Applying the Premack Principle to dog training

Well hi there! If you are reading this you're probably researching methods of dog training, good on you! It's a big part of being a dog parent, and there is always new information to discover. I'll be going through what the Premack Principal is, the history of it's use, and how you can apply it to your dogs training!

To start us off, let's talk about the origin of this principle. David Premack developed the Premack Principle in 1965. He was studying and observing Cebus Monkey's when he noticed that the monkeys were more likely to engage in behaviors that were less rewarding to them, if they were reinforced with more rewarding activities. For example; say that a monkey needs to be given a bath in order to stay hygienic, but the bath isn't something the monkey enjoys, or finds rewarding. Following the bath however, if the monkey is allowed to engage in a much more rewarding activity, such as playing with it's peers, you'll see an association begin to build. Keep in mind, I am not a Primatologist, so these activities are just examples!

Once Premack expanded on this principal he conducted one of the first studies on record with children. To start this study, he asked the participants if they favored eating candy, or playing pinball. After gathering this data he preformed two test scenarios: one in which the children had to play pinball in order to receive candy to eat. In the other, the children had to eat candy in order to play pinball! Only the children who preferred the second activity in the sequence showed reinforcement being prevalent. And so, evidence of the Premack principle begun to spark.

In another study, done by Dianne Welsh, Daniel Bernstein, and Fred Luthans, it was found that when fast food workers were guaranteed more time at their favorite work stations if their performance met specific standards, their performance at less desired work stations improved. There were many more studies done on young kids and animals!

Now, let's move onto our main focus...dogs! The Premack Principle is being used more and more in modern dog training. It is a very effective way to reinforce the behaviors your dog needs to preform either for safety, hygiene or cooperation. Dogs respond very well to this method because it is rewarding long term, and it provides them with consistency. Not only are you building trust with your dog, but you are ensuring they have healthy patterns in their training, making your life with them much more harmonious! I am a dog trainer myself and find it a very useful method of approach for impatient puppies, and dogs who are solidifying their basics!

One of the most common ways I have personally incorporated this principle into dog training is starting off simple, and applying it to every day things such as walks! For example; when you are out on a potty break with your bestie, they are likely to be interested in smelling scents left behind for them. Instead of getting frustrated with them pulling towards the smell, use this as an opportunity! Take a few of what I call "penalty steps" back, just firmly walk two or three steps backwards, bringing them away from the area they pulled you to. Now, the key is to get them to come back into your bubble. Using sounds, their name, or continuing to walk backward a little should get their attention. Once they are back in your universe, mark them with a "yes!" and take them to the spot they so badly wanted to get to before, in an excited rush. I'm talking speed walk like a grandma in a mall headed towards the pretzel stand. Your dog obviously prefers the second behavior in that sequence, but if you use those moments as opportunities, an association will build. "If I listen to my human, they take me to my spot, but I don't get to pull them there." Is what I imagine your dog will be thinking, but we can only give our best narrations and hope their gears are turning!

Thanks for reading