Project K9 Dog Training

This group of behavioural scientists used both biological and behavioural measures of welfare to understand how dogs trained in different ways were affected by ...the training. The 3 groups of a combined total of 92 dogs were trained using either "aversive-based" (training based on use of physical punishment as primary motivator for learning), "mixed" (a mix of punishment and reward), and "reward" (with rewards as the primary motivator for learning). Training sessions were filmed, and behaviours which are understood to indicate stress levels or negative emotional state were measured. Immediately before and after training, a sample of saliva was taken in order to measure Cortisol (a hormone released in response to stress). Additionally, dogs were exposed to a scenario to understand their optimism vs. pessimism - the latter being understood to be more likely when you expect a greater chance of loss over probable reward, It was found that the dogs in the "Aversive" group showed more instances of panting and negative behavioural state than either the "mixed" or "reward" groups, but that even the "mixed group" showed the same inclination for low welfare measures. The same was true in the non-training scenario, where dogs in the "aversive" and "mixed" groups showed poorer measures of welfare than the "reward" trained dogs. Negative state behaviours included: - tense & low body posture - moving away from the handler Cortisol measures found significant increases in cortisol levels for dogs in the "Aversive" group, compared to the "reward" group. Interestingly, only the "mixed" group used pinch/prong, and Ecollar, whereas the "aversive" groups used check chains. However, it was also seen that no matter the group, the higher a proportion of punishment was used, the more stressed the dog. The implications of the study suggest that rather than pain from physical punishment being the reason that dogs find this style of training so stressful (yelping was rare, and whining found no differences between groups - both common signals of pain in dogs). Dogs find the use of physical punishment, especially when in high proportion, emotionally damaging. The use of physical punishment seems to have far-reaching effects into a dogs life, even affecting its cognitive bias (optimism vs. pessimism) when facing a new situation. There are numerous other studies suggesting the use of physical punishment can increase the likelihood of a dog showing aggression - simply go into Google Scholar, and search "aggression punishment dog". Link to the study I am referencing: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article

This illustration is a great reminder to always practice responsible dog ownership and proper etiquette while out with your dog.

Training tip Tuesday from the CCPDT.

If anyone is finding that the standard sized muzzles do not fit your dog, consider a BUMAS muzzle. They are custom made to fit your dog, have the same benefits of a Baskerville, so dogs can pant, drink, and take treats, and are easy to clean. https://www.bumas.us/mobile.php