21/06/2025
Motivation and Reinforcement...
Training a dog isn’t just about teaching obedience—it’s about creating a shared language built on trust, timing, and motivation. Success comes from understanding what drives your dog’s behaviour and how to use that knowledge to guide learning effectively. At the heart of this process are two key concepts: motivation—what the dog wants—and reinforcement—how we encourage and strengthen the behaviours we want to see more of.
No dog is “stubborn” or “lazy”; they are simply motivated by something different in any given moment. Whether it’s food, play, praise, or the opportunity to explore, recognising and working with your dog’s unique motivators is essential for kind and effective training.
🧠 WHAT IS MOTIVATION?
Motivation is what drives behaviour. It’s the reason your dog chooses to sit when asked—or decides not to. Every dog is motivated by something, whether it’s food, praise, play, or even the environment itself. If a dog seems "stubborn", chances are, they’re simply more motivated by something else at that moment.
Typical motivators include:
• Treats and food rewards
• Toys and games (e.g., tug, fetch)
• Affection or verbal praise
• Access to places or activities (e.g., going out, sniffing)
• Relief from pressure or discomfort (less commonly used in modern training)
Understanding your dog’s strongest motivators is the first step towards training that works.
🔬 THE SCIENCE BEHIND MOTIVATION: HOW YOUR DOGS BRAIN LEARNS
When your dog does something good and receives a reward, their brain releases a chemical called dopamine. Often known as the “feel-good” chemical, dopamine creates a sense of pleasure and encourages your dog to repeat the behaviour.
For example, when your dog sits on command and gets a treat, dopamine makes them feel happy. Over time, they learn to link the behaviour (sitting) with this positive feeling, which strengthens the habit. This learning process is called operant conditioning—behaviour followed by a reward becomes more likely to happen again.
Another key chemical involved is oxytocin, often called the “bonding hormone.” Oxytocin is released during positive interactions like petting or praise and helps deepen the emotional connection between you and your dog. This bond increases your dog’s desire to please you and respond well to training.
By understanding and working with these brain chemicals, you can make training more enjoyable and effective for your dog.
🔁 WHAT IS REINFORCEMENT?
Reinforcement refers to anything that makes a behaviour more likely to happen again.
In dog training, the most common (and kindest) approach is positive reinforcement—adding something your dog wants, like a treat or toy, after they perform a desired behaviour. This strengthens the behaviour over time by triggering dopamine release in the brain.
There’s also negative reinforcement, which involves removing something unpleasant when the dog does the right thing—for example, releasing pressure on a lead when they stop pulling. While this can be effective, it requires precise timing and can affect the dog’s emotional state, so many trainers prefer positive methods.
💡 TYPES OF MOTIVATION
1. Extrinsic Motivation
This is motivation driven by external rewards—the ones you provide. It’s the basis of most training:
• Food for a sit
• Tug for a recall
• Praise for a trick
Extrinsic rewards are brilliant for teaching new behaviours, but they need to be valuable enough to compete with distractions. Over time, you can fade them and replace them with more natural reinforcers.
2. Intrinsic Motivation (Sometimes Misheard as Instrigent)
Intrinsic motivation comes from within the dog—it’s behaviour they find rewarding in itself, without any external input.
Examples include:
• Chasing squirrels
• Sniffing the ground
• Digging in the garden
• Herding (especially in working breeds)
You can’t "train" a dog out of intrinsic motivation—but you can use it. For instance, allowing your dog a chance to sniff after walking nicely on lead turns that natural desire into a reward.
🌀 SELF REINFORCING BEHAVIOURS
Some behaviours are so enjoyable or satisfying that dogs will repeat them without any need for a treat or toy. These are known as self-reinforcing behaviours.
Examples include:
• Barking at passers-by (they eventually walk away)
• Jumping on people (gets attention—even if negative)
• Chasing animals (fun and instinctive)
• Digging, chewing, or counter-surfing
Because the behaviour itself is the reward, these habits can be tough to break. The key is management and offering an alternative outlet that fulfils the same need—but in a way you can control and reward.
🔑 MAKING THE MOST OF MOTIVATION
1. Know What Your Dog Loves
Every dog is different. Some are foodies, others love toys, and some just want affection or freedom. Build a reward hierarchy:
• What are your dog’s highest-value rewards?
• What’s medium or low value?
Use the highest value when distractions are high or the task is hard.
2. Use Motivation Strategically
Don’t give out treats or toys randomly—tie them directly to behaviour. This builds understanding and strengthens the link between action and reward.
3. Apply the Premack Principle
Also called "Grandma’s Rule": let your dog do what they want, after doing what you want.
Example:
“If you come when called, you can go back to playing.”
This turns fun into reinforcement and increases responsiveness.
4. Fade Rewards Thoughtfully
Once a behaviour is well learned, you can gradually reduce how often you use extrinsic rewards—replacing them with real-life ones (like play or exploration). But don’t rush! Good habits take time.
⚠️ COMMON PITFALLS TO AVOID
• Using rewards your dog doesn’t value
• Poor timing (delayed rewards confuse the dog)
• Asking too much too soon (set them up to succeed)
• Ignoring self-reinforcing behaviours
• Forgetting to make training fun
At its core, dog training is about motivation. When we understand what our dogs truly want, we can shape behaviour in a way that’s kind, clear, and effective.
Instead of fighting against instinct, work with it. Use sniffing, play, and movement as part of your reward system. Prevent bad habits from becoming self-reinforcing, and keep sessions short, engaging, and rewarding.
Because when your dog is motivated, training becomes a partnership—not a battle.
Teach. Train. Thrive