Ivan Pavlov’s Diary with Dr Stewart Hilliard

Omission Cues, Safety Cues, and the 4 Quadrants of Operant Conditioning — in Episode 109, Flo talks with Dr. Stewart Hilliard (2nd appearance) about practical learning theory for real-world K9 and working dog training.We go deep on omission cues and safety cues, and how precise handling of reinforcement and punishment across the four quadrants of operant conditioning can produce cleaner criteria, more reliable performance, and fewer “gray-area” reps in training.From there we broaden the lens: animal welfare and how we often judge it differently in companion animals vs. livestock, what an appropriate environment can look like for children and dogs, and where healthy stress fits into development, training, and ethics.We also touch on controversial topics in modern dog training, including discussions around electronic stimulation / e-collar use, evidence, and ethics.Stewart shares upcoming Kynology events in the U.S. that are also available online (livestream and/or recordings). Learn more at kynology.org Comment below: What was your biggest takeaway — and what should we ask Stewart next time?Book Flo mentioned: Science of Consequences by Susan M. SchneiderChapters00:00 Introduction to kynology and dog training03:29 Why kynology matters in dog training06:16 The influence of mentors and personal experience09:26 Personal development and challenges in dog training12:26 The relationship between science and dog training15:30 Goals and approaches in dog training18:20 Experiences with dogs and how they’re trained21:25 Future plans and upcoming kynology events26:17 Scientific insights into animal development32:32 The role of electronic stimulation in dog training39:36 Pavlovian inhibition and its relevance in training46:24 Omission cues and their application in dog training57:34 Pavlovian procedures and food inhibitors58:55 Negative reinforcement and loss-based consequences01:01:33 Emotions in training and the importance of markers01:06:11 “Safety cues” and negative reinforcement01:11:04 Positive and negative reinforcement in animal training01:14:29 Coercion in training and parental responsibility01:20:03 Risk and stress in raising children01:24:36 Stress and resilience in animal and child development01:27:10 Stress and canine behavior01:29:57 Omission training and its effects01:33:04 Managing stress in training01:36:00 The role of consequences in learning01:40:06 The future of dog training01:52:59 Animal welfare and breeding standardsFind Stewart and Kynology🔗 about Kynotec🔗 If you have any comments about our podcast, please send us an email at office@kynotec.at or contact us on Facebook or Instagram.We’d love it if you subscribed to the show — and even better, if you shared the podcast with your friends and colleagues.Please leave us feedback and a rating in the app you’re using.Thank you! 😊#k9training

You can listen to Ivan Pavlov’s Diary with Dr Stewart Hilliard online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Ivan Pavlov’s Diary with Dr Stewart Hilliard is an episode from Kynotalk by Kynotec by Florian Schneider.

This episode is 01:59:20 long.

This episode was published on Feb 16, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Kynotalk by Kynotec when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.