Lots of people don't understand the distinction between the words "punishment", and "consequence". For those with a psychology background, the word "consequence" can have either good or bad connotations... but, for the average owner, the word "consequence" is generally a synonym for "correction". I'm hoping that this article will make the distinction a little more clear. Here's what *I* mean, when I use the terms "correction", "punishment", and "consequence":

"Punishment" means that Bad Things START happening (jerking the choke collar, spritzing in the face with anything from plain water to lemon juice to ammonia water, using mouse-traps to frighten the dog, etc.). Using punishment and correction in teaching can be very confusing for your dog. It can erode trust, cause aggression, destroy confidence, and basically ruin an otherwise wonderful relationship. Punishment and correction come in many forms... using cans of pennies to frighten the dog into stopping a behavior; using a stinging or burning spray of some sort to hurt the dog while in the act of committing a "crime"; jerking on a leash; pushing a button to shock a dog... there are as many forms as there are dogs. People are very imaginative, when it comes to issues of "control".

"Consequence" means that Good Things STOP happening. Consequences are directly related to the behavior, so they're readily understood by your dog. For example: you're playing fetch with your dog, and for the third time in a row, he refuses to let go of the ball. A punishment would be to smack him across the muzzle to make him let go; a consequence would be to walk away -- thereby STOPPING the game. Wait for 3 minutes, ignoring him, then go back: after the 3rd or 4th time, he understands that his NOT dropping the ball is what's causing the fun to stop... and, you haven't done ANYTHING to make him not like the game!

A system of consequences can be used for any infraction of any rule, and in any situation. It's quite easy to teach a dog that inappropriate behavior causes the fun to stop... and, used properly, all you'll be doing is making the dog work even harder to behave appropriately -- because he doesn't *want* the fun stuff to stop!

Note: you've all heard me make reference to using a system of "time-outs" with my dogs... a "time-out" is a *consequence*. My dogs understand that their behavior can cause the Fun Stuff to *end*. There are RULES to using this method, though, to get the most benefit from it:

1) You MUST use a phrase that the dog will understand as meaning "You just messed up, pal!" -- I use "time-out!!" If you're away from your dog, you have to use a phrase that can only mean one thing, so that you can say it, and he'll know immediately that he's messed up. Otherwise, if it takes 10 seconds for you to get to him, he may have moved on to something else -- he'll think he's getting the consequence for another behavior!

2) The time-out MUST be short in duration -- 3 to 5 minutes, maximum. If your dog is in time-out for longer than this, it defeats the purpose -- he won't remember why he was put there. 

3) It's best to set up a *system* of consequences, for dogs who are "frequent flyers". For example, if your dog regularly does something that causes you to put him in "time-out", setting up a "3-strikes-you're-out" system will *dramatically* decrease the repetitions. This system is *especially* useful in instances where the dog isn't using proper etiquette with other dogs -- for example, the first 2 times, he'd get a 3-minute time-out, and the third time, the fun ENDS for the day (use the phrase "time-out" for the first 2, and another phrase like "that's IT!!!" for the last)

4) Never -- never -- EVER call your dog to you, and then put him in time-out. Ever. ALWAYS go get him. If you call him to you, then give him a consequence, you've just decreased the chances that he'll come to you the next time -- you've just *ruined* his recall.

Alot of people use force, in varying degrees, with dogs. My problem with

using force is that eventually the dog is going to get tired of it (and, I would, too!) -- and with a dog this size, you're not left with many options when this happens. Every time you hit a dog -- no matter how "gently" -- you're *challenging* that dog. And there's no chance in hell that you'll win, against a dog this big. If he decides to call you on your challenge, there will be a big mess, and the dog will lose.

I believe that dogs require leadership. But, I provide that leadership through teaching the dog to cooperate, rather than teaching the dog that (s)he HAS to submit.  

It's common to hear punishing methods referred to as "positive reinforcement methods", simply because you're taught to say "good boy!" after issuing the correction, when the behavior stops. This is a simple rationalization: "if you jerk the lead, then give praise, it's 'positive'". Calling these techniques "positive reinforcement methods" is just a way to assuage the guilt that owners would feel, if they stop to think about what they're doing: "Well, it can't be bad if it's called positive, right?" Wrong!! It doesn't matter how many times you say "Good Dog!!" -- if you're shocking him, squirting him with something caustic; scaring him; or otherwise causing him physical or emotional distress, it's NOT positive reinforcement. Nothing could be further from the truth. For example, it's relatively common for trainers to recommend spritzing a dog in the face with ammonia water for showing a fear-based aggressive response to other dogs (then, of course, you praise the dog while he's frantically trying to stop the burning). This is my response to that particular tactic:

Pick one thing you're terrified of (come on -- everyone is afraid of *something*!!) I'm afraid of bees. Let's put a collar around my neck, with you on the other end of the leash. Then, turn some bees loose near me (of course, you'll need to plop a jelly donut in my lap, to draw the bees to me -- those other dogs are naturally *drawn* to your dog, right?) Now, spray ammonia water in my face for a fearful reaction, and see how long it takes for me to *bite* you.

