Why Your Dog Does What They Do

Ever wonder why your dog seems to learn some things instantly but completely ignores others?

Why barking at the door becomes their favorite pastime, but “sit” seems to disappear the second there’s a squirrel nearby?

It’s not random, and your dog isn’t just being stubborn (even if it feels that way). The way dogs learn is driven by science – simple, predictable patterns that influence how behavior sticks around or fades away.

Let’s break down some of the geeky dog training terms and uncover what’s actually happening in your dog’s brain. Don’t worry – no stuffy textbook language here. Just straightforward explanations of why your dog does what they do and how you can use it to your advantage.

Why Dogs Do What Works – The Law of Effect

At the heart of dog training is a simple rule called the Law of Effect:

When a stimulus receives a positive response the behavior is more likely to be repeated, and when a stimulus receives a negative response the behavior is more likely to happen less frequently. 

It’s not as fancy as it sounds. The basic idea is:

• If it works, I’ll keep doing it.

• If it doesn’t, I’ll stop (eventually).

Dogs are all about efficiency. If a behavior leads to something good – like attention, treats, or fun – they’ll do it again. If it leads to nothing or something unpleasant, they’re less likely to try it next time.

Think of it like this:

Barking at the mailman = Mailman leaves = Barking feels successful.

Sitting calmly = Treat from you = Sitting becomes their go-to move.

The tricky part? Sometimes things we don’t mean to reinforce (like jumping or barking) end up getting rewarded by accident. Even negative attention, like yelling, can be reinforcing.

Positive Reinforcement – Reward the Good Stuff

Positive reinforcement is the star of modern dog training. It means adding something good right after your dog does something you like.

Dog sits? Treat.

Dog walks calmly? Reward.

Positive reinforcement tells your dog, “Hey, that thing you just did – do more of that.” Over time, they start offering the behavior on their own because it consistently pays off.

The key? Timing matters. Dogs connect the reward to whatever they were doing the moment it happened. If your dog sits but you fumble for a treat for five seconds, they’ve probably already moved on to sniffing the ground. You just accidentally reinforced sniffing.

A quick “yes!” or click, followed by a treat, helps bridge the gap.

We call this a Marker. The dog learns that the marker means: “yes, you did the right thing that exact moment, keep doing it - a reward is coming”.

Negative Reinforcement – The Quiet Controversy

Negative reinforcement isn’t about punishment – it’s about removing something unpleasant to increase a behavior.

Here’s an example:

You apply gentle pressure on the leash.

The second your dog's ears give you attentionwalks toward you, the pressure stops.

You deal with an issue where the problem shows up at its lowest intensity. You solve the problem in the least invasive way.

The pressure going away reinforces the walking. It’s used everyday by ALL dog trainers, whether they realise it or not.

The challenge? It’s easy to accidentally overuse it, leading to stress. It’s like when someone nags you until you do the dishes – sure, the nagging stops, but it’s not exactly motivating long-term.

The solution is to teach the behavior, what that pressure means - before using it as a training tool.

Our training school uses a version of classical conditioning patterns and operant behaviors to teach this.

You start with the least amount of pressure possible, in an environment where your dog is neutral to distractions, and reward heavily. Like all behavior you add the 3Ds: Distance, Duration and Distractions as your dog is successful and confident in doing the behavior.

If you ever have to yank or tug at your dog, regardless of how distracting an environment is, simply put: you’re doing it wrong. Find a trainer who understands working below threshold.

Punishment – Why It’s Tricky

Punishment gets a lot of attention, but it’s not as straightforward as people think. There are two types:

Positive punishment – Adding something unpleasant to reduce behavior (like yelling at a dog for barking).

Negative punishment – Taking something away to reduce behavior (like pausing play if your dog gets too rowdy).

The problem with punishment is that it often focuses on stopping behavior in the moment without teaching the dog what to do instead. Sure, yelling might make your dog stop jumping right then, but unless they learn an alternative (like sitting), the jumping will come back, and you'll be stuck yelling louder next time.

Punishment also risks damaging trust if it’s overused or not timed perfectly. So take the time to deal with the behavior at its lowest intensity, and teach your dog what you want.

The consequence? Less micromanaging.

A dog that is rewarded for “being good”, is a dog that looks for more opportunities to “be good”.

Extinction – Letting Behavior Fizzle Out

Extinction sounds dramatic, but it’s just the process of letting a behavior die off by ignoring it.

Here’s how it works:

Dog barks for attention.

You stop responding – no eye contact, no talking, no interaction.

Eventually, the barking fades because it stops working.

The catch? Extinction bursts. Behavior often gets worse before it disappears. Your dog might bark louder, jump higher, or try harder before giving up. It’s like hitting the elevator button 12 times when it doesn’t arrive – just in case it speeds things up.

Consistency is key. If you give in during the burst, the behavior gets stronger.

Differential Reinforcement – Rewarding the Better Option

This fancy-sounding term just means reinforcing a different behavior to replace the one you don’t want.

Example:

Your dog jumps for attention. Instead of pushing them down, you ignore the jump and reward them when they sit.

Over time, sitting becomes the new way to get attention.

This works because it shifts the focus from stopping behavior to shaping better alternatives. Dogs thrive when they know what to do, not just what not to do.

Generalization – Why Your Dog “Forgets”

Ever wonder why your dog sits perfectly at home but acts like they’ve never heard the word at the park? That’s lack of generalization.

Dogs are great at learning, but they aren’t always great at applying skills in new places. If you only practice “sit” in the kitchen, that’s the only place your dog really knows it.

To generalize a behavior:

• Practice in different rooms.

• Add distractions gradually.

• Take training on the road – parks, sidewalks, etc.

The more environments they experience, the better they’ll respond anywhere.

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning – The Two Paths to Learning

Classical and operant conditioning sound like psychology class terms, but they explain a lot about dog behavior.

Classical conditioning – Associating one thing with another. Think Pavlov’s dogs drooling at the sound of a bell because they expect food.

Operant conditioning – Behavior based on consequences (like reinforcement or punishment).

In dog training, these overlap. Your dog might sit (operant) because they know treats follow, but they might also start wagging (classical) because they know you are about to grab the treat pouch.

Why This Matters – You’re Shaping Behavior All the Time

Training isn’t just something that happens during structured sessions – it happens all day, every day. Dogs are constantly learning from the environment and from you.

• Reinforcing calmness by petting a relaxed dog.

• Accidentally reinforcing barking by giving attention.

• Shaping leash walking by rewarding loose leash moments.

Once you understand the science behind it, training feels less like guesswork and more like communicating in a language your dog already understands.

The beauty of dog training is that it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Every interaction shapes your dog, and the more mindful you become, the more those everyday moments build the dog you’ve been hoping for.