It sometimes astonishes me to see so many books written for dummies. I don’t think Americans are dummies at all. We live in an age when information is exploding at warp speed. New technological devices and concepts are hitting the marketplace every day and it is nearly impossible to keep up with all of these innovations. Many of us baby boomers may resist these changes, but it’s time to get into the 21st century. The process really isn’t that difficult, as you will see, even as it pertains to training a dog.  
 
     When it comes to dog training, there are several scientific learning theories which have been developed over the past 150 years which, if understood at an elementary level, will significantly improve your relationship with your dog. It is sort of like changing from a PC to a Mac computer. At first they seem completely different, but after you learn some of the basic operational functions the learning process is quick and easy. Most people have some insight as to how dogs learn but may not understand the science behind it.
         
     The science associated with dog training may appear to be a little complex at first glance, but when it is broken into smaller parts, it is quite simple. It is really a matter of understanding the basic principles associated with the science behind dog training. Once you grasp these simple principles you will be able to apply smart dog solutions to every problem you encounter. In fact, many of the techniques you are using now to train your dog have their basis in one of the two main learning theories associated with dog training.
 
     There are two main streams of thought when it comes to the learning models associated with training and behavior. The first theory immerged back in the late 1800’s with Dr. Pavlov and the other major learning theory was developed by Dr. B.F. Skinner back in the 1940’s. Some academics have taken these learning models to such a deep level of understanding that the theories themselves have become murky. I promise I will not take you there. Understanding how dogs learn may only be a matter of recovering some good old fashion common sense clothed in some simple scientific jargon.
 
     It was Dr. Pavlov that developed his theory known as Classical Conditioning. Most of us have heard the term and even remember parts of the experiment Pavlov conducted. Dr. Pavlov was the Russian physiologist back in the 1890’s that conducted experiments on dogs by ringing a bell and immediately rewarding the dog with a piece of food. After a period of time and much repetition Pavlov rang the bell and withheld the food and do you remember what happened? The dogs began to salivate in anticipation of receiving the food. How can we apply this concept to train an dog?
 
     Pavlov repeated this exercise with the dogs over and over again. As time went on the dogs began to associate the food with the ringing of the bell. When the food was removed, the dogs continued to anticipate the food when the bell was rung. Conditioning is really a matter of repeating an exercise over and over again which results in a predictable outcome. It is said that a professional golfer will hit 100 practice shots preparing for a tournament for every shot he takes during the actual tournament. Repetition builds predictability and reliability.   
 
     So what did we observe from Pavlov’s scientific experiment? First, we observed that dogs like food. Although this is not exactly a brilliant observation, it does explain why many dog trainers use food when training. Secondly, we observed that dogs learn by association. The dogs associated the bell with the food. From a training perspective this is extremely valuable information which can be used to help you communicate more effectively with a dog you are trying to train. Some people have referred to Pavlov’s experiments as “Associative Learning.”
 
     The right association can only be made if the conditions of the exercise are consistent and they occur within one and a half seconds or less. Timing plays a major role in the learning process. In order for the dog to make the proper association whether it’s being rewarded for something well done or corrected for something inappropriate; your response has to be administered as quickly as possible (one and half seconds or less). Dogs live in the NOW. They don’t worry about the past and they give no thought to the future. You have just been empowered to train your dog using one of the most important scientific learning models known to man.
 
     In my next article I will explain the next generation of “learning” known as “Operant Conditioning” developed by B. F. Skinner which takes Pavlov’s work to the next level. Understanding the simple principles of associative learning, repetition, consistency, timing and throw in a little patience and you’ll be able to overcome any training challenges.