Dog Training – The 4 Quadrants of Operant Conditioning – What They Are and How They Are Used

Like people, dogs are motivated by gain and avoiding pain. Therefore, reinforcement or punishment can be used to train a dog.

So what are reinforcements and punishments?

Reinforcements are anything that increases the likelihood that a dog will repeat a particular behavior. Similarly, punishments are anything that makes a behavior less likely.

However, what may not be very clear is that there are 2 types of reinforcements and, in the same way, 2 types of punishments. This is why …

The 4 quadrants of operant conditioning

To reinforce a dog for a particular behavior, you can give him something that he likes (for example, a treat) or to carry something that he does not like (for example, an aversive). Either way, the dog is rewarded for repeating the behavior. The first is called positive reinforcement (R +) and the second negative reinforcement (R-).

And to punish a dog for bad behavior in order to decrease the likelihood that the dog will repeat that behavior, you can administer something that the dog does not like (for example, physical punishment) or simply take away something that he likes (for example , a withdrawal of privileges, for example, in the form of a time-out). The first in this case is called positive punishment (P +) and the second negative punishment (P-).

As can be seen from the examples above, the word positive and negative is used simply to indicate whether something is being administered or removed. And because you can reinforce or punish a dog by adding or taking things away, we end up with 2 different types of reinforcement and punishment each or, in short, the 4 quadrants of operant conditioning.

Examples of the 4 quadrants used in dog training

Here are common examples of the four quadrants in action during dog training:

Positive reinforcement (R +): ask a dog to sit and give him a treat when he sits

Negative Reinforcement (R-): When teaching a dog to retrieve, pinch the dog’s ear (aversive) and release it (remove aversive) only when the dog retrieves the object.

Positive punishment (P +): using a leash to correct a dog for undesirable behavior.

Negative punishment (P-): when a dog is happily playing with another dog, instituting a time out by taking him to a boring corner (taking away play time) at the moment when he becomes too rude or aggressive (undesirable behavior)

Clicker Vs Compulsion Dog Trainers and How They Use All 4 Quadrants

Clicker and other positive reward-based trainers generally apply a lot of R + to their training. On the rare occasions where punishment is required, they usually administer P-. In clicker training, dogs are frequently set up to be successful, giving trainers the opportunity to mark, reward, and reinforce desired behaviors. Therefore, this training is generally referred to as more humane and dog-friendly.

In contrast, compulsive trainers focus a lot on using P + and R- to get work done. Sometimes dogs deliberately set themselves up to make mistakes, giving the trainer an opportunity to correct the dog. Therefore, the terms correction and compulsion are commonly associated with this form of dog training.