Thoughts and observations from someone who has been repeatedly introduced as "Nicole Silvers, that dog whisperer lady I was telling you about" I don't whisper to dogs; I eavesdrop on their conversations with each other.

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Punishment

Punishment is not an effective primary tool of learning. In the immortal words of Peter Gibbons in "Office Space" --
"When I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled, that, and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired."
Most of us want a relationship with our pets where the dog is actively interested in trying to please us, not just avoiding the hassle we eventually come to represent.

Punishments tend to damage the trust and eagerness most pet owners work hard to build. Pain activates circuits in the brain related to stress & frustration. No brains, dog or otherwise, can multi-task. Excessively painful punishment actually inhibits learning.

While aversive distractors can have a place in training, they can have tremendous side effects, and rapidly. For this reason, they are best left to professionals.

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