Ought to You Use a Secondary Reinforcer (Clicker) in Counter Conditioning?

Counter conditioning is a robust approach to assist reactive and fearful dogs–but it does not want a clicker. Here is why, together with some tips about instructing fearful canine to not be afraid.

By Zazie Todd, PhD

A query I’m usually requested is, must you use a clicker (or secondary reinforcer) when utilizing counter conditioning with a fearful canine?

The fast and straightforward reply is “No”, however since that is an fascinating query I assumed I’d take a more in-depth look. 

Although so many people are accustomed to the story of Pavlov’s canine there’s nonetheless, surprisingly, quite a bit we don’t find out about precisely how classical conditioning works. Nonetheless, most of us know this can be a highly effective technique we are able to use to assist canine (and cats or different animals) recover from their fears by studying to love the factor they beforehand discovered scary.

The principle issues to know are:

• When instructing canine behaviours utilizing constructive reinforcement, some folks like to make use of a clicker. The press marks the behaviour and is at all times adopted by a deal with.
• When doing counter conditioning with a fearful canine, the goal is to vary the canine’s feelings, so we aren’t on the lookout for a behaviour. Meaning there’s nothing to click on.
• In classical conditioning, it is necessary to maintain a extremely clear relationship in order that the canine is aware of that the factor they think about scary is adopted by great snacks. A click on can be an additional complication and distract from that relationship. 

Let’s look in additional element at a number of the the reason why we do not use a clicker when utilizing counter conditioning with a fearful or reactive canine. 

What’s counter conditioning?

To begin with, let’s remind ourselves what occurs once we’re utilizing counter conditioning to assist a canine with their fears. We use one thing the canine already likes, which isn’t conditioned, comparable to scrumptious meals. That is known as the unconditioned stimulus (US).

Technically talking, through the coaching we be sure that the conditioned stimulus (the CS) is at all times instantly adopted by the unconditioned stimulus (US, tasty meals). 

Over time, the canine learns that the CS (scary factor) predicts the US (final snack). When working with fearful canine, we are able to bear in mind the terminology by saying that the factor that is Thought-about Scary predicts the Final Snack. 

The canine’s response will change from worry to a conditioned response of liking the factor they beforehand thought-about scary (the CS).

More often than not this coaching will occur with the scary factor at an depth the place the canine is completely glad, as a result of an important factor with a fearful canine is to assist them really feel protected.

What’s a secondary reinforcer?

Now let’s have a look at a secondary reinforcer. The most typical secondary reinforcer that we use in canine coaching is, after all, a clicker. It’s sometimes used to mark the second the canine does a behaviour we wish and is at all times adopted by a reward (tasty meals).

For instance, you cue the canine to take a seat and the canine sits, so that you click on after which reinforce the behaviour with a deal with.

This can be a classically conditioned relationship: the press predicts a deal with.

A clicker is very helpful when it is advisable to bridge a niche between the canine doing the behaviour and also you giving them reinforcement. Many individuals completely love clicker coaching, however some folks choose to make use of a particular phrase (like “Sure”) as a secondary reinforcer as an alternative.

The press is a secondary reinforcer as a result of it tells the canine {that a} major reinforcer (tasty meals) is coming. With out that relationship, it wouldn’t imply a lot. 

One other instance of a secondary reinforcer is cash; we are able to use it to purchase issues (major reinforcers), however by itself it doesn’t have that intrinsic worth because it isn’t crucial for survival.

Why secondary reinforcers don’t belong in counter conditioning

So the query is, does it make sense to click on earlier than giving the meals when counter-conditioning? 

Properly, no. 

In counter conditioning we wish to make it very clear to the canine or cat that the CS (the factor they think about scary) is now predicting the US (the tasty treats). 

A click on can be an additional factor occurring between the CS and the US, and it’s one thing that’s already educated. Technically, this may be known as a compound stimulus, and having compound stimuli can weaken the response. So it’s greatest to maintain it easy and never use the clicker. 

As properly, as a result of the canine is used to listening to the press once they do the appropriate factor, they might affiliate the press with their very own behaviour on the time quite than with the CS.

What does the science say?

Utilizing a secondary reinforcer in counter conditioning (as an alternative of a major reinforcer) has been examined with folks, and though it labored, it didn’t work in addition to it may need executed (Keller et al 2020). 

Counter conditioning research with folks sometimes begin by conditioning a worry, after which testing methods to do away with it. They in all probability aren’t probably the most enjoyable experiments to participate in provided that conditioning a worry usually entails an electrical shock.

In a single examine, folks had been first taught that shifting a joystick specifically instructions (CS) can be related to a painful electrical shock (US) (Meulder et al 2015). That is the worry conditioning half during which a worry is induced.

Then the scientists tried to do away with that worry response both by extinction (stopping the shocks from occurring) or by counter conditioning (as an alternative of the shock, folks had been promised cash).

On this case, there was no distinction between the 2 teams by way of the emotional response. Each counter conditioning and extinction led to the identical degree of discount of worry of a painful shock. 

That is stunning since you would anticipate counter conditioning to work higher.  Perhaps it is because cash, the US on this case, is a secondary reinforcer. It could possibly be that the expertise of being promised cash just isn’t a pleasing expertise in the identical means that consuming good meals is. Maybe a major reinforcer would have labored higher.

The scientists didn’t take a look at whether or not giving folks tasty meals like chocolate once they made the joystick motion would have labored higher. They counsel that future analysis examine “the subjective appreciation of the reward”. 

In fact, there’s one other potential rationalization that individuals are suspicious of psychologists doing experiments and possibly didn’t understand they actually would get the cash on the finish. That’s one cause why it’s troublesome to check research on folks to these on animals. 

However regardless of these outcomes, the scientists nonetheless suggest counter conditioning as an method more likely to work higher than extinction in the long term.

Getting counter conditioning proper

In case you love clicker coaching, maintain the press for instructing behaviours. In canine coaching, we’d not anticipate a click on by itself (with out meals) to work. It is necessary to make use of actually nice treats in counter conditioning, comparable to items of steak, rooster, or sausage. 

In fact, we use a clicker (if we use one) when wanting to vary behaviour. In counter conditioning we try to vary feelings, not behaviour, so it doesn’t make sense to click on. In counter conditioning, the canine will get the US (tasty meals) no matter what behaviour they occur to be doing on the time; it’s merely for seeing (or listening to) the scary factor. (For extra on that, see in case your canine is afraid, keep away from these two errors). 

Though counter conditioning goals to vary feelings, it is nonetheless necessary to concentrate to the canine’s behaviour. If the canine is barking, growling, or lunging if you end up making an attempt to do classical conditioning, that is an indication that they’re struggling. Put a ways between them and the factor they’re frightened of (and nonetheless provide the great snacks). 

It will possibly really feel very troublesome to supply your canine great meals if they’re lunging and barking. Whereas it’s greatest to keep away from these conditions during which the canine goes off, in actual life it’s typically arduous to do. If it occurs, it’s nonetheless necessary to do the counter conditioning and provide the meals. Provide the meals even in case you do not suppose your canine will eat it; they are going to nonetheless discover it. You possibly can learn a narrative about me doing this with my late canine, Bodger, in Bark!.