Just like people, dogs are motivated by gain and avoiding pain. Therefore, to train a dog, reinforcements or punishments can be used.

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 decreases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated.

However, what may not be too clear is that there are 2 types of reinforcements and, similarly, 2 types of punishments. This is why…

The 4 quadrants of operant conditioning

To reinforce a dog’s particular behavior, you can give him something he likes (eg, a treat) or take away something he doesn’t like (eg, 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 of the dog repeating that behavior, you can administer something the dog doesn’t like (eg, physical punishment) or simply take away something the dog likes (eg, physical punishment). eg, take away a privilege, for example). the form of a time out). The first in this case is called positive punishment (P+) and the second negative punishment (P-).

As you can see from the examples above, the word positive and negative are simply used to indicate whether something is being managed or removed. And since you can reinforce or punish a dog by adding or subtracting things, we end up with 2 different types of reinforcements and punishments 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+): Asking a dog to sit and giving 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 pop 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 (removing play time) the moment he becomes too rough or aggressive (undesirable behavior)

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

Clicker and other positive reward based trainers generally put a lot of R+ into their training. On the rare occasions where punishment is required, they typically administer P-. In clicker training, dogs are often set up for success by giving handlers the opportunity to mark, reward, and reinforce desired behaviors. Therefore, such training is generally called more humane and dog-friendly.

By contrast, compulsion trainers focus a lot on using P+ and R- to get the job done. Dogs are sometimes deliberately set 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.