Punishment doesn’t have to be a dirty word in dog training

In my early days of dog training, I felt a lot of horrible connotations with the word “punishment”. It’s easy to think in the general everyday language sense instead of the operant conditioning definition (where it’s merely the addition or removal of a stimulus to decrease a behavior).

I wanted to avoid the term at all costs.

I’d substitute “correction” or use other euphemisms, afraid of anyone misconstruing what I said about how I treat Scout.

But two things have changed my mind about using the word:

1. I’ve learned more about punishment and negative reinforcement. This knowledge has given me greater confidence to have nuanced conversations (and to understand that interchanging “correction” and “punishment” isn’t always accurate, if we want to be nerdy).

2. I’ve realized that an unwillingness to talk openly about punishment holds the training community back. The taboo only increases confusion and fear mongering—from both sides! This convoluted conversation makes things harder for new dog owners…