Aversive and Aggressive Training Methods
'Punishment begins where knowledge ends' Aversive (fear, intimidation and / or pain inducing) dog training techniques. These serve to suppress behaviour (giving the impression of a quick fix) rather than improve your dog's emotional state and address the actual problem.
In aversive dog training, handlers try to discourage undesired behaviours by applying an aversive or unpleasant stimulus (positive punishment), and they encourage desired behaviours by stopping the aversive stimulus (negative reinforcement).
Handler: leash 'popping' / jerking, 'pinning / alpha roll', 'punching / bite jab', staring, screaming / yelling, kicking, choking, forcing the dog into an unpleasant situation etc
Equipment: Rattle bottles, water squirting, compressed air cans, electric shock collars, prong / spike collars |
What are some of the proven Implications of Using Aversive Training Techniques Which Induce Fear or Pain in Dogs?
• Increasing the dogs fear or anxiety about the situation in which it is used • Decrease the dog’s ability to learn • Associate other coincidental events with a fear provoking event • Inhibit behaviour but leave the underlying emotional response unchanged increasing the chance of future problems • Induce an new avoidance or aggressive response • Cause confusion as to which behaviour is required • Cause physical injury |
The dangers and complications of aversive training methods
Over the years, I have tried or witnessed most methods of training, good and bad. Through my experience with these methods I can say from an educated point of view that I am firmly against aversive training methods. From the somewhat common compressed air cans used to 'startle' and 'interrupt' behaviour to the cruel electric shock collar. These aversive methods are not necessary with ANY dog and an experienced trainer will not use them. On the other side - I've seen amazing trainers turn around even the worst of the worst dogs with nothing but a ball and lead! (obviously time, patience and friendship too).
In the dog training world I'm what's known as a cross-over trainer. Prior to my dog training diploma I trained alongside numerous experienced trainers. With pet dog trainers, security dog trainers, police dog handlers, service dog trainers and dog sport trainers - both force free and 'balanced' trainers. I have many years experience of using almost every training tool, including aversive ones. My formal education taught me the science and reality of the tools and apparent 'results' they gave when used correctly (and incorrectly). These tools go against my ethical standards and I encourage every dog lover to make the right decision to train without them.
In the dog training world I'm what's known as a cross-over trainer. Prior to my dog training diploma I trained alongside numerous experienced trainers. With pet dog trainers, security dog trainers, police dog handlers, service dog trainers and dog sport trainers - both force free and 'balanced' trainers. I have many years experience of using almost every training tool, including aversive ones. My formal education taught me the science and reality of the tools and apparent 'results' they gave when used correctly (and incorrectly). These tools go against my ethical standards and I encourage every dog lover to make the right decision to train without them.
Harmful and Dangerous
Prong collars can cause serious harm to a dog. A dog's neck is very sensitive. The metal spikes of a prong collar for example are designed to dig into a dogs neck when they pull against the collar. I firmly believe they have no place in dog training. Additionally equipment like prongs and shock collars only work if the dog is in the handlers reach or while worn - the problem still exists. This can give the handler a false sense of security. Pain inflicting equipment such as prongs can easily make reactivity and anxiety worse. Redirected aggression (particularly at the handler) is not uncommon with prong collars.
Suppression NOT Submitting
A key part of positive reinforcement is helping dogs work out problems (big or small) so that the dog no longer feels the need to repeat a behaviour. You may have heard TV 'trainers' mention 'a dog needs to show submission' and during training methods to force this so called 'submission' can include pinning, punching, kicking in a dogs vulnerable sensitive areas, strangling / choking with leads, electric shocks from e-collars etc. If a dog was distressed or anxious prior, these methods will only make the problem worse. The dog may stop the undesirable behaviour but the dog's emotional reaction to whatever upset them remains - and likely at a more intensified state. Therefore the dog can at any time in the future repeat the behaviour and usually with a much higher intensity. By using positive reinforcement and 'shaping' the aim is to reduce the overwhelming stimuli causing the behaviour to a level the dog is comfortable at to give the owner control in lower intensity situations and building up the dogs confidence to a high level of intensity- the dog is taught that seeing other dogs are not a threat and other dogs can actually be a pleasant experience. The dog will also learn to trust its owner in guiding them through upsetting experiences. Dogs who 'behave' based on fear of their owners response are not 'emotionally balanced' dogs.
