On Tuesday, I lectured about animal training to an undergraduate introductory behavior analysis course.
We had great fun discussing how positive reinforcement and an understanding of behavior analysis can help make training more efficient and more enjoyable for both the animal and trainer.
Most of the students were not familiar with ideas such as clicker training and shaping. To introduce the idea of shaping, I shared a series of photos, which were featured in LOOK magazine in 1952.
The magazine writer, Joseph Roddy, challenged Dr. B. F. Skinner to teach a dog named Agnes to jump in the air near a wall. And, in under 20 minutes, Skinner had Agnes performing this behavior!
Skinner was able to teach this behavior quickly and efficiently because he understood the idea of shaping.
Animal trainers or pet owners who don’t understand shaping often try to get a behavior to happen in its full form.
If the animal doesn’t do the whole behavior, the person might resort to force or punishment. Or, the person may blame the animal’s intelligence.
Instead, using shaping, a trainer begins with a behavior the animal is already doing. For example, Skinner started by providing reinforcement when Agnes approached the wall or looked at the wall.
Next, Skinner transformed this behavior into the final performance. Once the dog was near the wall, he reinforced when she raised her head, then when she raised her head and shoulders, and so on, until she was jumping in the air.
By starting with something the dog could do successfully, Skinner was able to very quickly teach this behavior.
This example was just one of many we discussed during the lecture.
We also talked at length about cooperative care. By teaching animals to willing participate in veterinary procedures and daily care procedures, we can improve their welfare and give them more control over their lives.
The students were a great audience and had lots of interesting questions. I hope the presentation will help them think about animals and animal training in a new way!
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