James Ha, PhD, CAAB
I have expressed my concern about confrontational behavior modification techniques in earlier blogs: the use of “positive punishment” or dominance and pack theory-based techniques, especially in the hands of untrained users, has been shown to be ineffective and to produce negative side effects. Hiby and colleagues demonstrated that positive reinforcement techniques produced a significantly better response to obedience tasks than did positive punishment techniques (see references below). Blackwell and colleagues showed that dogs trained using positive reinforcement methods were less likely to exhibit later behavior problems while dogs trained using punishment were more likely to exhibit later fear-related behaviors (see references below). These are just some examples: there is an expanding literature on the significantly greater effectiveness of positive reinforcement techniques as well as the lack of effectiveness of aversive or confrontational methods, methods which are related to incorrect ideas about the role of dominance and pack theory in dogs.But in addition to the lack of effectiveness of confrontational techniques, I have expressed concerns about increased risks to owners. This can be seen regularly on a popular dog training program on television, where aggressive responses by dogs being exposed to confrontational techniques are seen. And these responses are exhibited towards both the trainer and towards bystanders like owners and family members. These aggressive responses are a result of either inappropriate use of dominance challenges, like “alpha rolling” and “dominance downs” or the result of purely fear-based responses to punishment. I see these responses in my own cases frequently, in dogs which have experienced confrontational methods of behavior modification.
But it’s not just my observations: in the January (online) issue of Applied Animal Behaviour Science (vol. 117 (2009) pg 47–54), Meghan Herron, Frances Shofer, and Ilana Reisner publish the results of a study which examined the risk towards owners of owner-executed behavior modification techniques in the form of dog aggression responses. The retrospective survey technique determined the type of behavior modification attempted by owners of dogs brought to the University of Pennsylvania Behavior Service, as well as where the owner had learned the method, the effectiveness of the method in the owner’s eyes, and the rate of aggressive responses in the dog.
The study included 140 dogs, 90 purebred and 40 mixed breeds, and 41 breeds were represented with no breed representing more than 6% of the sample. Presenting complaints, which could be multiple, included aggression to familiar people (43%), aggression to unfamiliar people (48%), aggression to other dogs (40%), separation anxiety (20%), specific fears and anxieties (32%), and a small number of other issues.
The most commonly used confrontational techniques were leash correction (75%), prong or pinch collars (38%), and the use of muzzles (38%). Aggressive responses on the part of the dog was noted at rates ranging from 43% (for hit or kicking the dog) to 3% for kneeing the dog for jumping, and include rates like 11% for choke or prong collars, 38% for forced release of objects, 31% for alpha rolling, 29% for dominance downs, and 26% for grabbing jowls or scruff. Even indirect confrontational techniques elicited aggressive responses from dogs in 30% (stare down), 20% (spray bottle), and 41% (growl at dog) of cases. In contrast, postive reinforcement techniques elicited aggressive responses towards the owners in 0% (clicker training, Look at Me training, pheromones, and increased exercise) to a mere 6% (trade food for object training) of cases.
There is considerable scientific literature which argues against the idea that most behavior issues are a result of dominance issues or a lack of “alpha” status of owners, instead suggesting that most aggression issues result from fear (self-defense) and anxiety-related issues. It is equally clear from the scientific literature that confrontational methods like alpha-rolling, forced or dominance downs, and pinch collars increase the levels of a dog’s stress, anxiety, and fear; thus it is not surprising that the use of these techniques were reported to be associated with high levels of aggressive response. Interestingly, the most commonly reported source of these techniques was television, and while the research did not ask for specifics, it can be assumed that many of these techniques were learned from a popular television show hosted by Cesar Millan.
This study reinforces my own observations that dogs frequently respond aggressively to these confrontational techniques, from fear and anxiety, and that these techniques tend to make these conditions worse, continuing a spiral of deteriorating behavior, often resulting in either attacks on owners, redirected attacks on other humans, dogs, cats and other animals in their environment, or surrender of the unmanageable animal to an adoption facility. Add to these issues the well-illustrated fact that confrontational methods are not effective, and any reasonable, science-based dog owner should conclude that these techniques have no place in the world of our dogs. The science of ethology, modern animal behavior, is continuing to drive home this point in hard data.
Here are the references to which I refer in my blog:
Blackwell, E.J., Twells, C., Seawright, A., Casey, R.A., 2007. The relationship between training methods and the occurrence of behaviour problems in a population of domestic dogs. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Veterinary Behaviour Meeting. Fondazione Iniziative Zooprofilattiche e Zootecniche, Brescia, Italy, pp. 51–52.
Hiby, E.F., Rooney, N.J., Bradshaw, J.W.S., 2004. Dog training methods—their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Anim. Welfare 13, 63–69.
Just wanted to say that this is a great article. I used to use a pinch collar on my American Pit Bull Terrier because she was extremely reactive to other dogs. I then found out that she is anxious about them, not aggressive per se, and the prong was just making it worse. I switched over to a head halter and she’s made such amazing progress that just this weekend we worked on obedience right outside a busy dog park. I have hopes that within a few months she’ll be fine working on just a flat collar.
