His work on dog behavior and training is an encyclopedia of Dog Behavior and Training. He discusses the many misconceptions of the term and its use in dog training. In Steven Lindsay’s monumental and authoritative work, “The Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training” Volume One, he has several chapters on Aversive Control of Behavior and the use of punishment. So using punishment is also Science Based. Research also has proven that punishment works. When confronted with, “Your methods are cruel and in-humane” there is little room to have a logical and constructive dialogue. As a result it is often difficult to have any constructive discussion about the proper place that Punishment plays in Dog Training. Many of the “Dog Friendly” dog trainers use the phrase “Science Based” when describing their training methods. Yes that is true, but scientific studies also show overwhelmingly that Punishment properly used is as effective and in some cases more effective than Positive Reinforcement alone. The ADPT also states, “The ADPT also recognizes that scientific studies have found that it is possible to effectively train animals using positive reinforcement and negative punishment”. A lot of them have taken it to the extreme and have totally eliminated punishment of any kind from their tool box and condemn anyone who uses positive punishment and negative reinforcement. With this kind of position statement it is not hard to understand why ADPT trainers take such a hard and opinionated position on the use of punishment. The ADPT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) in their position paper on Defining “Dog Friendly” states, “Dog-Friendly” training is training that utilizes primarily positive reinforcement: secondarily negative punishment, and only occasionally, rarely, and/or as a last resort includes positive punishment and/or negative reinforcement.” One such web site (I won’t name the dog trainer) goes as far to say that her training does not involve any form of intimidation, confrontation, violence, reprimands, or domination…a training system that is not only humane, compassionate, and reliable, but is also based on the latest scientific studies.” She goes on to state, “For scientific, moral, and ethical reasons using these forms of conditioning can produce unwanted side effects in addition to the basic trauma they do to an animal.” This trainer’s definition of intimidation seems to mean any form of correction, such as voice, touch, body language, or a device. Some report that they do use Negative Punishment sometimes (The so called time-out punishment). I have done a lot of web surfing and have visited 100’s of dog training sites and the “All Positive”/”Dog Friendly” sites say that they support only the use of Positive Reinforcement and harshly denounce the use of Punishment as being cruel and in-humane. Most of us professional dog trainers who use a balanced approach don’t generally make comments about other trainers but are literally dragged into this debate by zealots who attack us either by email or through their blogs. I must say that most of the heated rhetoric comes from the side of the “All Positive”/”Dog Friendly” School. ![]() These battles are heated and often end up in name calling and accusations of cruelty and inhumanity. ![]() It is a loaded term that causes a great deal of polarization amongst dog trainers and confusion to the general dog owning public.There are daily battles on the internet by both sides of the issue as to the efficacy of using punishment when training dogs. ![]() I was recently talking with a colleague of mine a Philadelphia Dog Trainer and we both agreed that Dog Training Punishment is probably the most confused and maligned word in dog training today. Dog Training Punishment – Maybe the Most Positive Thing You Can Do For Your Dog
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