Dogs: Punishment

Punishment is defined as the application of a stimulus that decreases the chances that a behaviour will be repeated. In practical terms when dealing with dogs, we aim to associate an unpleasant consequence with an undesirable behaviour to reduce the occurrence of the behaviour. Punishment is associated with welfare concerns if it is not properly applied and in most situations techniques other than punishment are indicated and have a more satisfactory result. It is also important to remember that punishment itself does not tell the dog what behaviour is wanted, only what is not wanted and even then can be confusing for the dog as to which actual behaviour is unwanted. Punishment should never be considered unless the pet is capable of and able to achieve the correct behaviour. For example, the chewing dog should be provided with appropriate exercise and appealing toys to chew on, before any attempts to punish undesirable chewing are initiated.

If we can train our pets to do what they are supposed to and provide outlets for their needs, then it will seldom be necessary to punish inappropriate behaviour. 

If punishment is to be used effectively, the following rules must be followed:

• It must be timed to coincide with the onset of the undesirable behaviour,
• It must be unpleasant enough to deter the dog from repeating the behaviour, but not so severe that it causes fear or anxiety. 
• It must be applied every time the unwanted behaviour occurs
• The correct behaviour must be taught to the dog before you implement punishment and the dog must be directed to this behaviour after the punishment has been applied.
• If the pet continues the problem behaviour after one or two applications then it is ineffective and should be discontinued.

It is also important to remember that you are punishing the behaviour not the dog. 

Many people are concerned about punishment and believe that it is cruel. Animals are naturally geared to learn by punishment in the same way that they are adapted to learn by reward; punishment per se is not cruel but its misuse can be. 

What is 'direct interactive punishment' and how does it work?

If you catch your puppy engaging in an incorrect behaviour, try using a loud noise such as clapping your hands, or a loud "uh-uh" to distract the puppy. Often puppies will be startled when they hear these noises and temporarily stop the behaviour and it is essential that this moment is used to quickly redirect the puppy to a more appropriate task which can be actively rewarded. The interruption should be as independent of you, as the owner, as possible. Direct association between the negative event and the owner runs the risk of damaging the relationship between you and inducing problems of emotional conflict whereby your dog has a mixture of positive and negative expectations when she is in your presence. This can lead to serious behaviour problems later on.

Physical (and some other forms of) direct interactive punishment from the owner is likely to lead to fear of this person and when the punishment involves grabbing hold of the dog or her collar there is a risk of teaching dogs to fear of human hands. Punishing the dog without an association with the owner is therefore a better way of teaching the pet to avoid the behaviour altogether and it leaves the owner free to deliver the reward for the alternative response. For this reason the use of remote punishment products may be more appropriate and more effective. They are less likely to be associated with the owner and may be more specific and immediate than owner intervention whether verbal or physical. 

"Remote punishment" is administered by an owner whilst remaining out of sight and takes a great deal of preparation, time and forethought in order to manage effectively. Booby traps (sometimes known as "environmental punishment") can be used so that the dog is punished even in the owner’s absence but this is not recommended since it is then difficult to immediately reward the alternative response

How does remote punishment work?

For remote techniques to be successful there are two key elements. The first is that the owner must monitor the dog while not appearing to attend to the dog and preferably whilst remaining out of sight as the owner must know when the problem begins. A video camera may help at this point. The second element is that the punishment must be delivered as soon as the inappropriate behaviour starts (whilst the owner remains unassociated with the punishment).

As soon as the dog enters the area or begins to perform the undesirable behaviour, a noise device or some remote control device can be used to interupt the response. For example a punishment device (such as an alarm) can be rigged up to a remote control plug in the problem area and as the dog enters the area or begins the inappropriate behaviour, the device is activated by remote control. The dog could also be monitored and "corrected" from a distance by leaving a long, remote lead attached, and pulling as soon as inappropriate behaviour begins and using the line to redirect the dog to a suitable alternative location so she can be rewarded.

Most remote devices actually serve to interrupt or disrupt the inappropriate behaviour, so that the dog can be directed to perform an appropriate behaviour and it is the rewarding of the alternative response that is crucially important. Without it the dog will not be able to learn what is expected of her!

"Most remote devices actually serve to interrupt or disrupt the inappropriate behaviour, so that the dog can be directed to perform an appropriate behaviour and it is the rewarding of the alternative response that is crucially important."

Taste deterrents might be helpful for destructive chewing, provided they are unpleasant enough to deter the behaviour. Products such as bitter apple, bitter lime or Tabasco sauce are often recommended, but many dogs do not mind the taste, or learn to enjoy it. A little water mixed with cayenne pepper, oil of eucalyptus, or one of the commercial anti-chew sprays have also been used but again their effectiveness depends on the dog. To be effective, the first exposure to a product must be as repulsive as is humanely possible, so that the dog is immediately repelled whenever it smells or tastes that product again. It is also important to redirect the dog to something that she can chew and to reward her for doing so. Never leave any objects or areas untreated until the dog learns to leave the object or area alone and always give the dog lots of alternative objects available that she can use to chew on.

What should I do if I find the problem after it has already occurred?

If you find something that your puppy or dog has done (destruction, elimination), but you did not catch her in the act, just clear it up. Do not get your puppy, bring her over to the mess and yell at or physically discipline him. Remember that you need to punish the behaviour, not the dog. If you did not see your puppy chew up the object, all you are doing is disciplining your puppy for being present in an area where there is a mess on the floor. Since that makes no sense to your puppy, your reprimands could create fear and anxiety, which could lead to aggression, owner avoidance or other behaviour problems.

If I must not punish my dog after the problem has occurred, what can be done?

It is important to avoid undesirable behaviour by carefully supervising your dog when you are around and preventing access to potential problems when you are not available to supervise by managing the environment. For example by crate training your pet you can help prevent many misbehaviours by not allowing your puppy the opportunity to get into mischief. When confining a pet to avoid problems it is important to remember that the confinement area is not a punishment area but a protective enclosure in which the animal is safe, such as a child’s play pen. Another option, when you are at home, is to keep a remote lead attached (preferably to a head collar) to prevent wandering off and getting into mischief. If a problem begins to emerge while the puppy is on a lead, a quick pull on the lead will immediately interrupt the behaviour, and if a head collar is being used, will immediately turn the head and mouth away from the problem area. This will give you the chance to reward your puppy for an alternative behaviour. Never attach a lead to a dog and leave the dog unsupervised.

Remember that problems such as chewing and other forms of destructiveness are part of a puppy’s normal curiosity and development. Always provide suitable play objects designed to entertain your puppy so that she will not want to destroy your possessions.

Remember:

Punishment should never be used on its own to train a pet. The pet can be taught what we want using lure-reward methods or shaping or prompting and rewards. It is illogical to wait until the pet misbehaves and then administer something unpleasant as there are many more ways to get something wrong than there are to get it right. Encouraging the right behaviour is a more efficient way to train. If punishment is effective it can at best stop the behaviour from recurring in that location. However the dog is likely to continue to perform the undesirable behaviour (chewing, elimination) in virtually every other location. Ultimately with continued punishment the pet will inhibit the behaviour in the owner’s presence (and continue the behaviour in the owner’s absence).

In some instances punishment may serve as an inadvertent reward for a behaviour in the form of attention. Similarly when the pet is punished then immediately rewarded, without being directed into a suitable behaviour first, (as used in some training techniques), the punishment can actually become a reward, through being consistently associated with the arrival of something positive. Inconsistently applied punishment can lead to anxiety and thus can itself be the cause of additional behaviour problems.