Not suitable for all members of the family / all owners
Some trainers will tell owners to show 'dominance' or 'assertive energy' to put a dog 'in their place' and assert the owners place as 'alpha'. This usually involves a human pinning, jabbing, punching or grabbing a dog with little / no warning. However by teaching a dog with aggressive techniques, these trainers are putting vulnerable people and the owners at risk. The dog learns that to take control - physical force is promptly required with little or no warning. Additionally - how can a child who is weaker, 'less dominant' etc ever be an 'alpha' to a dog? Yet you may have seen small children happily walking a big behaved dog on a lead - why? Size does not matter - it's the handler and dogs temperament and disposition that matters! A Chihuahua can 'control' a Great Dane - there's no way a Chihuahua will ever be able to 'pin' a Great Dane yet the Chihuahua might 'rule the roost'. 'Alpha' trainers argue that wild wolves determine who is the top of the pack through fights, size and temperament - but today's domestic dog, although it may have some similar behavioural and psychological traits, is very different to wild wolves (domestic dogs have been domesticated for 15,000+ years).
Poor communication
When a dog growls, aggressive methods will insist you to punish the dog for growling. Communication is very important: a dogs growl is the dogs way of telling us, or another animal, that it's unhappy. The dog is simply communicating - some people interpret this as a 'challenge' of their 'status' as 'leader' which is simply not true. If the dog could speak it would mean 'I don't like that' or 'I'm afraid' - not 'I am superior to you and want to be the pack leader'. If a dog is pushed further into feeling uncomfortable it may move onto the next step and so on (showing teet, warning lunges then actually biting for example). If you punish a dog from communicating in the lower stages of communication you often get dogs who react 'without warning'. In positive reinforcement we teach the dog that growling is acceptable to help us communicate so there is never a need for the dog to react further. A growl tells the handler the dog is unhappy and the trainer should then take the dog back a step (or a few) until the dog is comfortable - and work their way back up to that point. A good example is with dog-dog communication An emotionally balanced dog will just need to growl at another dog to tell them to go away if they're uncomfortable - and a socialised and balanced dog will respond by going away.There is no fight. If a dog is forbidden to communicate and is forced to pass their mental threshold, fights happen. Some dogs can be extremely subtle In the way they communicate that most owners miss these signals. Positive reinforcement enables a dog to tell the handler 'I'm unhappy and about to react' and the owner can then react with 'I understand, lets move away from this uncomfortable situation and build your confidence up'.
Prong collars can cause serious harm to a dog. A dog's neck is very sensitive. The metal spikes of a prong collar for example are designed to dig into a dogs neck when they pull against the collar. I firmly believe they have no place in dog training. Additionally equipment like prongs and shock collars only work if the dog is in the handlers reach or while worn - the problem still exists. This can give the handler a false sense of security. Pain inflicting equipment such as prongs can easily make reactivity and anxiety worse. Redirected aggression (particularly at the handler) is not uncommon with prong collars.
Suppression NOT Submitting
A key part of positive reinforcement is helping dogs work out problems (big or small) so that the dog no longer feels the need to repeat a behaviour. You may have heard TV 'trainers' mention 'a dog needs to show submission' and during training methods to force this so called 'submission' can include pinning, punching, kicking in a dogs vulnerable sensitive areas, strangling / choking with leads, electric shocks from e-collars etc. If a dog was distressed or anxious prior, these methods will only make the problem worse. The dog may stop the undesirable behaviour but the dog's emotional reaction to whatever upset them remains - and likely at a more intensified state. Therefore the dog can at any time in the future repeat the behaviour and usually with a much higher intensity. By using positive reinforcement and 'shaping' the aim is to reduce the overwhelming stimuli causing the behaviour to a level the dog is comfortable at to give the owner control in lower intensity situations and building up the dogs confidence to a high level of intensity- the dog is taught that seeing other dogs are not a threat and other dogs can actually be a pleasant experience. The dog will also learn to trust its owner in guiding them through upsetting experiences. Dogs who 'behave' based on fear of their owners response are not 'emotionally balanced' dogs.
Not suitable for all members of the family / all owners
Some trainers will tell owners to show 'dominance' or 'assertive energy' to put a dog 'in their place' and assert the owners place as 'alpha'. This usually involves a human pinning, jabbing, punching or grabbing a dog with little / no warning. However by teaching a dog with aggressive techniques, these trainers are putting vulnerable people and the owners at risk. The dog learns that to take control - physical force is promptly required with little or no warning. Additionally - how can a child who is weaker, 'less dominant' etc ever be an 'alpha' to a dog? Yet you may have seen small children happily walking a big behaved dog on a lead - why? Size does not matter - it's the handler and dogs temperament and disposition that matters! A Chihuahua can 'control' a Great Dane - there's no way a Chihuahua will ever be able to 'pin' a Great Dane yet the Chihuahua might 'rule the roost'. 'Alpha' trainers argue that wild wolves determine who is the top of the pack through fights, size and temperament - but today's domestic dog, although it may have some similar behavioural and psychological traits, is very different to wild wolves (domestic dogs have been domesticated for 15,000+ years).
