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There are three different approaches to modern dog training. These theories are as follows:
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Obedience theory involves a moral judgement in that the dog is good or bad, cooperative or uncooperative. Training follows a pattern of increasing the amount of force in stages if the preceding one fails. This method can escalate the amount of conflict with you and your dog and, in general, be ineffective. |
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Reinforcement theory forms its basis on the idea that behaviors that are reinforced positively will be repeated. The behaviors we don't want we simply ignore and they will extinguish themselves. We would simply take the spectator role and wait for the |
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desired response, then reward it. In time we would associate a signal while they are performing the behavior then receiving the reward. The goal is to set up a situation where latent learning can take place. The problem with this theory is that some behaviors are self-rewarding; the barking dog who loves to hear his voice will continue to bark no matter how much we ignore them. Or the digging dog that finds satisfaction laying in and playing in loose dirt will continue because the behaviors lead to a reward in the dog's mind. |
