Positive versus punitive training methods:
Seven Reasons to Use Reward-Based Dog Training
“What is reward-based dog training? Put simply, it's using rewards to train dogs - giving rewards for good behaviour and withholding rewards for behaviours we don't like. Instead of using ideas like respect or dominance to train dogs, reward-based training looks at what motivates dogs and uses that in a humane manner to improve your dog's behaviour. Reward-based training is also commonly known as force free dog training or positive dog training, because it relies on positive reinforcement. Whether you're new to training or an experienced pro, here are seven reasons to use reward-based dog training.”
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior's Position Statement on Humane Dog Training (PDF)
“...reward-based learning offers the most advantages and least harm to the learner’s welfare. Research supports the efficacy of reward-based training to address unwanted and challenging behaviors. There is no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification.
Common training issues such as jumping, barking, and housetraining can be managed by arranging the environment appropriately and reinforcing desirable responses. More serious behavior concerns such as aggression, anxiety, and fear require a treatment plan that includes environmental management, behavior modification, and, in some cases, medication. Environmental conditions that drive the behavior should be addressed and the dog should be set up to make appropriate responses. Management can include avoiding situations that lead to the unwanted behavior and ensuring the safety of all involved.”
“The adverse effects of punishment and the difficulties in administering punishment effectively have been well documented, especially in the early 1960s when such experiments were still allowed. For instance, if the punishment is not strong enough, the animal may habituate or get used to it, so that the owner needs to escalate the intensity. On the other hand, when the punishment is more intense, it can cause physical injury. For instance, electronic anti-bark collars can cause burn marks on dogs. Choke chains can damage the trachea, increase intraocular pressure in dogs thus potentially worsening or contributing to glaucoma in susceptible breeds, cause sudden collapse from non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema (water in the lungs) due to temporary upper airway obstruction, and cause nerve damage. The risk of damage is greater when the choke chain sits high on the dog’s neck. Even when punishment seems mild, in order to be effective it often must elicit a strong fear response, and this fear response can generalize to things that sound or look similar to the punishment. Punishment has also been shown to elicit aggressive behavior in many species of animals. Thus, using punishment can put the person administering it or any person near the animal at risk of being bitten or attacked.
Punishment can suppress aggressive and fearful behavior when used effectively, but it may not change the underlying cause of the behavior. For instance, if the animal behaves aggressively due to fear, then the use of force to stop the fearful reactions will make the animal more fearful while at the same time suppressing or masking the outward signs of fear; (e.g., a threat display/growling). As a result, if the animal faces a situation where it is extremely fearful, it may suddenly act with heightened aggression and with fewer warning signs. In other words, it may now attack more aggressively or with no warning, making it much more dangerous...
A more appropriate approach to problem solving is to determine what is reinforcing the undesirable behavior, remove that reward, and reinforce an alternate desirable behavior instead. For instance, dogs jump to greet people in order to get their attention. Owners usually provide attention by talking or yelling, pushing them down, or otherwise touching them. A better solution would be to remove attention by standing silently and completely still and then to immediately reward with attention or treats once the dog sits. This learning-based approach leads to a better understanding of our pets and consequently to a better human-pet relationship.”
Myth: All Dogs Learn Differently
“Truth: Dogs all learn the same way. However, what they find reinforcing varies.”
“…the really important thing to remember about learning through association is that it's always happening, whether you are intending to use it in training or not. Your dog can't stop learning through association. Dogs make associations about everything, including but not limited to the cues you use ("sit," "down," "stay," "roll over," "spin," "heel," etc.), your training tools, the places your dog goes, strangers, other dogs, certain clothing items, your car keys, doorbells and other sounds, and any combination of environmental cues. So, if you care about your dog's emotional well-being (and, of course, you do; you love your dog!), in every moment of training, ask yourself, ‘Is my dog making good associations with the training or bad associations?’”
“The second way that all dogs learn is via consequences. These include good consequences and bad consequences… However, remember what we said about Classical Conditioning always happening all the time? Your dog may stop jumping on you, but what feelings do you think they will begin to associate with you or your hands? How might their behavior start to change if they begin to associate you with fear and pain? How do you think that will affect your relationship or future training? Perhaps we could instead give them a happy reason to put their bottom on the ground instead of a scary reason to avoid lifting up their feet.”
