PUNISHMENT CAN BE EFFECTIVE in specific
cases, but it must be used carefully due to the
difficulties of performing it properly compared
to positive reinforcement and due to its
potential adverse effects. The following is a
description of the difficulties and adverse ef-
fects that one should be aware of when using
punishment (aversives).
1.
IT’S DIFFICULT TO TIME PUNISHMENT
CORRECTLY. In order for the animal to under-
stand what it is doing wrong, the punishment
must be timed to occur: while the behavior is
occurring, within 1 second, or at least before
the next behavior occurs.
2.
PUNISHMENT CAN STRENGTHEN THE
UNDESIRED BEHAVIOR. In order for punish-
ment to affect a lasting change, it should
occur every time the undesirable behavior
occurs. If the animal is not punished every
time, then the times it is not being punished,
it is actually receiving a reward. Addition-
ally these rewards are on a variable rate of
reinforcement (i.e. inconsistent punishment),
which may actually strengthen the undesir-
able behavior. Variable rate of reinforcement
is a powerful reinforcement schedule that
is used to maintain behaviors trained with
positive reinforcement The animals know the
reward will occur eventually, but since they
don’t know which time the reward will come,
they keep performing the behavior with the
expectation of an eventual reward. Thus the
animals become like gamblers playing the slot
machines.
3.
THE INTENSITY OF THE PUNISHMENT
MUST BE HIGH ENOUGH. For punishment
to be effective, it must be strong enough the
first time. If the intensity is not high enough,
the animal may get used to it (habituate), so
that the same intensity no longer works. Then,
the owner must escalate the intensity in order
for the punishment to be effective. No matter
when it is administered, punishment may
cause physical harm or fear when used at the
required intensity for learning to occur.
4.
PUNISHMENT MAY CAUSE PHYSICAL
HARM WHEN ADMINISTERED AT HIGH IN-
TENSITY
. Many punishments can cause physi-
cal harm to the animal. Choke chains can
damage the trachea, especially in the many
dogs with collapsing tracheas or hypoplastic
tracheas. They can also occasionally cause
Horner’s syndrome (damage to the nerve to
the eye). Some dogs, especially brachycephal-
ic breeds, have developed sudden life-threat-
ening pulmonary edema, possibly due to the
sudden upper airway obstruction leading
to a rapid swing in intrathoracic pressure.
And dogs prone to glaucoma may be more
susceptible to the disorder since pressure by
collars around the neck can increase intraocu-
lar pressure.
5.
REGARDLESS OF THE STRENGTH, PUN-
ISHMENT CAN CAUSE SOME INDIVIDUALS
TO BECOME EXTREMELY FEARFUL, AND THIS
FEAR CAN GENERALIZE TO OTHER CON-
TEXTS
. Some punishments may not cause
physical harm and may not seem severe,
but they can cause the animal to become
fearful, and this fear may generalize to other
contexts. For instance, some dogs on which
the citronella or electronic collar are used with
a preceding tone may react fearfully to alarm
clocks, smoke detectors, or egg timers.
6.
PUNISHMENT CAN FACILITATE OR EVEN
CAUSE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. Punishment
has been shown to increase the likelihood
of aggressive behavior in many species.
Animals in which the punishment does not im-
mediately suppress the behavior may escalate
in their efforts to avoid the punishment to the
point where they become aggressive. Those
who already show aggressive behavior may
exhibit more intense and injurious aggressive
behaviors.
7.
PUNISHMENT CAN SUPPRESS BEHAV-
IORS, INCLUDING THOSE BEHAVIORS THAT
WARN THAT A BITE MAY OCCUR
. When
used effectively, punishment can suppress the
behavior of fearful or aggressive animals, but
it may not change the association underly-
ing the behavior. Thus, it may not address
the underlying problem. For instance, if the
animal is aggressive due to fear
, then the use
of force to stop the fearful reactions will make
the dog more fearful while at the same time
suppressing or masking the outward signs of
fear. Once it can no longer suppress its fear,
the animal may suddenly act with heightened
aggression and with fewer warning signs of
impending aggression. In other words, it may
now attack with no warning.
8.
PUNISHMENT CAN LEAD TO A BAD AS-
SOCIATION. Regardless of the strength of the
punishment, punishment can cause animals
to develop a negative association with the
person implementing it or the environment in
which the punishment is used. For instance,
when punishment is used for training dogs
to come when called, the dogs may learn to
come at a trot or walk (or cower while ap-
proaching) rather than returning to the owners
at a fast run as if they enjoy returning to their
owners. Or when punishment is used during
obedience competition training or agility
training for competitions, dogs may perform
the exercises with lack of enthusiasm. This
negative association is particularly clear when
the dog immediately becomes energetic once
the exercise is over and it is allowed to play.
Pets are not the only ones who can develop
a negative association from this process.
Owners may develop a negative association,
too. When owners use punishment, they are
often angry, thus the expression of force is
reinforcing to them because it temporarily
decreases their anger. They may develop a
habit of frequently becoming angry with their
pet because it “misbehaves” in spite of their
punishment. This may damage the bond with
their pet.
9.
PUNISHMENT DOES NOT TEACH MORE
APPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS. One of the most
important problems with punishment is that it
does not address the fact that the undesirable
behavior occurs because it has been rein-
forced— either intentionally or unintentionally.
The owner may punish the bad behavior some
of the time, while inadvertently reinforcing the
bad behavior at other times. From the dog’s
view, the owner is inconsistent and unpredict-
ably forceful or coercive. These characteristics
can hinder the pet/human bond. A more
appropriate approach to problem solving is
to focus on reinforcing a more appropriate
behavior. Owners should determine what’s
reinforcing the undesirable behavior, remove
that reinforcement , and reinforce an alternate
appropriate behavior instead. This leads to a
better understanding of why animals behave
as they do and leads to a better relationship
with the animal.
Adverse Effects of Punishment
4
P O S ITI O N S T AT E M E N T