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1872 - Prior to the Conditioning Theories
The Prong collar, a extremely debatable collar in dog world, are collars that utilize little prongs on the collar to provide great physical discomfort to a dog in order to discourage behavior. The collar follows traditional conditioning, which would shortly become mainstream, especially around the start of Ww2 for training war dogs. -
Classical Conditioning - The Origin of Conditioning
Behaviorist Ivan Pavlov, through dedicated study, discovered a way to encourage involuntary reactions from animals through the use of neutral stimuli. Through repeated efforts, Ivan managed to condition a dog into having an increased salivary rate whenever they heard a bell noise. This was achieved by pairing the bell noise to when the dog was fed.
His results became the basis to most other forms of conditioning, as they stem from neutral stimuli to positive and negative reinforcement. -
The Discovery of Treat-based Training - Dog Biscuits
Patented by Carleton Ellis, dog biscuits, an original form of dog food, was never intended for conditioning usage. However, as owners noticed how excited a dog became at the mention or sight of a biscuit, it was quickly realized that the excited could be used for remedial use. The discovery of treat training catalyzed the creation of alternative treats meant especially for training and not just for feeding. -
The First Retractable Leash
Patented by Manhattan inventor, Mary A. Delaney, the first Retractable leash was called, "leading device". The creation of the leading device would quickly catalyze the creation of various other leashes for dogs. While they all followed the base function of leading pets, they would vary in their functions outside of that. This was especially true when alternative forms of conditioning were discovered. -
Traditional Conditioning - The Beginning of Dog Training
Conditioning originated in the early 1900s, especially around WWII. Training for dogs became heavily important and so was finding a quick method. The Traditional Training method, also known as the punishment method, was the first of its kind to be made. The training revolved around prong collars and choke collars which were used to "encourage" dogs into following a certain behavior. When the desired behavior was achieved, the tool would be removed and the behavior was therefore reinforced -
The Discovery of Operant Conditioning
Behaviorist B.F. Skinner discovers a new form of learning through thorough experimentation, Operant Conditioning. This form of conditioning is defined as consequence being given post-behavior to encourage or discourage further similar behavior. Seen as morally superior to traditional conditioning, operant conditioning quickly became mainstream especially when war began dissipating -
Squeaker Toys - Prior to The Toy Boom
Squeaker Toys simulate the noises of animals as a dog chews upon it. They are usually relaxing and good for the dog's teeth aswell. They were patented in the early 1940's and became mainstream, however as Ww2 was still ongoing, production was practically nonexistent and the squeaker toy never strongly debuted until the 1950s -
The Big Boom of Dog Toys
Following the end of WW2, manufactures were able to apply a greater deal of resources to the good of the people rather than war efforts. In many such cases, manufacturers would start patenting and mass-producing dog toys as a more definitive way to play with your pets, especially around the Baby Boom family era. -
Shock Collars
Richard Peck, a sales manager for a company created one of the first patented modern shock collars for dogs. The collar follows traditional conditioning, specifically in how it conditions through physical discomfort. When the dog gives an undesired response, they are essentially tased until they correct the behavior. Widely effective, but morally dark, the shock collar is seen as one of the worst collars on the market. -
The Kong Toy
Created by Businessman Joe Markham, the Kong toy was created to condition less chewing in dogs. By applying Operant conditioning, the Kong toy rewards selective chewing and discourages excessive chewing on alternative objects due to its general appeal. -
The Halti Headcollar
Created by behaviorist Dr. Roger Mugford, the Halti headcollar is used to remediate tugging on leashes during walks. Following traditional conditioning, the collar utilizes a constrictive physical stimuli to lessen tugging behavior in dogs. -
The Nuanced Expectations of Conditioning and Societal Pressures
Starting in the early 2000s, the expectations and morality surrounding conditioning for pet changes. Instead of training a dog for war or as a hunter, families were treating dogs as extended family. This lead to the almost unspoken shame certain dog owners were given when using certain taboo conditioning devices, such as prong or shock collars. Overall, the 2000s brought about a moral change to the conditioning of pets. -
Modernized Classical Conditioning - The Clicker
Patented by Stephen Geoffrey King, the Clicker was a recreation of classical conditioning, but modernized. Classical condition was discovered through the use of bell chimes conditioning a dog to connect noise with food. Through a similar approach, the Clicker allows owners to connect the clicking noise to any type of emotion and utilize it. Whether the clicks were connected to the idea of tasty food, or punishment, the clicker was able to mimic reactions that noise normally wouldn't -
Safeguarding the conditioning process - Martingale Collars
Patented by Joel Broock, the Martingale Collar is a collar meant to prevent slippage during walks but still maintain comfort as to not scare skittish dogs. The leash has a second slack line meant to keep the collar loose, yet inescapable when pulled, but not enough to suffocate or block breathing. The Martingale collar was created to safe guard new skittish puppies into conditioning since collars at the time would prove ineffective at calming their nerves, resulting in ineffective conditioning. -
Safeguarding unconditioned accidents - Breakaway collars
Breakaway Collars are functionally safer than regular buckled collars, specifically in how they safeguard against suffocation. Breakaway collars are collars that "break" when put against enough strain, usually only when your dog is trapped. As the understanding of conditioning increases, so does the understanding that pets can end up in strange places. In these cases, the breakaway collar helps keep a minor issue, a minor issue, rather than turning into a life-threatening event for your pet.