There are two main types of learning when it comes to dog training. Some may use one over the other while other may use a combination of the two. It is up to you to read up on both of them and decide which one is right for you. Or you can create your own combination.
Classic conditioning started early in the twentieth researcher named Pavlov. You have probably heard of something called "Pavlov's response." This term refers to the experiments that Pavlov conducted with dogs where he rang and bell and then fed a dog. He would repeat the experiment over and over. The dog would start to salivate when the bell would ring. Then he just rang the bell but did not give the dog food. The dog still salivated even though he did not receive any food. This experiment is the basis for what is called classic conditioning.
One of the best examples of classic conditioning is the use of a clicker during training. For most people, you want a specific word or sound like the click to serve as your dog's reward because it is easier to do than carry a pocket full of treats all the time. So you start training by saying your code word or sound and giving your dog an edible treat. Quickly he will link the word or sound to receiving a treat. Soon you will get the same desired response with just the word or clicking sound alone. There are a number of variations to this.
Operant conditioning was developed by a man named Skinner. In opposition from classic way, operant conditioning begins with an action on the dog's side which then gets rewarded. In essence, Skinner's way is always reliant on the dog's behavior. If the dog performs correctly, then the dog gets a treat, which is also known as positive reinforcement.
Under the operant conditioning hypothesis, if you are in command of which behaviors are emphasized, you should be able to get your dog to perform these behaviors more often than not. Basically, if the dog does well and gets rewarded for it, he will want to do it again to please you. By the same token, if he is reprimanded or something bad happens to him, he is not going to do it again. It makes sense, doesn't it?
Many do-it-yourselfers like to merge several aspects of both the classic and operant conditioning while professional dog trainers lean toward operant conditioning since the clicker training is so popular. What you should know that no matter what the classic conditioning is present always in some aspect or another. So if you decide to train your dog on your own you would likely do these things to combine both learning theories: 1. Your dog performs a particular command and then is rewarded. 2. You continually repeat the cycle of the behavior-reward until the dog's actions are natural. 3. Next, you speak a command and the dog acts. 4. After the dog acts in a positive way, then the dog is rewarded.
