Thirty years ago, this cartoon would have used the term punishment instead of incorrectly using the term negative reinforcement. But starting somewhere around the early 1990s, people have increasingly used the term negative reinforcement in cases where the technique is clearly punishment—that is when the technique is meant to stop a behavior. It probably has something to do with the fact that spanking and physical force are now frowned upon when dealing with kids. And the term negative reinforcement seems nicer to some. I’ve defined the four categories of operant conditioning: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative

If you’re like the general population, your dog has a decent or so-so come when called in the house, but outside in the yard or at the park, you might experiences something like this: “My dog doesn’t really like to run to me when I call her,” says one reader of this blog. “She prefers to search for food and find things than run around at the park. I’m too nervous to let her off leash because her recall is not good yet.” This reader has the right idea. She’s keeping her dog on a long leash at the park

Applied animal psychology brings together the two formerly unrelated fields of professional animal training and modern behavioral science. The field is new in that it represents, we believe, the first application of systematic behavior theory to the control of animal behavior.

    If however, the leash is around your waist and the dog pulls, because your waist is close to your center of gravity, you’re more likely to stay on your feet, especially if you bend your legs and lower your body a little (not shown here).    Real Leash vs Hands Free    In addition, with this particular Buddy System leash (http://www.buddysys.com), you can detach the leash if you want so that the dog is released.     Real Leash vs Hands Free      

Anyone who owns a Bengal cat knows they can be Herculean meowers, and Sophia’s Bengal cat, Dante, was no exception. He could easily hold a meow for at least five minutes. When first adopted, Sophia ignored his meowing and pretended that he didn’t exist, only rewarding him with petting or treats when he was quiet (hint, this works way better if you’ve first spent a day or so rewarding them at least fifty times for sitting quietly first). Dante quickly learned to be quiet but since meowing incessantly is in his genes, a sudden change in environment would occasionally bring

broc A reader who uses Gentle Leader head collars regularly in training recently asked me about the use of the head collar. States the reader, “I have gotten myself totally confused and need help sorting it out. What category of operant conditioning does the head collar use fall under? Negative punishment? Positive reinforcement? Negative Reinforcement? Positive punishment?” You might think that being able to correctly determine the category of operant conditioning is just a scientific exercise; however, it’s much more than that. For instance, say you read an ad for a product that says it uses negative reinforcement to stop