types of teaching That there are must be taught through Positive reinforcement training agility Dogs who have to go really fast they Don’t there’s no negative training used There they have to be having fun and Enjoying it if they’re gonna like run Really fast I’m fortunate because my Origins in dog training were in Competitive dog frisbee you know and When you’re doing competitive race but You have to teach your dog lots of fun

Cool tricks like leaping off your back Into the air to catch a frisbee it’s Called a vault when they do that you Can’t make a dog do that you have to Make them want to so I was really Blessed to have figured that out very Early on in my dog training career we Just got back from filming the video With Piper on how to do a speak and how To do a soft speak or a whisper I went Really really awesome you guys are gonna Love the video make sure you’re Subscribed to my channel so you don’t Miss it Um you know conclusively science has Shown that not only is positive Reinforcement training more enjoyable For the person and the dog but it’s more Effective but still in light of this We’ve seen a resurgence in eCollege Reading and prong collar training I Don’t think anybody can really argue That training approach is rooted and Zapping your dog or popping a leash do Anything to foster a meaningful loving Relationship with our dogs now that Doesn’t mean that trainers who use these Methods don’t love their dogs I’m sure They do But the bonding process isn’t happening While training and it should as a Professional myself I feel a deep Obligation to inform and educate as many As well listen that one should avoid

These methods completely we should not Give our business to or support trainers Who advocate for these outdated Practices don’t settle and don’t listen To anyone trying to sell you a teaching Approach based on force okay guys thank You for listening and we will see you in The next video