One of the four quadrants of operant conditioning, negative reinforcement occurs when something the dog dislikes is removed as they perform a behavior, making that behavior more likely in the future. "Negative" means something is taken away, and "reinforcement" means the behavior increases.

For example, a dog might learn to walk beside their handler to relieve the steady pressure of a tight leash, or a fearful dog might learn that offering a behavior makes a scary person back away.

Because negative reinforcement depends on first applying something unpleasant and then removing it, we do not train this way. We use positive reinforcement instead, adding something your dog enjoys so learning stays happy and free of fear or discomfort.