Foundation of all training—classes of conditioning
immediate consequences (OC) and associations/patterns between events (CC)
Real Work of Dog Trainers
practical understanding
Intervention Categories
Operant Conditioning
Supplying immediate consequences contingent on particular operant behaviors you want to change.
“Dogs do what works.”
Learner’s choice is inherent to OC.
One of the most studied phenomena in the history of psychology, and quite possibly THE biggest goldmine for dog trainers.
Alternate OC term
Instrumental Conditioning
Classical Conditioning
CC
Learned association between events—anticipating an event when another reliably predicts it.
CS predicts UCS, resulting in CR.
Affects emotions.
Tip-offs about what will happen next. Behavior has no effect on outcome.
Alternate CC terms
Edward Lee Thorndike
coined term
Law of Effect
Define
Law of Effect
Behavior is a function of its consequences.
Animals adjust their behavior depending on the effects it achieves.
Edward Lee Thorndike
John Watson
coined term
Behaviorism
Define
Behaviorism
Behavior—rather than internal events—should be the stuff of psychology.
B. F. Skinner
coined terms and major focus
How R and P affect the frequency of behavior.
“Stay out of the black box.”
Reminder from BF Skinner not to try to get in the animals head—R and P are strictly defined by their effect on behavior.
This is ABA.
What is R or P is not always intuitive—focus on the change in behavior.
Ivan Pavlov
coined term
Classical Conditioning
First question in training
Watershed decision—tops the Technique Choice Flow Chart
Is this dog upset?
Examples of “upset”
emotions
Does not include amped up or excited.
Technique Choice Flow Chart
Systematic guide for which training technique to use based on actual circumstances.
Training a comfortable dog
Dog is not upset
Manipulate consequences using OC.
Technique Choice Flow Chart
Training an upset dog
CC—+CER
Define:
CER
Conditioned Emotional Response
Define
Conditioned Emotional Response
how, + and -
i.e. teaching a dog to like being body-handled
CER Execution Rules
Critical to success of CER! Must follow the rules to a T.
Single CER trials at random times if possible
Very mildly upset dog
i.e. leary of new chrome garbage can
Habituation
Define
Habituation
Give examples (trashcan and mild fear of vacuum)
Passive CC through exposure. Decreased anxiety to a stimulus over time—does not predict anything.
i.e. no action around trashcan, or leaving the vacuum on for a long time until it gets old