Positive Punishment for Dog Behavior

At some point, all dogs need to be trained to change behavior problems. Some dogs might have separation anxiety, obedience or aggression problems. Problems such as excessive barking, jumping on people or biting not only affect the owner, but also people who come close to the dog. Positive punishment is a dog training method that only should be used after trying other methods, as it can cause mental and physical damage to dogs.

  1. About Positive Punishment

    • Positive punishment is a way to teach a dog he is not doing what the is supposed to by adding something to the dog's environment that he does not enjoy. This creates a negative reaction on the dog and decreases the likelihood that he will do it again, because he will want to avoid the consequence. Any unpleasant stimulus or addition to the dog's environment is considered positive punishment.

    Examples of Positive Punishment

    • The website R+ Dog Training notes that positive punishes are usually called "corrections" or "compulsions" and these might include physical pain, fear, force or discomfort. Leash corrections, verbal reprimands and squirt bottles are the most common ways to correct a dog's behavior using positive punishment. Other most extreme ways include shock collars and physical pain, although this actions are not recommended, as they can easily become abuse.

    How To

    • To be effective, the positive punishment must be substantial enough to get the dog's attention, but should not bring fear or aggression on the dog. Timing is also crucial. The punishment must be right when the dog is doing the unwanted behavior, and not when he is done, or he will not understand what behavior is being punished. Dogs must also be punished consistently, and not sporadically. It is also important to show the dog the correct behavior by rewarding him when he is obedient.

    Risks of Positive Punishment

    • In the early 1990', Morgan Spector and other dog trainers began to question positive punishment. In 1993, according to R+ Dog Training, the Association of Dog Trainers was founded to promote positive reinforcement instead of positive punishment and negative reinforcement, which may cause irreparable mental and physical damage on dogs. Some dogs might become fearful of the owner, may confuse the behavior that is being punished or may associate punishment with something present in the environment when he was being punished. Other dogs may develop another behavior when trying to suppress the punished behavior. The Good Dog Behavior &Training website recommends using positive punishment as a last resort for these reasons.