In many respects our world is far removed from a dog’s natural character. At the beginning of the domestication process, about 15.000 years ago, these two worlds were almost interconnected. Both wolves and men were practically living in the same way: both being hunters, both having the same social organization. It is precisely this which has been one of the main causes for the domestication process to succeed.

Over the course of centuries these two worlds have been growing far apart, making it very difficult for our dog in the present time to live in a human environment often unnatural to him. In her book Jean Donaldson is describing this in a very visible way calling it a ‘culture clash’ (Jean Donaldson, The Culture Clash, 1996). By taking into account as much as possible the dog’s natural behavior, we can soften this clash slightly, however in many respects the dog has to comply with the requirements of society and he must adapt to it. His natural behavior will not be of any assistance with this, at the contrary it gets in his way. Therefore we will have to teach him behavior which is strange and unknown to him, using the knowledge and insights from the behavioral science.

Each behavior, always caused by a stimulus, is leading to a certain effect: positive or negative. Dogs are able to associate two or more stimuli causing them to get the same meaning. As a result of this these stimuli, even given separately to the dog, lead to the same behavior.

The Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov has demonstrated this in a experiment, offering dogs some meat resulting in a saliva reflex, being their natural behavior. Simultaneously with the offering he was ringing a little bell. After a while the saliva reflex also occurred with just the little bell’s ringing, without offering the meat. Pavlov concluded the dog had associated the two stimuli giving to them the same meaning. This phenomenon is been called classical conditioning.

This same phenomenon by the way frequently occurs in people too. When the bell is ringing, we get up each time and walk to the front door, even being no one there.

Behavior will always have consequences to the one demonstrating it. A certain consequence immediately occurring after the demonstrated behavior will lead to an association between behavior and consequence. Behavior may have positive or negative consequences, which affects the repetition or avoidance of this behavior in the future respectively.

The American Scientist Burrhus Frederic Skinner has demonstrated that behavior repeats itself being linked to something positive, being reinforced positively. On the other hand behavior is avoided being linked to something negative, being reinforced negatively. This phenomenon is been called operant conditioning.

Wishing our dog repeats a certain behavioral act, we are reinforcing this specific behavior positively. We have to realize this is not the same as rewarding a dog. A reward is something personal, giving meaning to the relationship between the owner and his dog. By contrast a positive reinforcement is always being linked directly to a certain behavioral act, causing this act to be reinforced and being completely separate from the one giving this reinforcement. The dog is going to repeat this behavior, making the association between this behavior and the reinforcement that follows immediately thereafter.

Wishing our dog not showing a certain behavioral act, we are reinforcing this specific behavior negatively. This too isn’t the same as punishing the dog, that is punishing is personal, whereas giving a negative reinforcement is directly linked to the a certain behavioral act and being completely separate from the one giving this reinforcement.

The dog, given a negative reinforcement after a certain behavior, will avoid this behavior, because he wishes to avoid the negative reinforcement following the behavior.

It is possible to change a direct positive reinforcement, for instance food, into a conditioned positive reinforcement, by using Pavlov’s learning theory, as described above in 2. ‘Classical conditioning’.

We are going to condition the dog on the little word ‘OK’ by giving him a little treat and simultaneously saying ‘OK’. We repeat this several times, then we stop. A while later the same act is done again and this whole act is being repeated for several days. After some time the dog will make the association between the treat and the word ‘OK’. For him these two signals have become the same value. Now he has been conditioned and can be positively reinforced exclusively by the signal ‘OK’ which is now called a conditioned positive reinforcement. Only now and then the training of giving a treat accompanied by the signal ‘OK’ is necessary for maintaining the association.

It is also possible to change a direct negative reinforcement into a conditioned negative reinforcement by using the fact that taking away food is a very bad thing to be experienced by a dog. We act as follows. A treat, put on a open hand, is being held before the dog, while the other hand is held behind our back with a little chain in it. The moment the dog wants to grab the treat, we suddenly close our hand, moving it away from the dog, simultaneously letting ring the chain behind our back, without the dog noticing it. We repeat this several times, then we stop. A while later the same act is done again and this whole act is being repeated for several days. The same happens now as with the positive reinforcement. The dog will make the association between taking away the food and the ringing of the chain. For him these two signals have become the same value. Now he has been conditioned and can be negatively reinforced exclusively by the signal of ringing the chain which is now called a conditioned negative reinforcement. Only now and then the training of taking away the food accompanied by the ringing of the chain is necessary for maintaining the association.

When teaching new behavior we also apply a technique being called ‘shaping’, meaning we do not teach the wanted behavior all at once, but we outline a route towards this final behavior. This route may be considered as steps of a staircase. Step by step one is going up until the finish, the wanted behavior, has been reached. The distance between the steps should be such that the next step is exactly feasible, the distance being too great the learning process will be blocked and the dog will get frustrated and even might quit completely, and as a result we have to start from scratch at step one. When a certain behavior is being shaped, each next behavioral level should be a successful enterprise being able to be positively reinforced. Only then the dog remains stimulated and motivated.

When the dog can be positively reinforced, because he is showing the wanted behavior, you can proceed to irregular reinforcement, meaning we become unpredictable in giving a positive reinforcement. Sometimes we give it several times in a row, sometimes we leave it out once or twice and then we give one again, causing the dog not to know when his behavior is going to be positively reinforced. As a result of this he will do better and better to show the desired behavior hoping for that positive reinforcement finally to come. The only thing we have to take care of is actually positively reinforcing the behavior, causing the dog as it were to become addicted to this reinforcement and the corresponding behavior. One can compare this with our addiction to/ dependence from a gambling/slotting machine where once in a while coins are rolling out, we doing our utmost putting money in it. Exactly the behavior desired from us by the owner!

Another important factor, needed to be taken into account in our dog’s behavior, is the phenomenon new behavior automatically leads to habitual behavior, as long as it is often enough repeated. Habitual behavior has two characteristics: the importance and meaning from the original stimulus are fading and the positive reinforcement, first a prerequisite for repeating the behavior, is no longer needed.

Habitual behavior, giving peace and clarity, is very important. You don’t have to think about it anymore, it will cost less energy being able to use for other business. Habitual behavior is very strong too, it will last for a long time and it is difficult to get rid off. It can also be seen in the brain as thick shock resistant cables. Very handy with ‘good’ habits, very difficult at ‘bad’ habits. So the proverb ‘prevention is better than curing’ is rightly applicable in this case.

Finally the environment is playing an often decisive role in our dog’s behavior. Behavior is always taking place in a certain environment, not occurring anymore when the environment has been changed. The environment as it were is acting as a stimulus causing to evoke the behavior, but it also can act as a reinforcement whether or not causing to stimulate the behavior.

Environment should not always be seen literally, also being able to be regarded as a pattern, within which behavioral actions occur. Often the owner and his dog are involved in a kind of theatre play, both showing their fixed behavioral patterns in it. They are being stuck in a certain ‘environment’. By breaking the pattern, by changing the environment, by playing a different kind of theatre play, both their behavior will become affected and a new behavioral pattern will arise.

Classical and operant conditioning, according to Pavlov’s and Skinner’s theories, the principle of shaping, the power of habitual behavior, the knowledge of the environment often playing a decisive role, all these are enough instruments to be used at affecting our dog’s behavior when we want him to adjust to our human world. Wishing to soften the culture clash for our dog, at that point we have to behave as an animal trainer and leave for a moment the role of a high ranking wolf behind us. When we can also put aside our emotions and are able to continuously observe our dog’s behavior and our own actions, he will demonstrate all behavior desired from him without experiencing any force or discomfort.