Negative And Positive Reinforcement On Video. Meet My Dog Monty.

If you can read and understand this blog – your whole perspective of the world around you is going to change and you will understand how to help your dog.

Positive reinforcement is really about your desires for the good things in life – and also your desire to remove the bad things that you don’t want in your life. Negative Reinforcements are the things you fear, the things that make you feel bad, the things that keep you safe. They keep you from making stupid actions in interacting with things in the environment – both new and unknown.

It’s so rare for Monty to react to anything, so it takes me off guard. I wasn’t joking when I said “really?” to him. It’s his first time meeting a large tractor mower, he didn’t know what it was. The tractor is a Negative Reinforcement that punished him into fight and flight – a cortisol response. He’s not choosing to act this way – he can’t help it. And he went fight (aggression) and flight (avoidance) – in the video, he is on the precipice of both.

The environment is creating a stress. The animal body in response to that stress is increasing cortisol – the fight or flight hormone. The animal is reacting to the cortisol load hitting their body – not the environmental stress. That’s the science that people don’t understand. This is why CBD works – it creates a direct impact on cortisol itself.

When humans meet something new in the environment – we can rationalize our way through it. Should I fight or flight? Or can I make it a not a big deal – become indifferent and move on? Dogs aren’t very good at it – if at all. Children are honest about their emotions too, takes a while to learn to rationalize. Dogs are very honest about their emotions, sometimes they need help, guidance and a leader they can trust to help them overcome those fears – those Negative Reinforcements. I’m going to help him to change his Operant Conditioning – give him a different path.

The first seconds of this video are going to determine Monty’s Operant Conditioning. There are only two possible outcomes for that tractor for Monty – it’s going to become something to fear and avoid in the future – a Negative Reinforcement. Or it’s going to become a positive Consequence which becomes a Positive Reinforcement. That Positive Reinforcement is called indifference. There are many things in the environment that we should fear – like walking beside moving cars. You became indifferent to it – made moving cars not a big deal – but you should know by now to not step in front of one.

What is fear but lack of trust and understanding – Monty doesn’t understand the tractor – he has no reason to trust it. He’s never seen or met one. In order for the tractor to be a Positive Consequence – Monty needs to meet it and I’m going to lead him to it. I’m putting the onus on him, I’m going to meet this thing cause it’s not a big deal to me. You can stand there scared – or make the action to join me, investigate it and understand it. I don’t want him to be scared of tractors – and if I don’t do this – it will become a fear. That’s how fears are developed ladies and gentlemen. Because we fight or flight instead of investigating and understanding.

This is where his trust of me comes in – I am going to show him that I’m not scared of this thing, I’m not getting hurt by it. To me, the tractor is “not a big deal”. It’s Monty that needs to make the choice/action to come an investigate the tractor, to smell it – to understand that it’s not some big scary thing that’s going to harm him. And he did it – and as a result – he learned some control – self management of behavior. That’s B.F Skinner ladies and gentlemen – but that’s not dog trainers are pushing is it? You need to ask yourself why. Positive Reinforcement isn’t have a treat – it’s the entire gamut of of your behaviors.

Now, if I had followed dog trainers advice – and start feeding him treats? That’s mental abuse – let me explain from a real psychology point of view.

Negative Reinforcements are all around us. When we get scared – it’s that thing in the environment that is punishing you – removing your Positive Reinforcement. The tractor is a negative reinforcement at the moment – It’s the tractor that punishing Monty. Removing his Positive Reinforcement – and shaping Monty’s behaviour to fight and flight. What was Montys Positive Reinforcement that was removed? A nice calm walk with his best friend, and he can do what he pleases. I need to him him turn that Negative Reinforcement into a Positive Consequence. It’s the positive consequences that become “not a big deal”. That was the last time Monty ever reacted to a tractor – cause now that he understands that it’s “not a big deal” – there is no fight and flight. Monty has become indifferent to the tractor – instead of fight and flight.

There is no cortisol response to tractors anymore. Starting to get it?

If Monty didn’t trust me or more importantly – trust my judgement? He wouldn’t have followed me, he wouldn’t have met the tractor. Now – ask yourself – do you think your dog really trusts you? If your dog doesn’t follow you – then the dog doesn’t trust you. You are not trustworthy at this point in time. And you can never respect or be confident in that which you do not trust. It’s dog training that’s done that to you.

Think about Positive Reinforcement as simply turning Negatives into Positives. Don’t leave stuff on a Negative note – try to end on a Positive note whenever possible.

So, I start giving Monty treats? I would be literally rewarding punishment. The tractor is punishing Monty – why would I reward a 3rd party punisher? You are rewarding the environmental punishments with treats – you’re rewarding the dog for creating and maintaining all these irrational fears – the Negative Reinforcements. And just what do you think that would do his brain and mind? Can you understand just how that confuses a dog? Would you do that to your child? You wouldn’t cause it would mess them up for life – and your dog is no different in that capacity. That’s the science that trainers aren’t telling you.

That’s B.F Skinner and the behavioral psychology. Pretty simple concept isn’t it – but all people are told of Positive Reinforcement is have a treat. That scares me. Treats are Primary Inducements – not Positive Reinforcement. Don’t believe me? Look up the word inducement – and pair it with compulsion. There’s your real Quadrants of Dog Training – that Skinner had nothing to do with.

And people are wondering why “dog training” isn’t working? Positive Reinforcement isn’t have a treat – and dog trainers as a whole are making billions on that lies. Treats are a punishment and rewarding of punishment. And millions of dogs are paying the price with their very lives for these lies. It’s time to start putting away the fear – and start gaining some understanding. I beg of you. For the sake of the dog.

And when all this understanding sinks in? Your whole outlook on life is going to change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa4FHxX8DQ0