Do Dogs Prefer Petting or Praise As a Reinforcement in Dog Training?
A new study asks dogs to make the choice.
By Zazie Todd, PhD
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References
Feuerbacher, E., & Wynne, C. (2015). Shut up and pet me! Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) prefer petting to vocal praise in concurrent and single-alternative choice procedures Behavioural Processes, 110, 47-59
Feuerbacher, E., & Wynne, C. (2012). RELATIVE EFFICACY OF HUMAN SOCIAL INTERACTION AND FOOD AS REINFORCERS FOR DOMESTIC DOGS AND HAND-REARED WOLVES Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 98 (1), 105-129
Fukuzawa, M., & Hayashi, N. (2013). Comparison of 3 different reinforcements of learning in dogs (Canis familiaris) Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 8 (4), 221-224
OKAMOTO, Y., OHTANI, N., UCHIYAMA, H., & OHTA, M. (2009). The Feeding Behavior of Dogs Correlates with their Responses to Commands Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, 71 (12), 1617-1621
Saito, A., & Shinozuka, K. (2013). Vocal recognition of owners by domestic cats (Felis catus) Animal Cognition, 16 (4), 685-690
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Photo: Felix Rohan/Shutterstock |
By Zazie Todd, PhD
This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
A lot of people like to think they can reinforce their dog
with verbal praise such as “Good girl!” But does it mean anything to the dog?
We know that, given a choice, dogs prefer food over petting or praise (Feuerbacher and Wynne 2012; Fukuzawa and Hayashi 2013; Okamoto et al 2009), and this is why food is so useful in dog training. A new study by Erica Feuerbacher (Carroll College) and Clive Wynne (Arizona State University) takes food out of the equation and investigates whether dogs prefer petting or verbal praise.
We know that, given a choice, dogs prefer food over petting or praise (Feuerbacher and Wynne 2012; Fukuzawa and Hayashi 2013; Okamoto et al 2009), and this is why food is so useful in dog training. A new study by Erica Feuerbacher (Carroll College) and Clive Wynne (Arizona State University) takes food out of the equation and investigates whether dogs prefer petting or verbal praise.
In a series of two experiments, shelter dogs and owned dogs
were given a choice between petting and praise. The results showed that dogs
prefer petting. Now before you say this is not surprising, remember we just
said many owners expect their dog to be obedient in exchange for a simple “Good
boy!” It doesn’t sound like such a good deal from the dog’s point of view, does
it?
In the second experiment, the scientists compared verbal
praise to nothing happening. And in fact, “vocal praise was nearly
indistinguishable from no interaction.”
If saying “Good dog!” is always followed by a treat, it will come to have some meaning for the dog since it predicts a food reward. However, without this conditioning, it doesn’t have any significance. Yet this is something many dog owners seem to forget.
If saying “Good dog!” is always followed by a treat, it will come to have some meaning for the dog since it predicts a food reward. However, without this conditioning, it doesn’t have any significance. Yet this is something many dog owners seem to forget.
It’s interesting to compare this to cats. In a 2013 study, Saito and Shinozuka found that, although cats can
recognize their owner’s voice and distinguish it from someone else, they do not
pay much attention to their speech. They (and many commentators) speculated
that it might be different for dogs.
However, Feuerbacher and Wynne say, “Our results suggest, however, that without specific conditioning human vocalizations are as meaningless for dogs as for cats.” They say it is likely conditioning that causes both dogs and cats to recognize their owner’s voice.
However, Feuerbacher and Wynne say, “Our results suggest, however, that without specific conditioning human vocalizations are as meaningless for dogs as for cats.” They say it is likely conditioning that causes both dogs and cats to recognize their owner’s voice.
In both experiments, shelter dogs and dogs with owners took
part. The authors thought that shelter dogs might appreciate petting more than
owned dogs, since they don’t have their own human and are probably starved of
human interaction. The shelter dogs did not show any particular interest in
praise, but in the beginning they were more interested in petting than the dogs
with owners.
A total of 114 dogs took part, with a wide mix of breeds and
crosses. In the first experiment, dogs were offered a choice between two
people, one who was offering petting and one who was offering vocal praise. After 5 minutes, they swapped roles for a further 5 minutes.
Even when it was the owner offering praise, dogs preferred petting from a
stranger.
In the second experiment, with a different set of dogs, one person alternated between offering petting or praise or, in a different version, they alternated between petting and no interaction with the dog. Sessions were videoed and the researchers analyzed the amount of time each dog spent in proximity to the people or in contact with them.
In the second experiment, with a different set of dogs, one person alternated between offering petting or praise or, in a different version, they alternated between petting and no interaction with the dog. Sessions were videoed and the researchers analyzed the amount of time each dog spent in proximity to the people or in contact with them.
Petting is important to dogs, say the scientists, as it
supports social behaviour and helps build attachment between human and
canine. For shelter dogs in particular, it may help to reduce stress.
The study also investigated whether there was a limit to how
much petting the dogs liked. In this condition dogs were petted as long as they
were in reach.
Guess what? The dogs liked it! They chose to remain close to the person and be petted for the full duration.
Guess what? The dogs liked it! They chose to remain close to the person and be petted for the full duration.
The dogs in this study were all social dogs, and the results
would be different for dogs that are fearful. Dogs also have preferences for
where they like to be petted, namely the side of the chest and under the chin (Kuhne
et al 2012). Choosing to pet them in a different place would be less preferable
to the dog.
This study adds to our understanding of the role of petting
in the relationship between people and dogs. It also shows that verbal praise
is fairly meaningless to a dog, unless it has been conditioned.
The full paper is currently open access (see the link below).
The full paper is currently open access (see the link below).
If you liked this post, check out my book Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. Modern Dog magazine calls it "The must-have guide to improving your dog's life."
How long is it before your dog tires of being petted?
References
Feuerbacher, E., & Wynne, C. (2012). RELATIVE EFFICACY OF HUMAN SOCIAL INTERACTION AND FOOD AS REINFORCERS FOR DOMESTIC DOGS AND HAND-REARED WOLVES Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 98 (1), 105-129
Fukuzawa, M., & Hayashi, N. (2013). Comparison of 3 different reinforcements of learning in dogs (Canis familiaris) Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 8 (4), 221-224
OKAMOTO, Y., OHTANI, N., UCHIYAMA, H., & OHTA, M. (2009). The Feeding Behavior of Dogs Correlates with their Responses to Commands Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, 71 (12), 1617-1621
Saito, A., & Shinozuka, K. (2013). Vocal recognition of owners by domestic cats (Felis catus) Animal Cognition, 16 (4), 685-690
You might also like:
Now where's my treat?
The importance of food in dog training
Dogs' responses to affection from familiar and unfamiliar people
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