Reinforcers

I got an interesting link today from Ian Dunbar's Dog Star Daily page on YouTube. It got me to thinking I hadn't really discussed the topic of food as a reinforcer. This does not contradict what Dr. Dunbar has to say. Truth be told, he is one of my top 3 favorite trainers. My comments should be viewed as a compliment to the information presented in the video.

So, this is my argument: Let's take for example I like to do wood working in my spare time. If you've been to the store, you've seen the bone shaped coffee table my brother and I made. Now, image if every time I picked up a hammer I hit my thumb. Imagine if every time I turned on the table saw I cut off a finger. Image if every time I turned on the router it skipped and took a chunk out of my leg. Not so fun any more, and there's no benefit in it for me.

Now let's take what actually happens: I make a plan, buy the supplies and create something I'm very pleased with. And the next time I make something similar, it comes out better. And possibly someone sees the end product and offers to pay me to make something for them.

So how does this relate to dog training? Whether it's just for the pleasure of accomplishment or payment, you're more inclined to do a job if you get something out of it as opposed to being reprimanded, punished, or hurt every time you try to do something.

Although I agree with what Dr. Dunbar says to a point, I have know some dogs that are not motivated by food, but are motivated by praise, or, in the case of my Brittany, Duncan, a toy. The point is, using a reinforcer such as food, a toy, praise, or whatever, is as much a bribe as my getting satisfaction from making a nice piece of furniture or your getting paid for your job. Let's face it, I wouldn't keep working if I got hurt every time I picked up a new tool any more than you would go to work if you were only reprimanded for every little error.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zULweD95RzQ