It’s amazing what a simple shift in training methods can do for your dog.
Wow, great ideas! Thanks for sharing! Have you read this news about “million-dollar” shelter makeover? https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-04-12-zootoo-shelter-clash_N.htm
Great post! when it comes to training pets I agree that understanding what motivates that is important.
My question is: I have a 7mo. old puppy who loves to pull apart her housetraining pads.She pees on them and then rips them apart and starts to eat the cotton and then it is all in her hair around her face and in her hair and all over the floor. She also plays with her poo. She does not eat it anymore Just plays with it. She is in our kitchen with many toys and water and food but finds this as a great game that Mom here has to clean up after her. She get punished, and put into her crate where she stay for about 15 min. But she still is playing with poo and ripping up the pads.DOES anyone know what to do to STOP her from doing this??????
Sherrie sh.schoentrup@yahoo.com
I’m sorry that your puppy has invented a game with her wee pads, yuck! First off, we don’t like indoor potty solutions, but if you have to use some type of indoor toilet for your dog, try one of the dog potties instead of wee pads. Those wee pads are just too much fun to tear up, especially for a young dog.
Secondly, we recommend that the crate only be used as a happy place, never for punishment. If you catch your dog engaging in this naughty game, say “too bad” and time them out in a bathroom (put up all your rugs, trash can, and shower curtain). Timeouts for a dog this age should be between 30 and 60 seconds. We recommend that you NEVER punish a dog for something after the fact. Believe me, they’ll never figure out why you’re punishing them. You have to catch them in the act.
Lastly, you could leave your dog with a food puzzle toy like a Tricky Treat Ball, stuffed Kong, Tug-A-Jug, or Bob-O-Lot. That will give your dog something to do besides get in trouble with his/her wee pads. Hope this helps!
Good articles.It’s what I need. THX!
That’s a very useful article!!!!
“AVOID conflicts and confrontations” – that was what I learned and practised and found perfectly right when I was forced to improve and look differently at the relations with my dog. It works!!!:)
I think this article misrepresents Cesar’s techniques. He does not use prong collars. He does not advocate kneeing or kicking a dog. He uses a gentle touch technique to refocus a dog’s energy on you as the owner, and a quick gentle jerk on a regular leash (often with no collar at all, just looped around thethe dog’s neck) similar to hoe “heel” is taught by many trainers. His pack mentality suggestions are for the owners to remain calm and assertive, not dominant. In extreme red dog situations, he may use dominance techniques but only HE uses them, and he specifically cautions owners not to do so on their own.
This article attributes techniques to him which are incorrect. It is misleading and unfair.
Hi
Whatever your views are on particular trainers I recommend only using behaviourists that are appropriately qualified. Would you let someone who is good at listening act as a psychiatrist if you desperately needed help? No?? Then why would you let someone who is a dog trainer tell you about dog behaviour when they have never studied the subject? Even with the best intentions the majority of advice given by dog trainers on behaviour is wrong. I know this because I’ve studied a Masters of Science in Animal Behaviour. Listen to people with degree level and post grad level qualifications in animal behaviour, we took the time and effort to find out the facts rather than making suggestions based only on pre-concieved ideas, emotional interpretations or personal bias. Not everything Cesar Milan does is bad but the majority of what I’ve seen is the opposite of what owners should be doing for both their and their dogs wellbeing. Thats not my opinion, that is a fact backed up by scientific research & agreed with by the animal behaviour research community. Also his explanations make absolutely no sense in terms of animal behaviour but are sometimes rather amusing!!
Hi,
I have a 3 month old puppy that has been going outside for just a couple of weeks. I’d really like to be able to walk with him calmly so we can get to a park where we can play off-leash, but he keeps biting the leash and when I tell him not to, he bites me! He’s torn several of my trousers and shirts and even breaks skin sometimes. It’s almost impossible to control him when he gets in these moods. Even when he is off leash he will attack me sometimes. I hate dominance based punishments, but I’ve found that the only way I can sort of get him out of this mood is to pin him to the ground, hold his mouth shut and wait until he calms.
I’m getting really desperate because he’s a rhodesian ridgeback and I won’t be able to hold him down in a month or two. I really need for him to stop attacking me, but I don’t know how!
Hello James! I agree with you that Cesar Millan is not a highly qualified behavourist. But, on the other side, the ERP treatment used by him seems perfect. The question that I have for you is : do you find that in general the ERP therapy could be usefull, for animals and humans, or it’s never a good choise?
Thanks a lot for this site!
John,
If you are referring to the human psychology technique Exposure with Ritual Prevention, I can’t comment on its effectiveness in humans. I also don’t see that CM uses it, at least as it is defined in human work.
We don’t use that concept or phrase in animal behavior or training but in researching it, it looks like basic flooding and desensitization, and we know that this is not a good choice in animals. It can be effective with some animals for some issues, but in general, it suffers from the exact same issue that I describe above, the creation of anxiety issues in the subject. This can be better managed in humans than in animals.
Thanks for the comment! Jim Ha, PhD, CAAB