Is it a correction or a reinforcement?
When you’re trying to determine what reinforces your dog’s undesirable behavior, you’re basically asking: What is the dog getting out of this? That’s smart and foundational for real behavior change. Here’s a practical step-by-step process, followed by how to check if your corrections are accidentally acting as reinforcers instead.
🔍 Step-by-Step: Identifying Reinforcers for an Undesirable Behavior
1. Describe the behavior clearly
What exactly is the dog doing? (e.g., barking at the window, jumping on guests, bolting out the door)
When does it happen? What triggers it?
2. Observe the consequence of the behavior**
What happens immediately after the behavior?
Is the dog getting something (attention, access, stimulation)?
Is the dog avoiding something (discomfort, confinement, boredom)?
Behavior that continues (or increases) is being reinforced — somehow.
3. Look at the environment
What predictably precedes the behavior (antecedents)?
Is there a pattern? (Time of day, people around, sounds, energy level?)
4. Make a hypothesis: What is the reward?
Ask: “What’s the function of the behavior?”
Social? → Attention from people or dogs.
Sensory? → Feels good to bark, dig, chew, run.
Escape? → Avoids being confined, scolded, or restrained.
Access? → Gets to food, toys, open space.
5. Test it
Remove the suspected reinforcer: e.g., ignore attention-seeking barking.
Or modify the environment: e.g., prevent access to window if barking is self-rewarding.
See if the behavior decreases.
🧭 Are Your “Corrections” Actually Reinforcers?
Sometimes, what we think is a correction (like yelling, pushing, or a leash tug) can become reinforcement if:
1. It gives the dog attention or stimulation
Yelling “No!” might be exciting.
Pushing a dog off can feel like play.
2. It functions as negative reinforcement
If the dog acts out and the pressure stops (like barking causing a leash correction to end), the dog learns, “That worked!”
3. The dog is under-stimulated
Any response from you—even negative—might be better than nothing.
✅ How to Know for Sure
Track the behavior: Is it getting worse, more intense, or more frequent? That means it’s being reinforced (even if unintentionally).
Try changing your response: If ignoring the behavior or changing the context makes it decrease, the original “correction” was probably reinforcing.
Use video: Review clips to spot patterns you're missing in real time.
💡 Bonus Tip: Ask Yourself
“What’s the dog getting or avoiding when he does this? And how am I reacting?”
