To “treat everyone like a dog” sounds like a bad thing, but when I say I do exactly that, I mean it lovingly and respectfully. We all deserve to be treated the same way the most skilled and kind dog trainers treat the dogs in their lives. Using positive reinforcement with people can be just as effective as it is with dogs.

Why positive reinforcement works beyond dog training

Dog training, at its heart, is about influencing behavior—getting someone to do something you want them to do or getting someone not to do something you don’t want them to do. Highly skilled dog trainers can get a member of another species to back away from steak that fell on the floor, turn and come running to them instead of chasing a rabbit, wave a paw, and walk politely on a leash at the snail’s pace of a human. Let’s acknowledge that dog trainers have information and skills that would clearly be useful for everyone else, and that it is a beautiful thing to “treat everyone like a dog.” Positive reinforcement, when used with people, highlights how influential these principles can be in day-to-day life. I feel so strongly about this that my book, Treat Everyone Like a Dog, is more than a book about what I do—it’s a book about who I am.

With people, the person whose behavior is being modified (or who is learning something new) makes choices about what to do and should be happy with the consequences, which are, by definition, positive from their perspective. Likewise, the person reinforcing that behavior benefits too: they get the behavior they want from someone else, using methods resembling positive reinforcement with people. It seems like a win-win. Still, people often don’t realize their behavior is being influenced by someone else, and when they become aware of it, they sometimes feel they are being tricked. 

Yet in many cases, people are very aware of their behavior being reinforced, and they are perfectly fine with it. Employees enjoy bonuses for landing a big client. Kids appreciate a class pizza party as a result of successful fundraising. We accept positive reinforcement in our society as long as we don’t call it by its rightful name. Call it  “rewards” or “bonuses,” and everyone is usually okay with it; call it “positive reinforcement,” and the accusations of manipulation arise. 

Oddly, I never hear anybody suggest to me that using positive punishment is manipulative, even though it is frequently used to influence behavior (though it is not a part of my repertoire!). It’s not obvious to me why using positive reinforcement in a deliberate manner is viewed so differently. After all, consequences affect behavior, and I’m simply advocating for being deliberate about the positive consequences we apply to others to increase the frequency of the behavior we like, embodying positive reinforcement with people.

Understanding behavior through ethology

A related concept central to successful dog training is ethology, the scientific study of animal behavior. It’s essential to understand the species we seek to teach, train, or influence. Even beginning dog trainers know that dogs are more alert to visual signals than to verbal cues, that dogs are responsive to a human leaning toward or away from them, and that dogs who flick their tongue out or yawn may be indicating stress or anxiety. That knowledge is invaluable for effectively training our dogs.

Similarly, understanding human behavioral tendencies has tremendous value when we hope to influence people’s behavior. Knowing that babies and toddlers often enjoy a gentle breeze allows a parent to blow (gently!) in their face when stuck in a line. It also lets you fold laundry while entertaining your child, as you can wave each item of clothing at them to create a breeze before folding it. 

Knowing that people are more likely to follow through when they agree to it ahead of time is equally useful. Restaurants that ask people making a reservation, “Will you call to cancel if you cannot make it?” have fewer no-shows than when they simply say, “Please call if you will not be able to make it.” Positive reinforcement stands out in these contexts as an effective strategy with people.

Ethologists and dog trainers alike know there is no substitute for a deep understanding of the natural behavior of the species of interest. People deserve that same level of understanding about human tendencies. 

Applying dog-training principles to everyday interactions…with people

At ClickerExpo LIVE, I hope you’ll join me to learn more.  I will share how a variety of concepts and skills commonly used in positive dog training can influence people’s behavior and improve interactions with them. Attendees will learn to incorporate the skills and knowledge they already use daily as positive dog trainers to achieve desired behavior and eliminate unwanted ones in the dogs they work with. Through practical examples across various contexts, I will offer ways to apply these strategies to people, leading to positive outcomes even when dealing with challenging individuals or difficult situations.

The subjects discussed in this session will include positive reinforcement, classical conditioning, putting undesirable behavior on cue, teaching incompatible behaviors, using the voice to influence behavior and emotion, and accounting for distractions. I will also cover giving a job to those who benefit from having one; startling and redirecting; the skill of getting another individual’s attention; setting others up for success; physical connections and proximity cues; boundary training; the importance of repetition and practice; and lessons from ethology. The critical importance of building and maintaining strong relationships and the beauty of applying dog training techniques to people for the benefit of all will be overriding themes.