How Dogs Learn

Dogs are very capable of learning and adapting. In contrast to wild animals, they are capable of mastering learning processes that go beyond vital necessities such as the search for food. Indeed, one can even say that they are capable of simple discerning action.

Everyone knows that a dog can be taught a great variety of commands and behaviors. But how does the dog learn them?

Basically, dogs learn through experience. Modes of behavior that are connected with positive experiences are repeated eagerly, while those linked with negative experiences tend to be avoided.

Dogs are capable of different processes of learning:

Classical conditioning: Here a certain stimulus triggers a reflex; for example, a dog likes to lick out empty yogurt containers When you eat yogurt, the spoon makes a certain sound on the bottom of the container when it is almost empty. Then the dog is allowed to lick the container clean. After some time the sound alone is enough to make the dog’s mouth water.

Conditioned aversion: Another learning process is conditioned aversion; for example, a dog steals cake from the table. If it is scolded with a loud ‘Not’, it will avoid this situation in the future. A certain stimulus, then, is followed by a bad experience. (Never use violence – or even the threat of it – to mold a dog’s behavior. Animals so conditioned can develop vicious tendencies, or else they may become timid, cowering at their owner’s every move. So put away those rolled-up newspapers and those mincing straps! The idea of wielding such props to intimidate your dog – even is you have no intention of actually using them – is without merit.)

Operant conditioning: Some dog owners demand, often unconsciously, a certain behavior; for example, a dog is limping because it is injured. Its mistress feels very sorry for it and bestows special attention upon it. When it has recovered, it continues to limp, in order to get this attention again.

This type of process is called operant learning or operant conditioning.

Conditioned inhibition: In the learning of a conditioned inhibition, an undesirable behavior such as cat-chasing, is prevented before it begins. In this case, a threatening no when a cat comes into view, stops the dog before it chases the cat, not when it comes back home after the fact. With appropriate watchfulness on your part, this presents no great difficulty. All you have to do is to discover the cat before the dog has seen it and begins to chase it.

Conditioned appetence: Last, we come to the learning of conditioned appetitive behavior. Here the dog learns to combine a certain stimulus or a certain action with a certain course of behavior; for example, a dog that loves the water goes into raptures when its mistress picks up the special ring it uses as a water toy because it knows it is going to go for a swim.

EDUCATING YOUR DOG WITH LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING, KATHARINA SCHLEGL-KOFLER