The following is based on and extracted from a position statement by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB.)
Every pet owner wants to have a happy, well-behaved pet that they can love. Spending time training your pet correctly is necessary to accomplish this. Some forms of training are through forms of punishment to stop unwanted behaviors. Punishment is anything that should decrease the likelihood a behavior will occur again. There are several difficulties with punishment training of pets. At Birdneck Animal Hospital, of Virginia Beach, we recommend positive reinforcement training as much as possible.
Punishment training must be timed correctly and be consistent. For the pet to understand what it is doing wrong, the punishment must occur while the behavior is occurring or within one second of the behavior. The punishment needs to happen every time the undesired behavior occurs. Inconsistent discipline will actually reinforce the behavior. The times the unwanted behavior occurs without the negative reinforcement is positive reinforcement for the behavior. The pet begins to look forward to the times it can do the behavior without being punished.
The punishment must be strong enough to stop the behavior every time without causing physical injury or fear. Many types of negative reinforcement, such as choke chains and shock collars, can cause bodily harm. Damage to the trachea, nerves of the neck and face, and burns of the skin can occur. Some pets become extremely fearful secondary to punishment training. Other unwanted behaviors, including aggression, may occur because of this. Other behaviors, such as nervous reactions that can be a warning sign of potential aggression, may be suppressed; thereby creating a pet that may bite without warning.
Punishment can lead to bad associations between the pet, its owner, and its environment. Why should a pet be excited to come running to a person or perform a specific behavior that is associated with punishment? Owners may also develop a negative association toward their pet. If a person is often angry at their pet and needing to yell or otherwise use punishment training, the person may be less likely to enjoy the presence of the pet.
Lastly, punishment does not teach more appropriate behaviors. Undesirable behavior occurs due to some positive reinforcement, either unknowingly by the owner or by some other type of reward. It is essential for the owner to figure out what the positive reinforcement is, remove it, and reinforce more appropriate behavior. A behavioral consultation with Dr. Johnson, at Birdneck Animal Hospital, can often get an owner on the correct path to appropriate training. Getting with a professional trainer that has experience with positive reinforcement training can also be very helpful.