{"id":206,"date":"2014-10-21T09:14:17","date_gmt":"2014-10-21T13:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dogscouts.org\/base\/?page_id=206"},"modified":"2022-10-22T12:19:52","modified_gmt":"2022-10-22T17:19:52","slug":"dsa-position-on-punishment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dogscouts.org\/base\/home\/dsa-position-on-punishment\/","title":{"rendered":"DSA Position on Punishment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dog Scouts of America\u2019s position is that force, fear and harsh physical corrections should not<\/span> be used for dog training.<\/h4>\n

This includes but is\u00a0not limited to:<\/strong>\u00a0rough or inhumane use of any training aid such as choke chains, electronic collars, leash \u201cpops\u201d, alpha rolls, and other forms of training that cause fear or pain in the dog.\u00a0\u00a0It is strongly discouraged<\/em> for use by our members when they are in public.\u00a0 It is not used\u00a0<\/em>by DSA staff (including\u00a0Camp\u00a0Staff, Troop Leaders, Scoutmasters or Evaluators) when teaching others.<\/p>\n

To state it plainly: \u00a0Punishment-based training is\u00a0not\u00a0supported by DSA.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Why\u2026<\/h4>\n
Timing with Punishment<\/h5>\n

Timing with punishment must be perfect to bring about the desired change in behavior.\u00a0\u00a0Many people are not skilled enough in their timing to impact the behavior they are trying to change.\u00a0\u00a0This results in a dog who is confused and stressed. In order for\u00a0punishment-based training\u00a0to be effective, it HAS to occur every time the unwanted behavior is performed.\u00a0\u00a0If the dog is only getting punished sometimes, then the times when punishment is not delivered could be seen as rewarding.\u00a0\u00a0This is the \u201cslot machine\u201d principle in which occasional rewards makes a behavior stronger and more addicting, in this case, the unwanted behavior.<\/p>\n

Strength of Punishment<\/h5>\n

To be effective, the punishment used must be strong enough the first time it is used to halt the behavior from repeating.\u00a0If the punishment needs to be used repeatedly because the behavior keeps coming back, the dog may get used to it.\u00a0\u00a0Then that level of punishment must become more severe to have the same effect.\u00a0\u00a0Regardless of the level used,\u00a0punishment-based training\u00a0can cause physical harm and\/or fear when the intensity is high enough to stop the behavior.<\/p>\n

Training Aids<\/h5>\n

Collars that tighten significantly and\/or suddenly around the dog\u2019s neck can cause physical and lasting damage to the dog.\u00a0\u00a0This includes, but is not limited to collapse of the dog\u2019s windpipe, Horner\u2019s syndrome (damage of the nerve to the eye,) sudden and life threatening pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs.)\u00a0\u00a0Pressures by a collar on the neck have been proven to increase the pressure in the dog\u2019s eyes.\u00a0\u00a0This can increase the risk of broken blood vessels within the eyes and glaucoma.<\/p>\n

Development of Fear Reactions<\/h5>\n

Regardless of the level of punishment used, it can cause some dogs to be very fearful.\u00a0\u00a0This fear can then be triggered by other situations or objects.\u00a0\u00a0The dog can develop a higher level of general anxiety than he would have if\u00a0punishment-based training\u00a0methods were not being used.\u00a0\u00a0The dog may associate the punishment with unrelated things.\u00a0\u00a0For example, if the dog\u2019s leash is popped whenever another dog appears, the dog may associate the appearance of other dogs to pain in his neck.\u00a0\u00a0This can lead to fear of other dogs or aggression toward them.<\/p>\n

Increases in Aggression<\/h5>\n

The use of\u00a0punishment-based training\u00a0has been shown to increase levels of aggression in many species including dogs.\u00a0\u00a0The aggression can be based in fear, anxiety or frustration.\u00a0\u00a0If the dog does not understand what is causing the punishment it can lead to all of these feelings.\u00a0\u00a0If the dog gets fed up with being punished, he may try aggression to get it to stop or to avoid it.\u00a0\u00a0If a dog has a history of aggression, punishment can make that aggression escalate and become more severe or damaging.<\/p>\n

Suppression of Natural Communication<\/h5>\n

Another possibility is that it may stop the dog from\u00a0showing\u00a0that he feels stressed while increasing the levels of stress.\u00a0\u00a0If the dog learns that growling gets punished, he may stop growling.\u00a0\u00a0This does not change why the growl was occurring.\u00a0\u00a0It simply means that the dog will reach his breaking point and bite without giving a warning.\u00a0Forbidding the dog from letting you know he\u2019s uncomfortable or nervous or angry instead of trying to address why the dog feels the need to growl or bark can cause additional anxiety making the situation worse for the dog and a greater liability for the owner.<\/p>\n

Damaged Trust Relationship with Handler\/Family<\/h5>\n

The use of punishment based training can damage the relationship and trust the dog has with the human.\u00a0\u00a0The dog might not know what to expect from a person who uses fear and pain to get the dog to comply.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The dog should love being with and working with the owner.\u00a0\u00a0If the dog is more excited, happier or visibly relaxes once the training session has ended, then perhaps something is punishing about the methods being used.<\/p>\n

THE MOST CRITICAL REASON <\/strong><\/span><\/span>that\u00a0punishment-based training\u00a0is not supported by DSA is because\u00a0it is used on the symptoms and the underlying causes are often not addressed.\u00a0\u00a0Punishment only tells the dog what it\u00a0CAN\u2019T\u00a0do. \u00a0It does not focus on helping the dog understand what it\u00a0CAN\u00a0do instead.<\/p>\n

DSA recommends that training should focus on:<\/h5>\n

When an unwanted behavior occurs more than once, it means that the behavior is getting rewarded in some way.\u00a0By looking at why the dog is doing something, and focusing on how to redirect or prevent the behavior while at the same time, replacing it with something acceptable (that can be rewarded) training is more effective.\u00a0\u00a0It tells the dog what he CAN do to get what he wants. Behavior that is rewarded, will be repeated.\u00a0\u00a0The reward can be anything the dog wants.<\/p>\n