The A-B-C Learning Theory
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The A-B-C Theory
Training is all about the ABCs! Dogs learn to predict and react to their environment based on antecedents (what precedes, or comes before, a behavior) and consequences (what follows). Antecedents aren’t always verbal cues. They can be environmental (the door handle turning), human behaviors (picking up shoes), or internal states (excitement). These signals act as predictive clues your dog uses to figure out what’s about to happen next and decide how to respond.
Similarly, consequences can take a variety of forms—and it’s important to note that in positive reinforcement training, a “consequence” is not the same as a punishment. A consequence simply means whatever happens immediately after a behavior.
Positive consequences increase the likelihood of the behavior happening again (like getting a treat, praise, or access to something they want—such as going outside or sniffing a tree). Negative consequences decrease the likelihood of the behavior happening again (such as the walk pausing, the door closing, or the dog losing access to something they were excited about). Consequences shouldn’t be aversive or scary. Often, simply withholding access to what the dog wants is enough to change their behavior.
Applying ABCs to Real Life
Let’s see how these concepts play out in everyday situations.
Consider going for a walk: the antecedents could be grabbing your dog’s leash or putting your hand on the door handle. The consequence, in this case, is something positive and motivating for most dogs—going outside! In between the antecedent and consequence, the dog chooses a behavior. Ideally, we’d like the behavior chosen to be sitting politely and waiting patiently, but sometimes it’s jumping, whining, or trying to bolt out the door while we’re still tying our shoes.
So, why is this important for us in dog training? We can alter antecedents and consequences to help reinforce certain behaviors we want to see more of, and reduce the ones we don’t.
Example 1: Unintended Reinforcement
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A – You grab your dog’s leash
B – Dog starts jumping on you
C – Leash goes on → door opens → walk happens
Result: Jumping is reinforced by the whole “walk sequence.”
In this example, even though you aren’t meaning to reward jumping, the consequence (the chance to go outside) is positive. The dog is simply choosing a natural, excited behavior.
Plenty of dogs find jumping itself fun and rewarding, and the entire pattern of leash → door → walk is the jackpot. If your dog is wiggly and jumping and you clip the leash on anyway because you just want to get out the door—you’ve unintentionally reinforced that behavior.
Undoing these accidental chains can take patience, but it’s absolutely possible!
Example 2: Rewriting the Chain
A – Asking your dog for a “Sit”
B – Dog sits
C – You grab the dog’s leash
By asking for calm behavior before starting the sequence that leads outside, we’re building a stronger, more predictable chain. The original antecedent (the leash) only appears after the dog has offered the desired behavior. And remember—the leash isn’t the reward. The real reinforcer is what the leash predicts: the chance to go outside and explore!
The Big Takeaway
What happens directly before and after a behavior matters most. Reinforcement can be subtle, and it’s easy to accidentally strengthen behaviors we don’t want.
It can be incredibly helpful to keep track of the antecedents, behaviors, and consequences you see throughout the day and notice the patterns you’re unintentionally creating.
You can use my handy ABC Tracker to observe your dog’s behavior in real time and start building better habits together.