Poor communication
When a dog growls, aggressive methods will insist you to punish the dog for growling. Communication is very important: a dogs growl is the dogs way of telling us, or another animal, that it's unhappy. The dog is simply communicating - some people interpret this as a 'challenge' of their 'status' as 'leader' which is simply not true. If the dog could speak it would mean 'I don't like that' or 'I'm afraid' - not 'I am superior to you and want to be the pack leader'. If a dog is pushed further into feeling uncomfortable it may move onto the next step and so on (showing teet, warning lunges then actually biting for example). If you punish a dog from communicating in the lower stages of communication you often get dogs who react 'without warning'. In positive reinforcement we teach the dog that growling is acceptable to help us communicate so there is never a need for the dog to react further. A growl tells the handler the dog is unhappy and the trainer should then take the dog back a step (or a few) until the dog is comfortable - and work their way back up to that point. A good example is with dog-dog communication An emotionally balanced dog will just need to growl at another dog to tell them to go away if they're uncomfortable - and a socialised and balanced dog will respond by going away.There is no fight. If a dog is forbidden to communicate and is forced to pass their mental threshold, fights happen. Some dogs can be extremely subtle In the way they communicate that most owners miss these signals. Positive reinforcement enables a dog to tell the handler 'I'm unhappy and about to react' and the owner can then react with 'I understand, lets move away from this uncomfortable situation and build your confidence up'.
The difference between negative reinforcement and negative punishment
Negative reinforcement: the removal of a negative event on the arrival of the wanted behaviour. The dog is rewarded by escaping or avoiding the aversive - causing harm / pain / unpleasant experience to gain the 'desired result'
Negative punishment: removing a positive stimulus to decrease the likelihood of an unwanted behaviour (e.g. withdrawing the presence of a treat after being ignored by the dog). It's a form of punishment but not a physical or harmful punishment. The word negative” means to take something away and the word “punishment” means to decrease the frequency of a behaviour in training terms.
Negative punishment: removing a positive stimulus to decrease the likelihood of an unwanted behaviour (e.g. withdrawing the presence of a treat after being ignored by the dog). It's a form of punishment but not a physical or harmful punishment. The word negative” means to take something away and the word “punishment” means to decrease the frequency of a behaviour in training terms.
A snippet from my blog:
Ok so I had a little 'rant' on the Primo Pet Services facebook page today ...
"Beware so called 'dog trainers' and 'dog lovers' who think 'alpha rolling' or 'pinning' a dog will solve any problem. The dogs are dragged to the floor by their necks and held down frightened and confused. Pinning is not the answer for hyperactive dogs, dog aggression, pushy behaviour etc. It teaches dogs to be afraid of the handler, encourages dogs to react without warning and worse. If your dog has behavioural problems please do not resort to this so called quick fix. This week alone I've had a sharp increase in desperate dog owners who've found out the hard way. I've spoken to some of the so called 'experts' giving this advice and every dog in their group were literally terrified every time the handler moved their hand towards the dogs!"
I know the 'alpha' technique is very controversial and some people may 'swear' by it. There may be a few people who have physically forced their dogs into a behaviour they want with no repercussions. The sad thing is - people see the 'alpha roll' being used on dogs and they see a dog 'snap out of it' or 'obey'. What people don't realise is what they are actually teaching the dog - that sudden aggression without warning is acceptable. Additionally the problem that caused the behaviour has not been resolved. For example: the dog that was making your dog uncomfortable (so your dog snarled at and pinned) is still making your dog unhappy - but now that you've pinned the dog forcefully to the floor he's scared of you AND the other dog.
A great article written in APDT News Letter explains more...
"Alpha roll advocates often justify the technique because “it’s the way wolves do it,” but that rationalization is weak. As professional dog trainers, we—and ultimately our clients— would benefit from an explanation grounded in critical analysis rather than habit or myth."
