03/10/2025
What You Allow, You Reinforce: The Flip Side of Reinforcement
Yesterday, we looked at reinforcement in dog training, what it truly means, and why understanding what your dog finds rewarding is essential. But there’s another side to the coin that’s just as important to recognise.
Reinforcement isn’t always something you consciously deliver. Sometimes, your dog is reinforcing themselves. And if you allow those behaviours to happen unchecked, they’ll continue and strengthen.
Dogs Learn From What We Allow
Here’s the simple truth: everything your dog does, day in and day out, is either strengthened or weakened depending on what happens afterwards. That doesn’t only apply to training sessions with food, toys, or praise, it applies to daily life.
• If your dog barks at the garden fence and you allow it to happen, the barking itself is reinforcing. The dog is getting satisfaction from the act, whether it’s because they’re venting frustration, scaring off “intruders,” or simply enjoying the adrenaline rush.
• If your dog jumps up at visitors and those visitors laugh, stroke, or even just give attention, guess what? Jumping up gets reinforced.
• If your dog pulls on the lead and still gets to the park, pulling is reinforced.
In short, what you permit, your dog practises. And what they practise, they get better at.
Why This Matters for Trainers, Handlers, and Owners
Too often, people see training as something that happens in 10-minute sessions with a pocketful of treats. But training is happening all the time. Every interaction, every moment you share with your dog, is shaping behaviour, for better or for worse.
Think of it this way:
• When you reward a sit, you’re reinforcing calm, polite behaviour.
• When you allow frantic behaviour at the door, you’re reinforcing chaos.
• When you give in to whining for attention, you’re reinforcing persistence.
This isn’t about blame, it’s about awareness. Dogs don’t understand the difference between “formal training time” and “everyday life.” They are always learning.
What You Allow, You Continue
A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is this: what you allow, you continue.
If you allow your dog to bark at the fence, they’ll bark at the fence.
If you allow your dog to mug your hands for treats, they’ll mug your hands for treats.
If you allow your dog to ignore a recall, they’ll get better and better at ignoring recalls.
Dogs don’t repeat behaviours out of stubbornness or spite. They repeat them because those behaviours work for them.
Using This to Your Advantage
The flip side is empowering: if you manage what you allow, you take control of what gets reinforced.
• Want a calmer dog at the door? Don’t allow chaos, teach and reward calmness instead.
• Want a dog that walks nicely on the lead? Don’t allow pulling, reward loose-lead walking, even if it means progress is slow at first.
• Want a solid recall? Don’t allow your dog to ignore you, set them up for success with long lines, structured practice, and reinforcement when they come.
The responsibility lies with us. It’s not about being harsh or overly strict; it’s about recognising that consistency and clarity shape behaviour far more effectively than chance
Final Thoughts
Reinforcement is happening whether you’re actively training or not. Dogs are masters of learning through their environment and through what we allow. If you let behaviours slide, you’re reinforcing them, whether you meant to or not.
So, the question is: what are you reinforcing today? The behaviours you want or the ones you don’t?
Because, at the end of the day, your dog is always learning. The real issue is: what are they learning from you?
