What is learning for ?
“Learning is all the processes which cause an individual to adapt their behavior to environmental conditions” (dictionary of ethology).
The primary interests of learning are to react to threats, to find food, to communicate with others. When you teach your dog something, so that he assimilates it as best as possible, it is necessary to ask yourself the question of the usefulness he will have of it, how he will use it in relation to the context. If a dog has behavior X, it is because, from his experience, he deems it as adapted to the situation.
For learning to happen, the dog needs to experience a situation at least twice. If the behavior changes as a result of experiences, then learning has occurred.
Classification of learning
The non-associative ones : habituation, sensibilization, social learning (facilitation, observational, imitation, teaching from the human to the dog), latent or accidental learning (information acquired unconsciously), by insight (complex reorganization of knowledge to provide a solution to a situation and/or environment).
The associative ones : classical conditioning (counter-conditioning, focus on emotional states, involuntary reaction), operant (law of effect, behavioral response depending on the consequence, voluntary reaction), and observational (emotional reaction by observing the emotional reaction of another individual).
Combining classical and operant conditioning enhances learning.
Depending on the situation, several types of learning appear at the same time, either through the intervention of humans, another dog, or the environment.
Learning is never acquired 100% for ever. It is possible that changes in parameters, in the environment, lead to sudden improvements or regressions. The important thing is to refine, improve, your learning, not to take it for granted for yourself, for the dog, for both. Punishment and reinforcement should be considered according to the learner's point of view. If a behavior of the latter brings him a benefit, he will reproduce it. If a consequence to his behavior is perceived as negative by him, regardless of the intentions of the teacher, whether the objective was to reinforce or punish, the behavior will not be reproduced because the consequence is unpleasant for him. Furthermore, the difficulty will be when the dog self-reinforces (if he finds something beneficial in a behavior, in an activity in itself); for example, predation brings pleasure intrinsically without external intervention. It is then useful to know and accept the intrinsic needs of the dog in order to satisfy both the needs of the human and those of the dog, for example a dog that scratches the garden, that hunts game, etc.
Negative stress has its uses in the survival process, because it helps to adapt to a risky situation. Influencing a dog towards something negative can work in the learning that we want to teach. However, a negative emotion has a more intense force than a positive emotion; it will therefore anchor itself more in emotional memory. If in addition it intervenes in an interaction with another being (dog, human, cat ...), it will impact the perception of the other and of the relationship.
How do you learn ?
I'm going to tell you a personal story.
When I was in high school, biology tests were graded out of six points for the course part (it was a matter of reciting one's lessons), thirteen points for practical questions, and one point for hypothesis for those who had a scientific mind. In general, if I reached half the points for the course questions, I jumped for joy. However, I managed to always have my overall grade above average. My brain did not keep theoretical information; on the other hand, my memory of senses, of emotions linked to lived experience, had the capacity to put into practice what had been assimilated. My memory of words was not very reliable at the time. However, by experimenting, by also taking into account how my mind works, I have the possibility of anchoring my learning and using it adequately. By better understanding your own functioning of comprehension, assimilation, memorization, you can focus more on your strengths. It is the same with dogs. When you understand how yours can learn in the best possible conditions, you will both progress together.
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