What is Control in Animal Training?

Understanding Control in Animal Training

We hear the terms ‘choice’ and ‘control’ used by modern trainers more and more in recent years. But what do they actually mean? Why are choice and control in animal training considered such critical concepts? I will write more about choice in a future article, but a recent discussion with a client reminded me that even the idea of control can be confusing. They did not understand what it means to give an animal control. Here are some relevant highlights from that conversation.

What Does It Mean to Control an Outcome?

Dr. Susan Friedman consistently emphasizes that animals use their behavior to control the outcomes of events in their lives. Their behavior allows them to acquire food, find a mate, seek shelter, escape danger, and accomplish every important task necessary for survival. You could reasonably say that control acts as a primary reinforcer for animals. That alone shows how critical a component control is to successful animal training.

But what does “controlling outcomes” really mean? And how can we, as trainers, ensure that we are giving control to our learners? 

I explained it to my client by sharing a story about a recent visit to a local restaurant with a friend, Kelly. She is vegan, so we went to a restaurant that I knew had a diverse menu. As Kelly looked over the menu, she couldn’t find any vegan options. I could see her frustration. The menu offered numerous choices, but none were satisfactory to her because they were not vegan. She had plenty of choices, yet no meaningful control over the outcome of that meal. Her only real options were to leave the restaurant or not to eat.

I apologized and suggested we ask our waiter about vegan options. When we did, he replied, “Absolutely! Everything on pages 4-6 can be made vegan,” and described the substitutions the kitchen could make. What began as a disappointment turned into a menu full of viable choices. Kelly could now make a choice she actually wanted; she had regained control over the outcome of our dinner. To me, that moment epitomized the difference between choice and control: choices mean nothing if there are no truly viable options.

When Options Aren’t Truly Options

In animal training, we may offer our learners many enrichment opportunities. However, if the enrichment options are not enjoyable, if the food puzzles do not contain their favorite treats, or if the activities are not reinforcing, the animals have no acceptable way to control the outcome. In these cases, animals may choose not to interact with the enrichment at all. That is their choice, of course,  but it is similar to my friend Kelly deciding not to order any food at the restaurant and just having a drink. It is technically a form of control, but it does not embody the true spirit of meaningful control in animal training.

In many training programs, we teach animals to participate in their own medical care. We provide them with ways to opt out of a behavior and teach them how to indicate their willingness to proceed. The ability to opt out of a behavior is one of the most powerful forms of control we can offer. In my next article, which will focus on choice, I will discuss how these principles can work even with working animals—guide dogs, explosive-detection dogs, and search-and-rescue dogs—where performing the trained behavior is critical for success. Choice and control are interrelated, but examining them separately helps clarify the difference.

Why Control Matters for Animal Welfare

These examples highlight why control is central to ethical training. Giving animals control over the outcomes in their life is essential for survival in the natural world. There is no reason we, as trainers, can’t offer a similar level of control in our work. It is not only within our ability to offer control; it is an essential component of responsible, ethical training. 

It is important to clarify, however, that offering some level of control does not mean offering complete control. That doesn’t exist in the natural world, and it is unrealistic in training. My friend Kelly did not have unlimited options at the restaurant; the chef determined what could be prepared properly, but there was enough choice to give Kelly meaningful control over her dinner. Similarly, when an animal requires an essential medical procedure, we must perform it because it is necessary for the animal’s health. But we may be able to allow the animal to choose where the procedure takes place, select the preferred reinforcer, or, in some cases, determine that we do not want to perform that procedure under behavioral control at all. Our goal is not total control; it is reasonable, safe, and realistic control. 

Ultimately, the aim is to make training enjoyable and reinforcing for the learner. If we think of training like a game, our role is to set our animals up to win. When the learner is successful, they win—or are strongly reinforced—which is the most effective form of control we can offer. Ensuring that training is enjoyable and that the learner trusts their trainer is crucial for achieving consistent, successful results for both the trainer and the learner.   

Choice, Control, and Working Animals: The Conversation Will Continue

There will be cynics who believe that giving animals control contradicts effective guide dog work, explosive detection, or search-and-rescue operations. But this is a complex, ongoing conversation with profound ethical and welfare implications. I work in many of those environments, and in my next article I will show not only that it is possible to give animals control, but also how doing so can enhance success. 

Happy Training,

Ken