The theory behind the alpha roll is based on a research study of captive wolves kept in an area too small for their numbers and composed of members that wouldn't be found together in a pack in the wild. Studies of wolves in the wild show wolves only 'pin' another wolf if the fight is serious (usually with intent to kill) and rarely fight within the pack to that extent. Dominance theory has been justified by some trainers as it can make owners act like they have more control over their dog than they may feel. Hard-nosed, brutal efforts to dominate pets can simply cause fear, anxiety and even aggression rather than creating a stable household. A more accurate way of comparing the domestic dog is to feral dogs that are scavengers who live and mate unrestricted by a 'pack' hierarchy.
' it is a form of cruelty. It may not inflict physical pain, but it can terrify dogs. And it can be dangerous, causing an aggressive dog to react strongly against an owner. Alpha rolls are part of an outdated theory of dog behaviour that’s based on discredited science. ' - Pete Wedderburn (Vet 25+ years)
Pat Goodman, MS, a resident ethologist at Wolf Park:
“I find it is rare for them to forcibly push down and hold down a subordinate, a rival, a youngster. In the overwhelming majority of cases, rather than being pushed down, the wolf who ends up on the ground is already going down in response to psychological pressure."
"I cannot think of many learning situations where I want my learning dogs responding with fear and lack of motion"
So what are you telling your dog by being a bully? That you are unpredictably aggressive and should be feared of. So instead of showing him that you are a calm, trustworthy leader, you are demonstrating very effectively through aggression that you are a threat, and you’re doing so in much the same way a highly insecure domestic dog would.
Ok so I had a little 'rant' on the Primo Pet Services facebook page today ...
"Beware so called 'dog trainers' and 'dog lovers' who think 'alpha rolling' or 'pinning' a dog will solve any problem. The dogs are dragged to the floor by their necks and held down frightened and confused. Pinning is not the answer for hyperactive dogs, dog aggression, pushy behaviour etc. It teaches dogs to be afraid of the handler, encourages dogs to react without warning and worse. If your dog has behavioural problems please do not resort to this so called quick fix. This week alone I've had a sharp increase in desperate dog owners who've found out the hard way. I've spoken to some of the so called 'experts' giving this advice and every dog in their group were literally terrified every time the handler moved their hand towards the dogs!"
I know the 'alpha' technique is very controversial and some people may 'swear' by it. There may be a few people who have physically forced their dogs into a behaviour they want with no repercussions. The sad thing is - people see the 'alpha roll' being used on dogs and they see a dog 'snap out of it' or 'obey'. What people don't realise is what they are actually teaching the dog - that sudden aggression without warning is acceptable. Additionally the problem that caused the behaviour has not been resolved. For example: the dog that was making your dog uncomfortable (so your dog snarled at and pinned) is still making your dog unhappy - but now that you've pinned the dog forcefully to the floor he's scared of you AND the other dog.
A great article written in APDT News Letter explains more...
"Alpha roll advocates often justify the technique because “it’s the way wolves do it,” but that rationalization is weak. As professional dog trainers, we—and ultimately our clients— would benefit from an explanation grounded in critical analysis rather than habit or myth."
The theory behind the alpha roll is based on a research study of captive wolves kept in an area too small for their numbers and composed of members that wouldn't be found together in a pack in the wild. Studies of wolves in the wild show wolves only 'pin' another wolf if the fight is serious (usually with intent to kill) and rarely fight within the pack to that extent. Dominance theory has been justified by some trainers as it can make owners act like they have more control over their dog than they may feel. Hard-nosed, brutal efforts to dominate pets can simply cause fear, anxiety and even aggression rather than creating a stable household. A more accurate way of comparing the domestic dog is to feral dogs that are scavengers who live and mate unrestricted by a 'pack' hierarchy.
' it is a form of cruelty. It may not inflict physical pain, but it can terrify dogs. And it can be dangerous, causing an aggressive dog to react strongly against an owner. Alpha rolls are part of an outdated theory of dog behaviour that’s based on discredited science. ' - Pete Wedderburn (Vet 25+ years)
Pat Goodman, MS, a resident ethologist at Wolf Park:
“I find it is rare for them to forcibly push down and hold down a subordinate, a rival, a youngster. In the overwhelming majority of cases, rather than being pushed down, the wolf who ends up on the ground is already going down in response to psychological pressure."
"I cannot think of many learning situations where I want my learning dogs responding with fear and lack of motion"
So what are you telling your dog by being a bully? That you are unpredictably aggressive and should be feared of. So instead of showing him that you are a calm, trustworthy leader, you are demonstrating very effectively through aggression that you are a threat, and you’re doing so in much the same way a highly insecure domestic dog would.