#163: Is It Really R+ or Could It Actually Be R- (With a Cherry on Top)?

In this episode, we discuss, can we use a tactile cue like leash pressure to train in an R+ framework or is it still just R- that we put a treat on top of to make us feel better?, putting food in the picture doesn’t necessarily make it positive reinforcement, so how can we tell what contingencies are really in play?, review what we mean by positive and negative reinforcement, an example of a situation that I thought I was training with R+ but now I’m realizing it’s really R-, despite my best intentions, questions I can ask myself (and my dog)-- am I escalating the cue or stimulus to get the behavior to happen?, do I have feelings about consequences should my dog not perform the behavior?, what happens if I apply that tactile stimulus in a different context outside of a training session?, what other behaviors - emotional behaviors and other behaviors - are happening at the same time or in this context? Are they behaviors otherwise associated with positive reinforcement? Or are they more consistent with escape/delay/avoidance?, can I use the cue (the tactile stimulus) to shape another behavior? (ala start button behaviors!)-- how to minimize the chance that a stimulus is functioning as an aversive by teaching the behavior first without that stimulus and then adding it as a cue second.

For full show notes, visit: www.hannahbranigan.dog/podcast/163
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