As in all areas of teaching, there are different methods of doing things, and different beliefs about what is right and wrong. In this department you will find topics like religion. The next thing that occurs is that children have different ways of learning. To hit or not to hit, that is the question. How to train your dog might run a close third with questions like Pinch collar, or Choke Chain or none of the above?

Good behaviors can be encouraged in 3 different ways.

1. Positive reinforcement is a reward that encourages a response. Your dog will likely repeat his good behavior if you reward him more than once for that postiive behavior.

2. Negative reinforcement means that something is taken away in order to encourage a response. Dogs that are trained with electric shock collars figure out that when they perform correctly they don’t get shocked. He learns that when he is a good dog the shock is eliminated. When you left early for work one day and suddenly the traffic was diminished you valued what was missing for your action, hence you repeat the action of leaving early for that result. Repeated experience with the elimination of the traffic teaches you to leave the house early.

3. Punishment is an unpleasant thing that is added to the situation. This is entirely different from “Negative Reinforcement”. Owners yell or smack their dogs for bad, aggressive behaviors. when children misbehave many parents have been known to get loud and in the childs face. Fear of punishment will also give you what you want from your dog.

On the surface it seems all techniques work. The dog will come when you are rough with his leash. The anticipation of a reward will engage your dog is good behavior. Also, dogs will chase after running people.

A bad dog will listen when you yell at him and pull hard on the leash. Or, his desire for the treat you are about to give him will encourage the right response.

What are the implications? Would you rather your dog behaves well for pleasing you or out of fear? We have the freedom of choice. Which will it be.

By

Dr. Marika Zoll

DrDogTalk.com