Updated January 4, 2024

You may have come across the term “positive reinforcement training” when researching classes for your puppy. But, what is positive reinforcement, and how does it differ from other training techniques? While it may be all the buzz in today’s dog training world, is it the right technique for you and your dog? Learn more about positive reinforcement training, other training “types”, and why positive reinforcement is the right choice for you and your dog. 

The Four “Quadrants”

Before getting into the details of positive reinforcement training, it’s best to know the definitions behind the different training “types”. Traditional training relies on operant conditioning — which consists of rewards for “good” behavior, and “punishments” for bad or unwanted behaviors. These are divided further into four “quadrants” of training: positive, negative, reinforcement, and punishment. Alone, each word doesn’t mean much, but together, it signifies a way to increase or decrease a behavior. 

• Positive refers to the addition of something. It does NOT mean good or bad.

• Negative refers to the removal or deprivation of something. It does NOT mean good or bad.

• Reinforcement increases a behavior.

• Punishment decreases it.

Positive Reinforcement focuses on rewarding good behaviors to increase them. The reward makes your pet want to work harder, thus increasing the behavior. For example, when you ask your dog to sit and then give them a treat, you are reinforcing the good behavior (sitting) with a positive (the treat).

Negative Reinforcement is the removal of something to increase the behavior. Negative reinforcement can happen innately to cause “problem” behaviors. For example, if the mailman walks away from your house when your dog barks — not because your dog is barking, but because they are moving to the next mailbox — it will increase the likelihood of your dog barking, because your dog thinks that barking equals removal of mailman, thus reinforcing the behavior.

Positive Punishment is the addition of something to decrease a behavior. When you hit your dog with a newspaper it decreases his chewing on an object. (Not recommended!) A shock collar or choke collar is also positive punishment — it decreases the behavior by giving a painful shock/tug.

Negative Punishment is the removal of something to decrease a behavior. If you hold down your dog’s training collar button to cause a shock until he stops digging, you are inflicting negative punishment by removing (negative) the shock when your dog decreases the behavior (stops digging). 

Why Positive Reinforcement Training?

In recent years, positive reinforcement training has taken over the dog training world — and for good reason. It is now considered to be the most humane choice in training because it utilizes rewards, along with other training techniques such as redirecting behaviors (and training in replacement ones with positive rewards) instead of instilling pain or fear. Pets that aren’t worried about receiving a hit or shock are also more likely to want to work with you instead of because they are afraid of you. 

It’s also been shown that building a bond of trust with your dog increases their desire to want to work with you, making training less of a hassle and decreasing the amount of time it takes to train your dog. And, a relationship built on trust is more likely to prevent behaviors such as hiding accidents, chewing in secret, or causing anxieties that can lead to destructive results. It also decreases the incidence of reactive aggressive behaviors.

Positive reinforcement involves more than just treats as well. Praise, play sessions, cuddling, or even grooming sessions (if your pet enjoys it) can all be ways to positively reinforce a behavior. You can also use it in everyday situations, such as when you catch your puppy chewing on a chew toy instead of your shoe (praise them!) or goes potty without making a big mess.

How Can You Get Started?

Luckily, positive reinforcement training can start right at home! Focus on techniques that help you bond with your dog, such as a daily training session involving a favorite treat or toy. Trust-building exercises can also help increase the bond between you and your dog. And, avoiding training tools that cause harm, such as shock collars or punishing methods, can help. In addition, look for a trainer or training class that mentions positive reinforcement or fear-free techniques — these can help ensure your puppy will be in a kind, caring, positive environment for learning.

At Tippy Taps, we focus on positive reinforcement training to help ensure success with your pet. By creating a positive, calm environment, we can work past fearful situations and redirect or retrain “bad” behaviors with positive ones.

Looking for more tips and tricks? Take a look at the blog, or schedule a consultation today!