Training the Old Way
Before it occured to any dog trainers that there could be a better way to work with dogs, training consisted of what we call the 'jerk and choke' methods.
If you needed to train your dog to sit you
1)
pushed on his tail end until he sat (because of the force involved) or
2) told him to sit, then punished him until he did it right (after guessing
what you wanted) or even
3) grabbed his/her choke collar (small thin metal collar that tightens around
your windpipe as the lead ring in it is pulled) and pulled the dog downward
and back into a semi-sitting position rewarding him with a gruff 'good boy'
when you did this.
This works.
But like any behavior modification it has side effects.
Like
a lack of trust.
Fear motivation.
And learning that you may lord over those weaker than you.
Like Children.
When
trainers use any sort of direct coercion you really need to look at it closely
to understand it's long term effects. Very many of them work on the idea 'dogs
only respond to negative'. Really. They attempt to elicit a specific behavior,
and when they don't get that behavior they punish the dog.
It's the same principle people try to use on their children with school. "Get
A's or you get beatings and no food." Depending on the child, it may or
may not work. It doesn't with me. In fact the only thing that does work with
me is constant positive reinforcement. Anything else and I'm not hanging
around.
There is a better Way