Fit to Train? - two-career families are increasing the need for dog trainers, but owners should be careful when it comes to the selection of a trainer

Animals, Jan, 2000 by Kathy Savesky

The issue, according to Donaldson and other behaviorists, is timing. The reinforcement (positive or negative) must be associated immediately with the behavior. When we attribute a dog's behavior to human motivations such as revenge, guilt, or a moral code (understanding right from wrong), we often reinforce the wrong behaviors by providing rewards--or corrections--that are disconnected in time from the events or behaviors we are trying to reinforce. Donaldson suggests that the "greatest gains for the welfare of dogs are now to be found in abandoning the Lassie myth and replacing it with information from two sources: dog behavior and the science of animal learning."

King, also a strong proponent of behavioral learning theory and positive reinforcement, believes that occasional negative reinforcement of undesirable behaviors has its place. "My personal philosophy is to use pleasant and enjoyable techniques to train but to have unpleasant consequences available as a last resort, if a behavior warrants them." She cautions, however, that negative reinforcement does not have to be--and in fact shouldn't be--painful or abusive.

Pryor defines negative reinforcement as "any unpleasant event or stimulus, no matter how mild, that can be halted or avoided by changing one's behavior." The key difference between effective negative reinforcement and punishment (which is not effective) is that the former "occurs during the performance of the behavior, not afterward, and can be 'turned off' by the subject's behavioral change." Shouting a firm no at a dog that is about to run out of the yard can prompt it to stop and turn around (negative reinforcement). Shouting at a dog when you return home to find the couch cushions chewed to pieces is punishment. It is not--in the dog's mind--associated with the act of chewing the couch, and since he has already stopped chewing, he can't do anything to end your tirade.

Increased understanding of animal behavior, the influence of people such as Pryor, Dunbar, and Donaldson, and growing professionalism within the field may be responsible for fewer reports of cruelty in dog-training classes, at least in some parts of the country. "When I first became involved [in animal protection work], we received lots of complaints about dog trainers," reports Captain Cindy Machado, director of animal services for the Marin Humane Society. "Over the past five to eight years, we've received almost none." Machado speculates that some of the improvement may be due to a more sensitive and informed public that simply won't patronize trainers whose methods they feel are cruel or inappropriate.

Walter Kilroy, director of law enforcement for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, reports a similar downturn in training-related complaints in that state. He agrees with Machado that people have become more sensitive to many issues, but also cautions that "there still may be a tendency on the part of dog owners to assume that the trainers are the experts. They may be hesitant to complain unless they witness something really extreme."