*punishment*, and *consequence*

Lots of people don't understand the distinction between *punishment*,
and *consequence*. We're hoping that this edition will make the
distinction a little more clear.

"Punishment" means that Bad Things START happening (jerking the
choke collar, spritzing in the face with anything from plain water
to lemon juice to ammonia water, using mouse-traps to frighten the
dog, etc.). Using punishment and correction in teaching can be
very confusing for your dog. It can erode trust, cause aggression,
destroy confidence, and basically ruin an otherwise wonderful relationship.
Punishment and correction come in many forms... using cans of pennies
to frighten the dog into stopping a behavior; using a stinging or
burning spray of some sort to hurt the dog while in the act of committing
a "crime"; jerking on a leash; pushing a button to shock a dog...
there are as many forms as there are dogs. People are very imaginative,
when it comes to issues of "control".

"Consequence" means that Good Things STOP happening. Consequences
are directly related to the behavior, so they're readily understood
by your dog. For example: you're playing fetch with your dog, and
for the third time in a row, he refuses to let go of the ball.
A punishment would be to smack him across the muzzle to make him
let go; a consequence would be to walk away -- thereby STOPPING
the game. Wait for 3 minutes, ignoring him, then go back: after
the 3rd or 4th time, he understands that his NOT dropping the ball
is what's causing the fun to stop... and, you haven't done ANYTHING
to make him not like the game!

A system of consequences can be used for any infraction of any rule,
and in any situation. It's quite easy to teach a dog that inappropriate
behavior causes the fun to stop... and, used properly, all you'll
be doing is making the dog work even harder to behave appropriately
-- because he doesn't *want* the fun stuff to stop!

Note: you've all heard me make reference to using a system of "time-outs"
with my dogs... a "time-out" is a *consequence*. My dogs understand
that their behavior can cause the Fun Stuff to *end*. There are
RULES to using this method, though, to get the most benefit from it:

1) You MUST use a phrase that the dog will understand as meaning
"You just messed up, pal!" -- I use "time-out!!" If you're away
from your dog, you have to use a phrase that can only mean one thing,
so that you can say it, and he'll know immediately that he's messed
up. Otherwise, if it takes 10 seconds for you to get to him, he
may have moved on to something else -- he'll think he's getting
the consequence for another behavior!

2) The time-out MUST be short in duration -- 3 to 5 minutes, maximum.
If your dog is in time-out for longer than this, it defeats the
purpose -- he won't remember why he was put there.

3) It's best to set up a *system* of consequences, for dogs who
are "frequent flyers". For example, if your dog regularly does
something that causes you to put him in "time-out", setting up a
"3-strikes-you're-out" system will *dramatically* decrease the repetitions.
This system is *especially* useful in instances where the dog isn't
using proper etiquette with other dogs -- for example, the first
2 times, he'd get a 3-minute time-out, and the third time, the fun
ENDS for the day (use the phrase "time-out" for the first 2, and
another phrase like "that's IT!!!" for the last)

4) Never -- never -- EVER call your dog to you, and then put him
in time-out. Ever. ALWAYS go get him. If you call him to you,
then give him a consequence, you've just decreased the chances that
he'll come to you the next time -- you've just *ruined* his recall.

It's common to hear punishing methods referred to as "positive reinforcement
methods", simply because you're taught to say "good boy!" after
issuing the correction, when the behavior stops. This is a simple
rationalization: "if you jerk the lead, then give praise, it's 'positive'".
Calling these techniques "positive reinforcement methods" is just
a way to assuage the guilt that owners would feel, if they stop
to think about what they're doing: "Well, it can't be bad if it's
called positive, right?" Wrong!! It doesn't matter how many times
you say "Good Dog!!" -- if you're shocking him, squirting him with
something caustic; scaring him; or otherwise causing him physical
or emotional distress, it's NOT positive reinforcement. Nothing
could be further from the truth. For example, it's relatively common
for trainers to recommend spritzing a dog in the face with ammonia
water for showing a fear-based aggressive response to other dogs
(then, of course, you praise the dog while he's frantically trying
to stop the burning). This is my response to that particular tactic:

Pick one thing you're terrified of (come on -- everyone is afraid
of *something*!!) I'm afraid of bees. Let's put a collar around
my neck, with you on the other end of the leash. Then, turn some
bees loose near me (of course, you'll need to plop a jelly donut
in my lap, to draw the bees to me -- those other dogs are naturally
*drawn* to your dog, right?) Now, spray ammonia water in my face
for a fearful reaction, and see how long it takes for me to *bite* you.

