06/03/2026
๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ด ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐: ๐๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐พ ๐
One of the most important concepts in behavioral science is something called ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป'๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐.
โ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ช๐ค ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ช๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฅ๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ญ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ช๐ฏ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ช๐ต ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฆ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ด, ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ช๐ฏ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข๐ท๐ข๐ช๐ญ๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ญ๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ช๐ฐ๐ณ๐ดโ
In simple terms: Dogs tend to choose behaviors that have paid off the most in the past.
Not the behavior we want and not the behavior we wish they would do. It is actually the behavior that has the strongest history of reinforcement. In other words, if a dog learns that ignoring a "come" command results in better treats elsewhere (like sniffing the grass), it will choose the sniffing behavior. Other examples we might see are:
- Your dog breaks a stay and runs to another dog, it's because that behavior has paid well in the past.
- Your dog blasts off at the start line, ignores cues, or becomes obsessed with obstacles, those behaviors have likely developed a strong reinforcement history too.
This is why dog training is about much more than simply rewarding good behavior, itโs about creating training situations where the behaviors you want are easy to reinforce and the behaviors you don't want are less likely to be reinforced. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฃ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ, ๐จ๐๐ฉ ๐ช๐ฅ, ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ.
As trainers, our job is not just to deliver rewards, our job is to carefully arrange the picture so that the dog can make the choice we want and then reinforce that choice consistently. And over time, dogs become extremely efficient at choosing the behaviors that have earned them the most value. So the next time your dog makes a choice you don't like, ask yourself this question:
"๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐'๐บ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต?"
Because dogs are not being stubborn. They're simply following the reinforcement history we've helped create. And that's exactly why thoughtful training setups are so important.
My ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ด๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐๐ป๐ฒ ๐ญ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ and it is specifically designed to build reinforcement value for engagement, focus, impulse control, and working with the handler so that those behaviors become the dog's preferred choice long before we ask for agility skills. There is still time to join us!
