Positive Reinforcement: It’s Not Just for Dogs
Exercising on a treadmill is yawn-inducing, according to this possum. photo: Cassie Hilditch
If you’re anything like me, you may have woken up on New Year’s Day filled with resolutions about exercise. As it turns out, 12% of all new gym memberships begin in January, and 14% of those “resolutioners” quit by the end of February. In fact, 80% of gym members who enroll in January quit within five months, according to some sources.
With those kinds of statistics, diving into a new exercise program can feel daunting. Then there’s the actual exercise itself. Even though it’s one of the easiest ways to get in shape, I’ve never enjoyed running, especially not on a treadmill. Your mileage may vary (as the car ads put it), but I find it exceedingly boring. It’s bad enough in the great outdoors. On a treadmill? Yaaaaawn.
But here’s what I’ve learned from my gym experiences: working with a good trainer can make all the difference. They’ll help you feel excited to get started, encourage you to stay engaged, and give you that extra bit of motivation to keep going when you want to give up. Sure, there are also trainers who’ll scream at you like a drill sergeant, but I prefer the ones who provide a lot of positive reinforcement.
Not surprisingly, positive reinforcement is also one of the most popular methods of dog training. Just like a successful human exercise program, this training method requires consistency and dedication. It focuses on rewarding good behavior rather than harshly punishing undesirable behavior.
Although I’m not a dog owner myself, as a member of the Animal Commission, I’ve been thinking a lot about dog training since our November meeting when we heard a presentation by Officer Irvin Huerta with SFPD’s Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit (VDDU). The VDDU “investigates incidents involving dogs that exhibit menacing and/or aggressive behavior” against humans or domestic animals.
Officer Huerta told us that the dog population in the City and County of San Francisco is now at an all-time high. He briefly recounted the history of the VDDU, which he currently runs by himself, and described the potential ramifications of a negative encounter with a dog. He explained that the damage does not have to be physical to hurt; a bad experience can lead to a fear of dogs and animals in general.
Officer Huerta also noted that people are often hesitant to report a problem dog because they assume that the dog will be put down immediately. This resonated with me. I’ve been bitten on several occasions by a friend’s poorly trained dog, and I did not report it for that very reason. Officer Huerta explained that when there is a complaint about a dog behaving in threatening or potentially dangerous ways, it results in a “Vicious and Dangerous Dog Hearing.” At these hearings, independent hearing officers assigned by the San Francisco Department of Public Health review the evidence to determine whether the allegedly vicious dog is, indeed, dangerous according to the law and, if so, what should be done about it.
In the spirit of positive reinforcement, the goal of the VDDU is largely to prevent future risk to the public, rather than to punish past transgressions. According to Officer Huerta, possible remedies if a dog is deemed “vicious” can include educating the dog’s owner, as well as getting help for the dog such as behavioral modification or obedience training. This is often accomplished with the assistance of the San Francisco Animal Care & Control Behavior and Training Program.
Although the saying goes that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, I believe we all have the capacity to learn, change, and grow. I’ve restarted my exercise program and, while I don’t think I’ll ever run a marathon, I’m excited to continue my training - with lots of positive reinforcement, of course.
As we begin the new year, I’m hopeful that we can bring that same spirit of positive reinforcement to all of our interactions, both human and animal.
The San Francisco Commission of Animal Control and Welfare (Animal Commission) meets on the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 pm. As of January 2022, the meetings are still being held virtually over WebEx. Details at https://sfgov.org/animals