Occasionally we hear someone saying that they tried positive reinforcement but it didn’t work. This usually lets us know that something (or a few things!) probably went wrong in the process. So let’s talk a bit about why positive reinforcement might not work.
What is positive reinforcement?
When we use the word “positive” in regular life, we often mean “good.” So many folks think that positive reinforcement just means the “good” type of training. Or it’s used with a connotation of being nice or kind. But in the context of training, the term “positive reinforcement” has a very specific meaning that has nothing to do with kindness! In the scientific use, positive refers to addition (think + sign). Reinforcement refers to increasing a behavior. So the term “positive reinforcement” means we add something that increases a behavior.
The most common example is that if we give a dog a treat when they sit, they’re likely to offer more sits! The treat is “added” to the equation and increases the sitting behavior.
Note: there are other types of behavior change in the scientific literature! But positive reinforcement is the one we’re focused on today.
What does it mean that positive reinforcement is “lawful”?
In school, many of us learned about the laws of gravity, or mathematical equations. Scientists who study behavior have identified laws that explain how all animals learn in certain situations.
Positive reinforcement is part of these laws! We know that when we change how good the reward is (think kibble versus filet mignon) or how often we give it, we’ll get changes in behavior. These happen along some predictable patterns and apply to all species!
And by definition, positive reinforcement is only “positive reinforcement” if the behavior increases.
So why might positive reinforcement “not work” if there are laws to suggest that it always does?
1. The added reward isn’t reinforcing the behavior
We see this commonly! Someone is giving their dog a piece of kibble or a head scratch after the dog offers a stay, but the dog isn’t getting better at their stays. Often times this means that the reward just wasn’t good enough to make the dog want to offer that behavior again!
How to fix it: use a higher value reinforcer! This could mean more exciting food (think hot dogs, turkey, or cheese). Some dogs are very motivated by chasing a ball, tugging on a toy, getting some snuggles, or getting access to new places.
2. The timing isn’t reinforcing the behavior
Maybe your friend tried giving their dog peanut butter to lure them into the bath, but the dog isn’t getting better at coming to bath time. In this case the reward is actually happening BEFORE the behavior happens- which makes it hard for the dog to learn that their behavior can make rewards appear! Using "bribery" or lures can really backfire.
How to fix it: offer the reward AFTER the behavior happens!
3. Something else prevented the learning
This is the most common reason we hear! For example, someone tried to reward their dog for making eye contact while out on a walk- but the dog kept staring at all the rabbits instead. Or they tried to get their dog to lay down at the vet clinic for a treat, but the dog shook and trembled and wouldn’t lay down.
If the dog is in an environment where things are extremely exciting, the value of exploring may outweigh the temptation of your rewards! The same can happen if the dog is fearful or experiencing stress.
How to fix it: work on training in an environment that’s less overwhelming to the dog! You may be able to solve math problems when in the comfort of your own home, but that would be much more difficult when in a room full of spiders (or a room full of your favorite people!). So controlling the environment is often the first step to helping your dog actually learn new things.
In conclusion, positive reinforcement ALWAYS WORKS- if we're actually doing positive reinforcement. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy for us to do it properly! It’s normal to make mistakes or to need some help.
Struggling with making positive reinforcement work for you? Sign up for private training or a group class!