Dogs are rapidly becoming part of human households and need to learn how to behave in a manner acceptable to humans. Dog behaviour problems are the most common reason for relinquishment to shelters and euthanasia of healthy animals [1]. Training is a critical component of treatment for behavioral issues, but many owners are misguided as to what type of training should be used with their pet. Some trainers believe that only positive reinforcement is the way to train, but this is not true. Punishment, especially when done correctly through counterconditioning and desensitization, can be an effective training tool for dogs.
Positive reinforcement is the use of treats and play to increase the frequency of a behavior. For example, a dog that is taught to sit when it is told to by its owner will learn to do so because doing so gets it a reward (play or a treat). This type of training works well with dogs who are not aggressive or fearful.
A more difficult task is to teach a dog what not to do, and this requires discipline and an understanding of how dogs learn. This is where punishment comes in, but the use of physical punishment should always be a last resort as it can lead to fear and aggression. Proper punishment, when used in conjunction with counterconditioning and desensitization, reduces the likelihood of future inappropriate behaviors. For example, if your dog is prone to jumping up on guests when they come into the house, you can stop this by withholding rewards (play and attention) from them whenever they jump up. By doing this, the dog will learn that jumping up does not get them a reward and will eventually stop.
Discipline also involves adding things that make a desirable behavior more attractive than the unwanted behavior, and this is called differential reinforcement. For instance, if your dog barks at everything it sees and you try to quiet it by repeatedly telling it to be quiet, it will learn that barking gets it attention, which is why it continues. However, if the dog is rewarded every time it stops barking (by playing with it or giving it attention) it will begin to choose to ignore the bad behavior and may even forget that it ever existed. This is a process known as spontaneous recovery. Get professional help at Bulldogology.
A good trainer should have a variety of tools in his or her training arsenal, and understand how to apply them appropriately to each situation. If you are searching for a professional, be sure to thoroughly interview them and ask for a list of previous clients and/or veterinarian references. Also, remember that not all dog behaviour professionals are created equal; find out what peer-reviewed research says about training methods before making a decision. Choosing a qualified, experienced behaviorist or trainer can save you both money and heartache down the road. Then, you and your pet will have a happier and safer life together.