Lots of people simply look at a dog's noncompliance as "dominance". That's why correction training has taken such a foothold in this country... it's because we try to foist upon our dogs how *we* would feel, in a situation where we were being commanded to do something... and humans MUST dominate all other species. In fact, if we would simply back up a couple of steps and *really* look at what’s going on, we'd understand that the dog would comply with our wishes if they only understood them, and received a paycheck... if they were simply taught to co-operate. (Understand, please, that co-operation is a two-way street... your dog MUST get something in return for his efforts!)

Think about those last few sentences, for a minute: it's important. Chances are, you go to work every day. You receive a paycheck for that work. Would you do the same work for a pat on the head, or for nothing? Of COURSE you wouldn't!! But, that's basically what happens with our dogs... we correct harshly when they do something "wrong" -- but only give a pat on the head – or nothing at all, when they do something right -- no matter how right it is!! That's not fair, is it? I know I wouldn't be very willing to co-operate with a boss like that.

This is a fairly common complaint among many large and giant breed dog-owners... that the dog doesn't "comply". This is the reason that many breeds have such a reputation for being either 1) stupid; 2) dominant; or 3) independent. Saints have this reputation… and none of these words accurately describe the breed, by the furthest stretch of the imagination.

To understand what's going on when your dog doesn't comply with your wishes, look at what he's been taught; how he's been taught that particular behavior; and what's going on around him. Understand these things:

1) Dogs don't generalize behaviors, the way that people generalize behaviors. What this means is that when a child learns the word "sit", they understand that the word means "bend at the hips and plant your butt on a surface". Dogs learn differently -- they actually incorporate their *environment* into their learning. So, if you teach your dog to sit in the kitchen, the word may come to mean "plant your butt on linoleum". If you ask for this same behavior outside, there is no linoleum, so he won't understand what you want... he may appear defiant, or dominant, or just plain stupid, to those who prefer to label it as such. 

2) Dogs do what works. What this means, is that a dog will see the end goal (getting the reward), and then do whatever necessary to get that reward. The *catch* is that you have to look at rewards from the dog's point of view... they *may* be entirely different from what *you* would see the reward to be. You also have to understand that a reward will have meaning (weight) in one context, but not in another. Examples: in your kitchen, with no distractions, a MilkBone dog biscuit is a reward -- outside, it's not. Outside, there are distractions, so the reward for your dog's attention and performance *must* outweigh the distractions. Outside without heavy distractions, liverwurst is a reward; walk another dog past, and the liverwurst loses it's value... that other dog is simply more rewarding.

How do you counteract this? Simply use what motivates your dog, in every situation. In that last example, I would use that other dog as the reward for appropriate behavior... it's not hard to do, with a little patience. Simply have your dog "sit" before being allowed to approach the other dog. If you dog is distracted to the point where the "sit" command isn't working, turn and go in the opposite direction, then work toward that other dog... your dog gets to move closer (which is the reward!) as long as he uses manners.

Using correction in training leads to problems: dogs that are trained in obedience using harsh correction with a choke collar tend to "wash out" at the higher levels... they've been corrected so harshly and for so long that they're afraid to try something new. So, when it comes time to learn to retrieve a dumbbell, the trainer must be even MORE imaginative with the correction, to get the desired result: that's when they bring in the BIG guns... the ear-pinch and shock collar. If correction is used to deal with aggressive displays, it's quite possible to actually *teach* aggression: a dog that is corrected in the presence of another dog or human learns to associate other dogs and humans with pain... causing the aggression to escalate.

Once you understand these basic differences in learning technique, the sky is the limit... there is almost *nothing* you can't teach, using only positives. And, don't be afraid to use tangible rewards, like food and games... those people who use such words as "dominance", "independence", and "stupidity" as excuses for their dog's noncompliance also have a real tendency toward asking the dog to perform "just to please me", rather than getting a reward for behavior. What a miserable existence that must be for those dogs.

Understanding how dogs think and weigh rewards will lead you to teach your dog co-operation. This is the key to teaching your dog what you want him to know.