#r-

[incultas]

robert house never was the easiest man to love, nor was his love the easiest to gain. [ x ]

for @dominodean​ 💚

I Get A Kick Out Of You - Frank Sinatra || That Man - Caro Emerald || Perfume - Annella || Wonderland - Caravan Palace || Lolita - Lana Del Rey || Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off - Panic! At The Disco || Overtime - Brika || Pack Up The Louie - Caro Emerald || Million Dollar Man - Lana Del Rey || Owls - Hawks

[itshomolology]

I lunged my potato tonight and she was super good

1) we did the sidereins thing and I think I’ve got them at a good setting bc she’s gotta work at it but can get it when she tries

2) we did canter twice!!!! For multiple circles each time!!!! Also there was no grumpy behavior in terms of tail swish or ears or neck roll so she was super chill with it

I kinda asked for a loooot more canter than I usually do and was super impressed at how she just stepped up to the challenge without hesitation or complaint. She’s been giving me a lot of really wonderful effort and it’s just a shame Basketball starts next week so I don’t really have the time to run with it. 🙃

[dog-journey]

Lili Chin- What Is Negative Reinforcement?

Negative Reinforcement (R-) is often misunderstood. This infographic was created in collaboration with Caroline Crevier-Chabot and Sam Griffin, with some help from Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, to explain R- and to differentiate between coercive and considerate uses.

Image descriptions and text under readmore.

Description begins.

What is Negative Reinforcement?

In the language of behavior science, positive (+) does not mean "good", and negative (-) does not mean "bad". Reinforcement is not defined by intention or topography (what the behavior looks like). It is defined by function and repeatability. A reinforced behavior works and is likely to happen again in the future.

In a negative reinforcement (R-) contingency, we do a behavior to get away from something or to remove something. In life, R-happens all the time. We are trained by our environment.

[Image: A three panel comic. Panel 1: Antecedent- Car Honking. Someone drives a car while another car honks behind them. Panel 2: Behavior- You Accelerate. The driver of the car in front presses on the gas pedal. Panel 3: Consequence- Honking stops. The driver of the car smiles in relief.]

Examples of Coercive Uses of R-

R- is coercive when an aversive stimulus (which may increase in frequency or intensity) is used in order to get the animal to do a behavior, and the animal has no choice to opt out of the interaction. Stuck in this interaction, their only option is to do something to remove the pain or threat.

[Image: A three panel comic. Panel 1: Antecedent- E-collar shocks! A yellow dog is startled, thinking “Oh!!!” when a shock is applied through a worn shock collar. Panel 2: Behavior- Dog Goes to Handler. A person stands, holding a remote in their hand. The dog sits in front of them, panting, the collar still applying shock. Panel 3: Consequence- Shock/Pain Stops. The dog pants, eyes expressing worry. It thinks “Whew! I made it stop”]

[Image: A three panel comic. Panel 1: Antecedent- Spray bottle. A grey tabby cat cowers on a table as a human hand aims a spray bottle filled with water towards it. The cat recalls being sprayed by the bottle in the past. Panel 2: Behavior- Cat jumps off table. The cat jumps off the table, hand still aimed at it. Panel 3: Consequence- Spray bottle removed. The cat stands on the floor, glancing backwards and thinking: “Whew!”]

Examples of considerate, safe uses of R-

R- is considerate when the goal is to make a frightening experience less intimidating by giving the animal more control over the intensity or frequency of the aversive stimulus. The animal has the choice to opt out of the interaction in many subtle ways, and doesn't need to escalate to stronger behaviors like biting or fleeing to escape. Using R- in this way allows us to improve two-way communication and respond to the animal's discomforts.

[Image: A three panel comic. Panel 1: Antecedent- Dremel touches dog’s nail. A dog lays down, licking a lickmat, thinking “Yikes” while a human holds one of its paws and uses a dremel to grind down its nails. Panel 2: Behavior- Dog turns head, leans away. Same as previous panel, except the dog has stopped licking as has turned its head away, licking its lips, thinking “Help”. Panel 3: Consequence- Dremel removed. The human’s hands have withdrawn from the frame. From off panel, the human says “Okay. We take a break.” The dog looks back towards the lickmat, thinking “Thank you.”]

[Image: A three panel comic. Panel 1: Antecedent- Restrained (By vet tech). A human leans over a crouching fluffy white and yellow cat, holding its sides. Panel 2: Behavior- Cat wriggles. The cat wriggles in the person’s grasp, trying to get away, thinking “No!!!”. Panel 3: Consequence- Restraint removed. The human withdraws backwards away from the cat, which is now laying down and thinking “Wriggling works.”]

[Image: A three panel comic. Panel 1: Antecedent- Strange human approaches. A human wearing a cowboy hat says “Hello” and approaches a red horse standing in a field. The horse turns its head away and thinks “Oh no…”. Panel 2: Behavior- Horse’s body language changes. The horse’s nostrils flare, its ears pin back, its body tenses, and its tail snaps. Panel 3: Consequence- Strange human leaves. The human says “Sorry,” turns around, and walks away. The horse thinks “Whew! They’re okay!”. ]

[Image: A three panel comic. Panel 1: Antecedent- Unfamiliar dog is near. A human holds the leash attached to a boston terrier, which is tensely staring at an approaching poodle. The dog thinks about barking at the poodle to tell it to Go Away!! Panel 2: Behavior- Dog moves away with handler. The human tells the dog “Come this way” and they both turn and walk away from the poodle. Panel 3: Consequence- Unfamiliar dog is further away. The terrier looks up at its handler, wagging its tail with an open mouth, and thinks: “Whew! All is good!” In the far distance, the poodle and its handler are visible.]

[Image: A three panel comic. Panel 1: Antecedent- Dental procedure. A masked dentist works on a human patient’s mouth. Panel 2: Behavior- Patient signals. The patient raises their hand, saying “Aaah!”. Panel 3: Consequence- Procedure paused. The dentist removes their hand, leans back, and asks “Are you ok? What do you need?” ]

CC-BY-NC-ND ©2024 Lili Chin, Caroline Crevier-Chabot, Sam Griffin, Dr. Eduardo Fernandez

Description ends.

[dog-journey]

[alternate link]

Sarah Stremming

A rich understanding of how reinforcement works to strengthen behavior is vital for behavior change, and yet there are so many areas of this concept that are misunderstood by dog trainers (hobbyists and professionals alike!).

[dog-journey]

[alternate link]

Sarah Stremming

In the first of a three part series exploring nuances of reinforcement, Sarah talks about what she calls the 1:1 ratio of behavior : reinforcement. When we are training or maintaining behavior we need to always maintain a 1: 1 ratio and what that looks like varies based on the learner, the task, and the payout. A seemingly simple unit of behavior might require a big payout and that payout is not a jackpot if it is simply the appropriate amount of reinforcement owed for the behavioral input given.

[alternate link]

Sarah Stremming

In the second installment of three part series exploring the nuances of reinforcement Sarah dives into negative reinforcement. Can negative reinforcement be part of a humane training plan? If so, when is it best utilized? All this, practical application, and more.

[alternate link]

Sarah Stremming

In the third and final installment of the Understanding Reinforcement series, Sarah tackles natural and contrived contingencies. The natural contingency driving your dog’s behavior is important for you to know about and leverage. Many natural contingencies are about avoidance, while our contrived contingencies tend to be about acquisition. Superimposing acquisition contingencies on top of avoidance contingencies often fails, but we can still be effective reward-based practitioners if we understand these processes.

[gothbachira]

everybody was looking way too fine in those leaks bro . what’s happening to me………..

[many-gay-magpies]

oh fuck .