How Dogs Learn (Lesson 4): History of Reinforcement, The Invisible Map Your Dog Follows
How Past Rewards Shape Present Behaviour—and How to Change the Story...
We often think training begins the moment we pull out a leash or clicker. But for your dog, learning began the moment they arrived on this earth—and every interaction they’ve had since has left a trail. That trail is called their history of reinforcement, and it shapes how they move through the world.
Let’s unpack this with a story from the early days of my journey with Piper.
The Behaviours You Didn’t Mean to Teach
As I shared in earlier posts, Piper came to us as a one-year-old GSD/Dutch Shepherd mix with a powerful engine and almost no brakes. She was sharp, driven, and full of potential—but she had learned her own rules for the game of life.
In her previous home, she had been inadvertently reinforced for pushy behaviour. Barking gave her space when strangers approached. Lunging on the leash led to freedom. Jumping up sometimes earned her affection. These weren’t malicious mistakes—they were simply the product of an unaware handler reinforcing the wrong things.
When Piper arrived, those patterns were deeply embedded. In the early stages of our relationship, I felt frustrated. I wanted her to just listen. But then I remembered what I’d tell my coaching clients all the time:
Behaviour that gets rewarded will be repeated. Behaviour that gets ignored (or corrected consistently) tends to fade.
So I started digging into her history, not to blame anyone, but to understand what had shaped her.
Your Dog’s Brain Is a Map of Past Rewards
Every dog carries around an internal “map” of what’s worth doing and what’s not. That map is built on reinforcement:
If barking led to someone opening the door or a stranger walking away, barking goes on the map.
If pulling gets them to the park faster, pulling is reinforced.
If sitting calmly leads to praise or food, it starts to carve a new trail.
The most effective training doesn’t just teach new behaviours, it rewrites that map by removing unwanted behaviours and filling the gap with skills we want the dog to understand.
Rewriting Piper’s Map
With Piper, I made a conscious decision to stop reinforcing chaos. That meant:
No more door-dashing, she had to sit before exiting.
No more tug-of-war with the leash, I rewarded loose-leash walking and used fair corrections to teach boundaries.
No more petting when she jumped, only when she offered calm, grounded energy.
But here’s the key: I didn’t just stop reinforcing old behaviours—I flooded her world with opportunities to earn what she wanted the right way. I taught her how to get affection, freedom, play, and praise through structure, obedience, and calm focus.
And slowly, her internal map began to change.
You’re Always Training Something
Even when you're not training, you’re training. Every moment you spend with your dog teaches them something about how the world works. Are they learning that pushy behaviour gets attention? Or that patience and impulse control open doors?
Piper reminded me that our dogs are learning from the way we respond to them, whether we mean to or not.
Join the Conversation
Have you noticed your dog repeating a behaviour that used to work for them but doesn't anymore? Or have you accidentally reinforced something you wish you hadn’t? Share your story in the comments. I’d love to hear how you're reshaping your dog’s internal map.
Next Steps
In the next lesson, we’ll dive into Operant Conditioning, the backbone of modern dog training. We’ll look at how dogs learn through consequences, and how you can use this science to build consistent, reliable behaviour.
Until then, take a moment to notice what your dog finds reinforcing. You might be surprised at how small patterns create big results.
Want to Go Deeper?
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You don’t have to figure this out alone.
