Punishment, why it doesn't work and what does.
Punishing a dog often doesn’t work or can even
make a behavior problem worse. Three important
rules must be met for punishment to be effective.
1. The punishment must occur every time the unwanted
behavior occurs.
2. The punishment must be administered within a
second or two of the inappropriate behavior.
3. The punishment must be aversive enough to stop
the dog from repeating the unwanted behavior in the
future but not be so aversive as to frighten the dog.
As seen in the example below, meeting all three
of these criteria can be difficult. That’s why punishment
often fails to solve behavior problems and should
not be the first training method of choice. Positive
reinforcement training, in which animals are rewarded
for appropriate behaviors, is safer and more effective.
Punishment teaches an animal what you don’t want it to do but fails to teach it what you expect of it.
EXAMPLE A
Problem behavior: A dog greets
people by jumping on them.
Owners’ response: Whenever the dog jumps on its
owners, they knee it in the chest or kick it.
Result: The dog avoids the husband (the largest man
in the household; he has kicked the dog hard enough
that it is now afraid of him) but continues to jump on
everyone else. Many dogs are highly motivated to greet
people by getting close to their faces. In most cases,
kneeing or kicking such a dog is less powerful than
the dog’s desire to greet people by jumping on them. In
addition, since not all people the dog meets will knee
it or kick it, the punishment doesn’t meet the first rule.
The third rule is also not met because the dog doesn’t
always perceive the kneeing as punishment and, in fact,
is reinforced for jumping because it’s getting attention.
Suggestion: Rather than trying to punish the dog for
jumping, the owners should use positive reinforcement
to teach the dog to sit to greet everyone. Sitting is an
alternative behavior that can be rewarded with petting
or a food treat.
APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
These examples highlight the fact that when the three
punishment criteria are not met, behavior problems can
worsen, and the bond between the pet and the owner
can be damaged beyond repair. When punishment is
used incorrectly, it will appear unpredictable and confusing,
so many pets become anxious or fearful around
the owner that administers the punishment. When punishment
is used in an attempt to train an animal that is
already afraid or anxious, its fear and anxiety are likely to
worsen and may lead to aggression.
If your dog is exhibiting inappropriate behavior, consult
your veterinarian. He or she will help you develop an
appropriate behavior modification program that focuses
on using positive reinforcement or will refer you to
someone with extensive experience in developing such
behavior modification programs.
The information for this handout was provided by Valarie V. Tynes, DVM , DACVB, P.O. Box 1040, Fort Worth, TX 76101.
“Redefining the word training, to teaching.”
PLEASE CALL: (520)742-4148 or email: angel@nwpetclinic.com
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