Lots of people simply look at a dog's noncompliance as "dominance".
That's why correction training has taken such a foothold in this
country... it's because we try to foist upon our dogs how *we* would
feel, in a situation where we were being commanded to do something...
and humans MUST dominate all other species. In fact, if we would
simply back up a couple of steps and *really* use this train of
thought, we'd understand that the dog would comply with our wishes
if they only understood them, and received a paycheck... if they
were simply taught to co-operate. (Understand, please, that co-operation
is a two-way street... your dog MUST get something in return for his efforts!)

Think about those last few sentences, for a minute: it's important.
Chances are, you go to work every day. You receive a paycheck
for that work. Would you do the same work for a pat on the head?
Of COURSE you wouldn't!! But, that's basically what happens with
our dogs... we correct harshly when they do something "wrong" --
but only give a pat on the head, when they do something right --
no matter how right it is!! That's not fair, is it? I know I wouldn't
be very willing to co-operate with a boss like that.

This is a fairly common complaint among St. Bernard owners... that
the dog doesn't "comply". This is the reason that this breed has
such a reputation for being either 1) stupid; 2) dominant; or 3)
independent. None of these words accurately describe the breed,
by the furthest stretch of the imagination.

To understand what's going on when your dog doesn't comply with
your wishes, look at what he's been taught; how he's been taught
that particular behavior; and what's going on around him. Understand these things:

1) Dogs don't generalize behaviors, the way that people generalize
behaviors. What this means is that when a child learns the word
"sit", they understand that the word means "bend at the hips and
plant your butt on a surface". Dogs learn differently -- they actually
incorporate their *environment* into their learning. So, if you
teach your dog to sit in the kitchen, the word may come to mean
"plant your butt on linoleum". If you ask for this same behavior
outside, there is no linoleum, so he won't understand what you want...
he may appear defiant, or dominant, or just plain stupid, to those
who prefer to label it as such.

2) Dogs do what works. What this means, is that a dog will see
the end goal (getting the reward), and then do whatever necessary
to get that reward. The *catch* is that you have to look at rewards
from the dog's point of view... they *may* be entirely different
from what *you* would see the reward to be. You also have to understand
that a reward will have meaning (weight) in one context, but not
in another. Examples: in your kitchen, with no distractions, a MilkBone
dog biscuit is a reward -- outside, it's not. Outside, there are
distractions, so the reward for your dog's attention and performance
*must* outweigh the distractions. Outside without heavy distractions,
liverwurst is a reward; walk another dog past, and the liverwurst
loses it's value... that other dog is simply more rewarding.

How do you counteract this? Simply use what motivates your dog,
in every situation. In that last example, I would use that other
dog as the reward for appropriate behavior... it's not hard to do,
with a little patience. Simply have your dog "sit" before being
allowed to approach the other dog. If you dog is distracted to the
point where the "sit" command isn't working, turn and go in the
opposite direction, then work toward that other dog... your dog
gets to move closer (which is the reward!) as long as he uses manners.

Using correction in training leads to problems: dogs that are trained
in obedience using harsh correction with a choke collar tend to
"wash out" at the higher levels... they've been corrected so harshly
and for so long that they're afraid to try something new. So, when
it comes time to learn to retrieve a dumbbell, the trainer must
be even MORE imaginative with the correction, to get the desired
result: that's when they bring in the BIG guns... the ear-pinch
and shock collar. If correction is used to deal with aggressive
displays, it's quite possible to actually *teach* aggression: a
dog that is corrected in the presence of another dog or human learns
to associate other dogs and humans with pain... causing the aggression to escalate.

Once you understand these basic differences in learning technique,
the sky is the limit... there is almost *nothing* you can't teach,
using only positives. And, don't be afraid to use tangible rewards,
like food and games... those people who use such words as "dominance",
"independence", and "stupidity" as excuses for their dog's noncompliance
also have a real tendency toward asking the dog to perform "just
to please me", rather than getting a reward for behavior. What a
miserable existence that must be for those dogs.

Understanding how dogs think and weigh rewards will lead you to
teach your dog co-operation. This is the key to teaching your dog what you want him to know.

Brenda