What is Reinforcement?

Reinforcement is what drives behavior. And it might not always be a behavior we agree with, like barking out the window. What is reinforcing the barking? Maybe that person that was walking past the house and now has disappeared. We know they walked out of sight, but your dog might think they disappeared due to their barking.

There are also different levels of reinforcement. Some food treats or toys might be more valuable than others. Lower value food reinforcement, like kibble, might work while you are at home in a low distraction area. But in an area with more distractions where we may be asking our dogs to work harder we’ll need to give them a pay raise.

As you and your dog learn together, you’ll figure out what you can use for behavior reinforcement besides food. This doesn’t mean you should stop using food. Our dogs do not work for free! And for most dogs, food is very reinforcing. It is always a good idea to have some type of food reward as a back-up.

An example of reinforcing behavior without using food: For sitting or standing politely at the door, the reward is going outside for a walk or play. The door doesn’t open if your dog is spinning in excitement – only for calm behavior.