Why Positive Reinforcement Training is NOT Bribery...By Victoria Stilwell...Rant by me!

More often than I would like, I hear the phrase, Positive Reinforcement Training is Bribery.
Or something to the effect of, see what our dogs can do without being bribed.

These words come from the lips of people who work with dogs, so, one would think that such people would have a better understanding of the effect of food on the brain of a dog.

The information is out there for all who care to learn.


The following is from Victoria Stillwell's blog, and explains things beautifully. Please, do not use aversive training methods on your dog, don't hit them or choke them or use shock collars. Inform and educate yourself on the topic, read scientific studies, check the credentials of the source of information.

To truly understand why food is so powerful, you must first understand the influence it has on a dog's brain.

Food has the power to not only enhance a dogs's ability to learn but also helps a dog overcome fear or anxiety by raising the levels of dopamine in the brain and stimulating the desire to seek or move towards the food reward. Dopamine is a Neurotransmitter that plays a major role in reward-driven training and helps regulate movement and emotional responses.
If a dog is presented with food before he reaches a high stress level in the presence of a stimulus that scares him, a positive emotional response occurs.
There are circuits in a dogs brain that encourage seeking or hunting behavior and circuits that elicit the fear response.
When you present food to your dog you turn on his seeker system, effectively turning off the fear!!
Turning on the thinking brain deactivates the emotional brain, enhancing a dog's attentiveness with positive motivation and allowing him to move into a calmer state where learning can take place.
Therefore, because food is incompatible with fear, using food treats for teaching  IS incredibly valuable, especially when it comes to modifying a dog's anxiety and stress.

Well said Victoria!!
 Thank you

This makes so much sense that I wanted to type it in all caps...yes I want to shout it!

Positive reinforcement training is used to train killer whales, tigers, falcons, horses, elephants, the list is long.

It infuriates me when I hear how certain aversive methods  used by some "celebrity trainers"  and their followers are supposed to deepen the bond between you and your dog and when these same people call positive reinforcement training bribery. The potential damage caused by punishment style training is often very difficult to overcome. Do not be lured into thinking this style of training is what a dog needs. Aggression breeds aggression.
This is my opinion and this is my rant...