From a behavioral point of view, a punishment is any action capable of causing a reduction in the frequency, duration or intensity of a specific behavior. In this sense, the most traditional canine education is based on systematically punishing all those behaviors that are considered inappropriate or undesirable with the aim that the dog learns to completely inhibit them. Although this methodology may seem effective in the short term, we must know that it entails a large number of negative consequences for the animal, both physically and psychologically, which affect its well-being and reduce its quality of life.
Types of punishment in dogs
In the field of canine education, both reinforcements and punishments are divided into two large groups: positive and negative. This terminology can generate some confusion, since we are used to associating the word "positive" with something good and "negative" with something bad, but in this case that is not its meaning.
The differences between one type of punishment and the other are as follows:
- Positive punishment: the term "positive" refers to the fact that, immediately after the dog performs a behavior that is undesirable to us (e.g. barking), is added to their environment by an unpleasant stimulus with the aim of reduce the frequency, duration, or intensity of such conduct. Examples of this would be physical blows, sharp pulls on the leash, shouts and threats or the activation of an electrical impulse collar.
- Negative Punishment: The word "Negative" means that at the time the dog engages in behavior that we consider undesirable (e.g. barking), withdraws from its environment a pleasant stimulus with the goal of reducing the frequency, duration, or intensity of such conduct. For example, take away food, take away a toy, stop paying attention, or end a walk in the park.
What consequences can punishing a dog have?
All dogs have, from time to time, behaviors that make us uncomfortable or we don't like and that we want them to stop doing, such as pulling on the leash during the walk or barking desperately every time it rings the doorbell.
It is normal to want our furry to inhibit a behavior on certain occasions and, in fact, the extinction of behaviors is part of many behavior modification programs. The most important thing in this case is knowing how to correctly identify the reason why our dog behaves the way it does and work gradually and empathetically to reduce the behavior in question, always respecting physical, emotional and social integrity. of the animal, without causing harm or negatively affecting its level of well-being.
To do this, it is essential to know what the consequences of the use and abuse of punishment in the field of canine education can become.
Appearance and aggravation of insecurities, fears and phobias
On many occasions, what we consider bad behavior is nothing more than a natural reaction of our dog to something that makes him feel insecure or scares him and that he does not know how to manage in another way. If, as a tutor, you punish such a reaction, it can worsen their fear (or show up if they didn't have it before) and end up developing a major phobia that will seriously affect your emotional he alth. This can happen, for example, if you scold your dog every time he barks at dogs he passes on the street or if you use a bark collar. If your dog already feels excited or insecure in the presence of other dogs, adding a punishment to this context can cause the stimulus in question to be seen as something increasingly negative and/or threatening, increasing his anxiety. In this other article we explain what to do if your dog barks at other dogs.
Increased frustration and feeling of confusion
When a dog comes home it is important that all family members agree when it comes to establish consistent rules of coexistenceand that they are consistent with them. Well, if this does not happen, the animal can end up confused and develop stress problems. This can happen when, for example, the dog's guardian yells at him on some days and threatens him for getting on the sofa while on other days he reinforces him for it.
In the same way, systematically punishing behaviors that are completely natural to a dog (such as digging, eating street food, chasing cats, or rolling around in the mud) without even offering him any alternative action, it can be extremely frustrating for the animal, which will not understand the reason for which it is being scolded and, therefore, will not learn anything from this situation other than to avoid being seen when it performs certain behaviors.
Development of stress and anxiety problems
One of the biggest mistakes people make when punishing a dog is doing it from an anthropomorphic point of view, that is, considering that the dog is understanding the reason for the scolding as if it were another human. Dogs do not speak our language, so many times they do not know why we are so angry with them and that is something that generates a lot of stress and frustration. Systematically punishing behaviors that are completely natural to them (such as digging holes, eating street food, chasing cats, or rolling in the mud) without even offering them an alternative course of action or scolding them for something they did a while ago (such as when we got home after work and we find a mess), are examples of situations that they will not understand and from which they will learn nothing Therefore, if you wonder if it is useful to punish a dog, the answer is no.
Appearance or increase in threatening or aggressive behavior
Learning to recognize and interpret canine language is one of the most important aspects when it comes to having a dog, because ignoring the The way these animals communicate can lead us to experience undesirable situations. In general, when a dog feels uncomfortable in a context or with the behavior of a specific individual, such as his guardian, he will let you know through his body language and facial expressions. At first, he will emit calming signals such as looking away, yawning or licking his lips to ask you to move away and, if these movements are ignored, he will increase his intensity, going on to display threat signals, such as growling or snouting.
This, which is part of the normal language of dogs, is misunderstood by many guardians, who scold their dogs if they growl or show their teeth at them. By punishing these signals, the animal feels that they are not useful, so it may choose to go directly to aggression as a form of expression, which can be dangerous.
Deterioration of the bond between the dog and the guardian
One of the most obvious consequences of systematic and abusive punishment is the destruction of the bond between the dog and its guardian. A dog that doesn't feel understood and is frequently punished will not trust his guardian and will show a cautious attitude towards him. The fear of being punished is the reason why many dogs avoid, for example, returning to their guardians when they are called or carrying out certain behaviors without knowing that they are being observed. In addition, the anxiety that living in an environment of uncertainty entails for them in many cases can cause the appearance of problems such as stereotypes or learned helplessness.
Learned helplessness and apathetic behavior
Learned helplessness is a state of pessimism, similar to depression, which an animal can develop when it feels that there is nothing it can do to improve the situation it is in, so it "gives up" and stops responding to stimuli. Dogs can suffer from learned helplessness when they are frequently subjected to inconsistent, incoherent, painful or incomprehensible punishment. Assuming that they will be punished for their behavior, they stop doing it and become apathetic. At this point, the guardians consider that their training has been effective and that they have managed to educate their dogs successfully, when what they have really done has been causing them so much fear that they do not dare to react, and this is something that seriously harms their behavior. he alth and wellness.
Physical injuries caused by punishment tools
When the punishments are physical and are carried out through harmful tools, they can cause, as is evident, injuries to the animal that in many cases end up requiring urgent veterinary attention. This is the case of electric shock collars, which can cause severe burns, or choke or spike collars, which can cause tracheal collapse and suffocation.
Is it good to punish a dog?
After reviewing the consequences of punishment in dogs as we know it, we can deduce that it is no use punishing our dog, since this action will only develop in him fear, frustration and distrust For this reason, many dog guardians make statements such as "I hit my dog and now he is afraid of me". In these cases, it is important to realize the mistake, not to make it again, regain the dog's trust and, above all, learn to use tools and techniques that respect the animal.
Can you train a dog without using punishment?
Fortunately, today there are both tutors and canine education professionals who completely reject the use of tools or techniques that can cause emotional or physical damage to the animal and opt for a training methodology y education based on scientific evidence and respect for animals
Some approaches, such as cognitive-emotional training, focus on studying, understanding and enhancing physical, cognitive, social and emotions of dogs in order to help them better manage their environment. Behavior modification, in this case, is carried out through highly planned exercises, based on empathy, which are adapted to the needs of each dog in particular and which seek to address the cause of the problem and not its behavioral manifestations. giving the animal autonomy and decision-making capacity. In other words, from this perspective, for example, the aim is not to "eliminate barking", but to find the cause of the barking and work on it.
This and other up-to-date and dog-friendly methodologies do not have to completely eliminate the use of, for example, certain negative punishments, but use them in a way that is understandable to the animal, that they do not cause any type of physical or emotional damage and are always accompanied by action alternatives that are intensely reinforced. In this other article we explain how to correct a dog without disturbing its well-being.
