Field Guide · Glossary
Positive reinforcement
Learning scienceAdding something a dog wants after a behavior, so that the behavior becomes more likely.
How it works
It is defined by its effect rather than by what was delivered: if the behavior does not increase, whatever arrived was not a reinforcer for that dog in that moment. The payment can be food, play, praise, or access to something the dog wanted anyway. Food generally outperforms social interaction in dogs, though petting has been shown to function as a genuine reinforcer, and short bouts work about as well as long ones. What counts as reinforcing is set by the dog and changes with context.
What it looks like
A dog sits and is released to go and sniff a lamp post they had been pulling toward. The sitting increases over the following week, and no food was involved at any point.
Commonly confused with
- Negative reinforcement
- Both increase behavior. Positive reinforcement adds something the dog wants; negative reinforcement removes something they do not. Positive and negative describe adding and removing, not whether the method is pleasant.
Related terms
In the reading list
Gear that helps
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Clicker
A clear, consistent marker your dog learns to trust. One click means "yes, that, a treat is coming," which sharpens your timing on everything else.
High-value freeze-dried training treats
The paycheck. For reactive work the reward has to beat the trigger, so we keep these tiny, soft, and genuinely exciting, not everyday biscuits.
Treat pouch (clip-on)
You can't reward fast enough digging in a pocket. A pouch you open one-handed changes your timing, and this one has a magnetic close plus a built-in clicker.
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