surchinmy
Ultra ALPHA
Nov 16, 2004, 8:28 AM
Post #4 of 6
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Re: [ALL, hunter, RealityDreamer, ai-ney] ... Using coporal punishment when training pup/dog
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Hello ... Those who have read the previous posts made in this Forum, will no doubt will have noticed that most of the more experienced posters DO NOT advocate the use physical punishment or corporal punishment when training pups/dogs ... and instead advise using "praise & treats" to train dogs ... But perhaps the reasons have not been clearly set out ... A little history In the 70s, it was common to use "aversive training methods" (including corporal punishment) to train a dog ... Basically, aversive training methods means teaching a dog that ... when a command is not obeyed, something painful/unpleasant happens to the dog ... And training methods (such as the Kohler Training Method) included the use of rubber hoses to hit dogs, hanging dogs with choke chains etc ... These aversive training methods also advocated "pinching a dog's ears until the dog cried" and also taught the use of what is commonly known as the "Alpha Roll" (using force to make the dog assume a belly up position) ... Then in the 80s & 90s, the new movement of "positive training" emerged ... Positive training means teaching the dog that when a command is obeyed - something good/pleasant happens to the dog. Prompted by new and fresh research into dog behaviour & psychology ... A new breed of trainers like ... Karen Pryor ... Suzanne Clothier ... Turid Rugaas ... Jean Donaldson ... pushed new boundaries, and started telling us that "positive" training methods are far more effective and less stressful for both dogs & owners ... and most important - safer! Using physical punishment or corporal punishment of any sort on a pup/dog, carries certain risks ... What frightens me is when people use or advocate the use of corporal/physical punishment, without understanding what those risks are ... PLEASE - If you are going to incorporate physical punishment into your training ... then at least do reading/research and understand what is involved ... For example: (a) If corporal punishment is used on the wrong dog with the wrong temperament - there is increased risk of being bitten. Used by inexperienced owners/trainers at the wrong time or in the wrong way - also increases the risk of being bitten. (b) If aversive training methods are used on an already nervous or timid dog - then it can cause the pup/dog to withdraw even more, thus creating new and more serious problems ... Aversive training applied incorrectly can make a nervous or timid dog even more nervous and timid! Aversive or corporal punishment applied incorrectly can make a mildly stubborn dog into a very stubborn dog ... or a mildly territorial dog into a dog that bites. (c) When aversive training methods are used incorrectly by inexperienced owners/trainers - the pup/dog often doesn't even know what it is being punished for, and that defeats the whole purpose of training in the first place. The rational for all the above - is simple ... if you threaten any animal - the animal's instinctive reaction is to defend/protect itself ... Self defence is one of the most basic of all instincts ... When a owner/trainer uses physically punishes a dog, he/she is threatening the dog ... That a dog does not growl or bite under such circumstances - is testament to the good nature of dogs, and not to the wisdom of the human race. And there appears to be a general misconception is that ... if a dog is hit or slapped softly - then its okay ... On the contrary, that is probably the worse thing you can do ... Applying so-called "mild" physical punishment is usually ineffective ... and all it does is make a nervous/timid dog even more nervous or timid ... Or in a worse case scenario, it teaches the dog (a) to that your physical threat is wholly ineffective ... or (b) teaches the dog to retaliate ... And if this happens - there is likelihood that the whole unhealthy situation just escalates into a full blown battle of will between dog & owner ... And in such battles, the dog always ends up the loser ... Because if the dog retaliates and bites ... what happens next? ... The dog usually ends up getting abandoned or rehomed, or put into a shelter or worse - put to sleep ... for being aggressive! ... The above is only a very brief summary ... If you wish to learn more - please read ... Don't Shoot the Dog! : The New Art of Teaching and Training by Karen Pryor ... Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson ... Dogs are from Neptune by Jean Donaldson ... The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell ... Which brings me back to my usual bug-bear ... Please please go and get a dog good training manual (better still, get several) ... read the manuals from beginning to end, before trying to train your pup/dog ... I am not saying that aversive training methods have no part to play in dog training ... No one training method works for ALL dogs ... All I am saying is that if you want to use aversive training methods - then you owe it to your dog (and to yourself) to learn all you can about how and when to use it ... and to use it correctly & properly. Cheers
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