How Dogs Learn
Two ways that dogs learn are by the immediate consequences of their actions (“operant conditioning”) and by associations (“classical conditioning”).
Why do you care?
If you understand how dogs learn, it gives you the ability to teach your dog how to fit harmoniously into your life:
- “Sit,” rather than jump on people;
- “Leave it,” rather than eat the food that just dropped on the floor;
- “Wait,” rather than dart out into traffic; and,
- Walk politely by your side, rather than pull on leash.
It also gives you the ability to teach your dog to like — or maybe even love — things that might otherwise be scary:
- Noisy vacuum cleaners,
- Going to the vet, or
- Getting a pedicure.
And, it can help you understand why certain things tip off the dog to be scared:
Let's take a look at how these two learning methods work:
- You picking up your keys and briefcase tips the dog off to your leaving him alone all day,
- Getting into the car tips the dog off that he's going to the vet, and
- Rain tips the dog off that loud thunder is coming soon.
Let's take a look at how these two learning methods work:
Operant Conditioning
Consequences matter
Dogs — like all animals (including humans!) — do things that work out well for them and stop doing things that don't. It's the kind of learning that most of us take advantage of when training our dogs, whether formally in obedience class or informally at home:
Dogs — like all animals (including humans!) — do things that work out well for them and stop doing things that don't. It's the kind of learning that most of us take advantage of when training our dogs, whether formally in obedience class or informally at home:
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If a dog begs at the dinner table and someone gives him food, he will continue to beg.
"Begging = Food? Eeeeeeeexcellent! I will keep begging." If you signal your dog to sit, and when she does you give her a piece of chicken, she will be |
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more likely to sit the next time you ask her to do so.
“Tush on ground = CHICKEN!!! I love putting my tush on ground! Chicken Chicken Chicken!!!!”
If every time your puppy bites too hard, you get up and leave the room, your puppy will likely learn to soften up her bite.
“She always gets up and leaves right after I dig my teeth into her skin. That’s no fun! I guess I’ll have to stop doing that.”
“Tush on ground = CHICKEN!!! I love putting my tush on ground! Chicken Chicken Chicken!!!!”
If every time your puppy bites too hard, you get up and leave the room, your puppy will likely learn to soften up her bite.
“She always gets up and leaves right after I dig my teeth into her skin. That’s no fun! I guess I’ll have to stop doing that.”
Classical Conditioning
Associations/predictions/tip-offs
Dogs easily learn what predicts what in their world — trainers often refer to this type of learning as "classical conditioning." Opening the treat jar predicts treats. Leashes predict walks. They learn what predicts the things they like, but also what predicts things they dislike or fear: Rain predicts thunder (an issue for those dogs who are afraid of storms). Dad grabbing his keys and briefcase predicts eight hours of alone time.
Dogs easily learn what predicts what in their world — trainers often refer to this type of learning as "classical conditioning." Opening the treat jar predicts treats. Leashes predict walks. They learn what predicts the things they like, but also what predicts things they dislike or fear: Rain predicts thunder (an issue for those dogs who are afraid of storms). Dad grabbing his keys and briefcase predicts eight hours of alone time.
Dogs, people, and all other animals learn about associations the same way. And the thing is, dogs are learning from their environment in this way all the time, whether we intend them to or not.
If the first few times a dog rides in a car it is to go to the vet for a scary and painful procedure, the dog might end up fearing the car, even when it is later used to go to fun places.
“Car leads to vet, which equals fear and pain? No more car rides! PLEASE!”
“Car leads to vet, which equals fear and pain? No more car rides! PLEASE!”
If the first few times a dog rides in a car, it is to go hiking or to play in the dog park, the dog might end up loving the car.
Car leads to dog park?!? CAR CAR CAR CAR!!!
Car leads to dog park?!? CAR CAR CAR CAR!!!
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If you give your dog provolone cheese — and she LOVES provolone cheese — every time her toothbrush comes out, she will eventually fall in love with the toothbrush.
“Toofbrush leads to CHEEZ? Nom nom nom TOOFBRUSH! Want to brush toofs!” |
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As you can see, classical conditioning is a very powerful tool that we can use to help dogs overcome fears and learn to love otherwise scary things, such as grooming and veterinary visits. But as the car-ride-to-vet example shows, it can also teach dogs to be afraid. So we must be very careful how we treat our dogs.
Treat your dog with care
Take, for example, prong collars, which tighten around dogs’ necks and dig into their flesh when they pull on leash. Put yourself in the dog’s position, and imagine this scene playing out over and over:
Take, for example, prong collars, which tighten around dogs’ necks and dig into their flesh when they pull on leash. Put yourself in the dog’s position, and imagine this scene playing out over and over:
“I see another dog… I pull on my leash to head over to say hello… OUCH! That thing on my neck hurts!”
If seeing other dogs consistently leads to pain, this dog could over time become upset at the sight of other dogs. Prong collars — along with other pieces of equipment and training methods designed to hurt or scare the dog to teach him to stop doing something — are a short-term solution that can cause a long-term problem. Sure the dog will stop pulling, but he might very well also become aggressive to other dogs.
Punishment and aversive training methods such as these can lead to your dog developing anxiety and a host of other problems. That’s a dangerous path you don’t want to go down.
Punishment and aversive training methods such as these can lead to your dog developing anxiety and a host of other problems. That’s a dangerous path you don’t want to go down.
(Note: Some people who use a prong collar on their dog report that their dog looks happy to put it on. Interestingly, that very well could happen, and if so, it is classical conditioning at work. The dog has learned that that collar predicts WALKIES, which he loves. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that he won’t still develop some of the unwanted side effects that can occur from using pain to teach him to stop pulling.)
On the flip side, if a person were to give her pup tasty treats when he walks politely past other dogs, he will learn to feel good at the sight of other dogs. And as a bonus, he’ll develop some warm fuzzies to the person as well.
In both of these scenarios, the dog is learning through classical conditioning to feel a certain way about someone or something.
