12/07/2024
Saturday’s Pet Peeve: Head-petting as positive reinforcement? I don't think so.
Recently I was working with a wonderful client – the kind whose address I memorized so that I can sneak up at night and deposit homeless animals in his front yard – on a ‘touch’ cue. When the dog successfully touched her nose to his hand, he clicked, scratched the top of her head, and gave her a treat. But she neatly dodged her head to the side as he reached to scratch it, before coming back to nom the food.
So, for some dogs, petting on the head is not a positive experience. I’ll venture to say that it’s not particularly desirable for most dogs. For those who seem to enjoy it, this is largely a learned behavior and unique to human-dog interactions. Dogs don’t pet each other, after all (nor do they rub each other’s bellies). A hand reaching over the dog’s head might elicit lowering of the head, blinking and lip-licking behavior. Some dogs – especially if they’re taken by surprise -- will overtly dodge the hand until they seem to realize it’s a benign gesture.
If you encounter a training class where the instructor uses only petting and praise as positive reinforcement, observe the dog-human interactions for a bit before beating a hasty retreat. Chances are excellent that you’ll see some of the dogs averting their heads as the hand reaches out. They might be anticipating something truly good (and preferred) like food, or they might even be fearful.
If your goal is to reinforce a behavior, think about the reinforcer from your dog’s perspective. High-value food is a safe bet, as would be an opportunity to do something she wants to do: go through a doorway, jump up beside you on the sofa, or run after a ball. Happy-voiced praise and whooping are also fun for some dogs (though not all), but should be interspersed with a sure bet (food) at least on occasion. (Think about slot machines in Vegas.)
Unfortunately, some humans are stuck on the idea that head-petting is the ultimate reward. In many, many cases, it is not – in fact, it almost qualifies as an aversive stimulus. Cuddling with your dog in front of the fire is one thing; but ff you’re working to teach your dog a new or challenging task (like coming when called!), especially, offer a bit of hot dog, and keep your hands to yourself.
