What Not to Pair: The consequence of mixing consequences Kathy Sdao, MA, ACAAB

Is there a training mistake you can’t fix? In clicker training, is there any way you might inadvertently cause permanent damage to your animal’s future ability to learn? When you change the emotional meaning of punishers or of reinforcers

It’s easy to change the affective meaning of reinforcers & punishers  Classical conditioning is responsible.  The “emotional contagion” of sequential stimuli  Pavlov conditioned dogs to feel happy when they heard a bell which had been followed many times by food  Dogs learn to love the sound of cellophane or the sight of a leash

Classical (or Pavlovian) conditioning Forms an association between 2 stimuli: Stimulus 1 has no intrinsic meaning = Conditional Stimulus (CS) Stimulus 2 has intrinsic meaning = Unconditional Stimulus (US) Animal’s behavior is a reflex CS + US  B (reflex)

Timing Matters in Classical Conditioning TRACE 0.5 sec1.5 sec1.o sec2.0 sec DELAYED 0.5 sec1.5 sec1.o sec2.0 sec SIMULTANEOUS 0.5 sec1.5 sec1.o sec2.0 sec0.5 sec1.5 sec1.o sec2.0 sec BACKWARD

Timing Matters in Classical Conditioning TRACE 0.5 sec1.5 sec1.o sec2.0 sec DELAYED 0.5 sec1.5 sec1.o sec2.0 sec SIMULTANEOUS 0.5 sec1.5 sec1.o sec2.0 sec0.5 sec1.5 sec1.o sec2.0 sec BACKWARD

The emotional value of the US spreads backward to “infect” the CS. After pairings of “CS followed by US,” the emotion the animal feels in response to the US will become the way it feels about the CS. = the CS takes on the emotional value of the US In some cases, the animal’s physiological reaction to the CS will differ from its reaction to the US. Example: A rat’s response to shock is to abruptly increase activity, whereas its response to a tone that signals the shock is to reduce activity.

Ruining punishers If you repeatedly reinforce a dog immediately after you’ve punished him, that punishment will become a reinforcer.  yell at dog for chewing furniture, then quickly praise him for stopping (= “Jekyll & Hyde” routine)  leash-pop dog for pulling, then CT for heeling

Don’t clicker trainers avoid using punishers? Yes, certainly. But it’s essential to preserve the power of humane punishers to suppress behavior. Worst-case scenario: We decide to use an occasional punisher as part of a carefully planned “set-up,” but find it actually increases the unwanted behavior!

Can you intentionally “defuse” a potential punisher? Yes!  You can teach dog that yelling or fur-tugging or collar-grabbing is actually a predictor of yummy food, or a game of tug, or a romp outside.  Tight leash = good stuff for dog

Ruining reinforcers If you repeatedly punish a dog immediately after you’ve offered food or a toy, that reinforcer will become a punisher.  Giving a food lure followed by a nail trim  Using steak pieces to lure your hesitant dog onto the teeter  Smearing peanut butter on your refrigerator so dog can lick it while you brush matted fur

(continued)  Giving a very anxious dog a Kong™ stuffed with cheese & biscuits just before you leave for work  Feeding a leash-aggressive dog pieces of chicken as soon as you notice a dog approaching  Passing cookies out to strangers so they can feed and then pet your shy puppy Human example: Amy Dickinson’s advice regarding mother-in-law

“My dog isn’t food motivated.” Actually, many dogs have learned to distrust the cue of “owner offers me special food in her hand.”

Keep reinforcers & punishers unambiguous!  Don’t follow food, toys, play, praise or click with anything dog considers scary.  Don’t follow reprimands, corrections, squirts, or shocks with anything the dog values.  Separate reinforcement & punishment by a pause. How long should the pause be? At least 5 seconds, but preferably +20–30 seconds

Thank you!