Vets on Behavior Proclaim, Never Use Shock Collar
“The attending vets in the behavioral medicine group (including a vet from Spain, three vets from Australia, and three from Canada) created a document with a list of recommendations for choosing a dog trainer. The document is based on science, and supports trainers who use praise and reward rather than punishment. Seksel, who is from Seaforth, Australia says in most places in Australia, these collars are actually considered illegal... Overall, a researcher in the psychiatry department at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, agrees, "I've seen so many animals damaged by shock. And I've seen people devastated when they realize that the dog who they love has been made a nervous wreck or aggressive because they've chosen the wrong training method."... The veterinarians who crafted the recommendations also urged avoiding trainers who use chain link choke collars (also called training or correction collars) and prong collars (also called pinch collars, blunt metal prongs are fitted around the dogs' neck)... Overall adds, "For example, we know how dogs learn best, and this equipment may actually discourage learning, not to mention potentially hurt the dog. Dogs that are chronically yanked and popped may have recurring laryngeal nerve paralysis and other physical injuries as a result, not to mention seriously damaged psyches." Dr. Tamera Cole of Ft. Wayne, IN was among the group of vets who created the recommendations for choosing a dog trainer. She says she realizes many trainers around the world use inappropriate equipment, but that doesn't make it right. "We're reaching for an ideal here, and it's all based on what we know about training dogs.”
Not Using Force in Police Dog Training (PDF)
“I know about compulsive training because I spent my first fifteen years training two K-9s and a number of other dogs using compulsion. I've been around long enough to have owned or tried almost every training method formulated and piece of training equipment made (except an "electric sleeve"- too expensive). So I am very familiar with training systems. I now choose to work non-compulsively because it gives me and the teams I train better results...
First, non-compulsive training produces less stress in the dog, less stress in the handler and enhances rather than hurts the relationship between the handler and dog. Less stress means faster learning by the dog and handler and healthier dogs because stress causes disease and injury... Fifth, non-compulsively trained dogs need less retraining in obedience work than compulsively trained dogs... Sixth, my work with highly bred working dogs with extreme levels of drive and high pain thresholds has convinced me that many of these dogs can only be taught effectively using non compulsive methods. Trying to correct these dogs into submission when they are doing protection work often results in aggression towards the handler or a dog which puts up with the corrections and still does just what he wants when off lead.”
“He looked for the bus while standing right on top of Jordan. It seems that Kip did not actually know the meaning of, “Where’s Jordan.” I was mistaken and presumed far too much. Dog owners often complain that their dogs know obedience commands and house rules. They say, “He KNOWS sit, but he won’t do it.” Assuming that a dog knows the meaning of a phrase or word implies that the dog is refusing to obey. Labelled as stubborn, defiant and dominant, owners start looking for ways to make the dog submit and obey. It opens the door to a wide array of concocted punishments to ensure the dog obeys the commands that it supposedly knows. Plenty of dog training methods feed into these notions perpetuating needless discipline.”
Pain: When in Doubt, Leave it Out
“The ability to tolerate pain differs from one individual to another. Studies on electric shock found that some people felt pain when shocked with 0.30 mA of electricity. Others could tolerate up to 2.0 mA. Each individual feels things differently... Unpredictable pain makes us sensitive and less tolerant to unpleasant and painful situations. Research shows that as little as three mild shocks can trigger this hypersensitivity. It’s like watching a scary movie and then jumping at every bump in the night... What it boils down to is that pain is complex. You cannot measure pain based on a technique. There will be variation that can increase, decrease or mask pain. This raises concerns because pain is not about actual physical harm. It’s about our perceptions and even the anticipation of pain... Many dog training techniques are at risk of triggering these problems.”
Dog Training Science Resources
“The first section lists scientific research on dog training methods (positive reinforcement vs aversives, shock collars etc). The second section looks at other aspects of the science of dog training (body language, preference for types of positive reinforcement, etc).”