8 Reasons Not to Use “Corrections”
Doesn’t teach your dog what To Do
Ineffective if it’s not strong enough
Slippery slope, tends to escalate when NO stops working
May harm your relationship if too harsh, even if it doesn’t hurt
Poor timing, goes on too long, so dog doesn’t connect it to the undesirable behavior
Attention (even negative) may actually reinforce unwanted behavior
Emotional, habitual and instinctive behaviors need a different approach
Demoralizing message (wrong, don’t, stop) vs. empowering better choices with clear information and motivation (reinforcement)
. . . And What We Can Do Instead
Make it difficult or impossible to do That (with barriers: gates, fence, leash, tether, more distance), esp. for jumping, chasing, running off
Make your preferred (replacement) behavior easier to do—and pay off better
Change something that occurs before the undesirable behavior, to preempt it
Change the environment: add or remove something influential
Lower or remove other stressors, to prevent trigger stacking
Don’t respond to unwanted behavior with attention of any kind. As a last resort, try a short, neutral time-out (remove yourself or your dog).
Practice the replacement behavior in controlled set-ups, working up to Real Life
Remember: It’s consequences that drive behavior. Was the outcome good, from your dog’s POV? Did it allow her to get something she likes or avoid something unpleasant? That’s reinforcement, making the behavior stronger.
