Why Not to Punish Your Dog

"No!! Chance, get down! Stop jumping! Get off of there! Chaaaaancceee!" Jackie yells at her elated Golden Doodle. Once he finally slows down and she catches him, she firmly scolds him for his behavior, and sends him to his crate, away from all the fun. 

She goes through this vicious cycle every time she gets home from work or if guests stop over. He always gets so excited! People are his favorite. Only, Chance gets smarter every time, and gets harder and harder to catch. 

He darts just out of reach. He jumps up to say hello and then launches himself off to rub laps around the dining room table. Each time he comes by he hops up for a half a second again. It's starting to hurt. Damn, he's got big feet! 

She thought if she punished him for this nonsense, he'd learn to behave better. She thought putting him in his crate away from guests would teach him to settle if he wanted to stay out. All the poor dude wants is to play with all of his best friends and enjoy their company. Who doesn't want that? 

Unfortunately, her method hasn't worked very well. This is because punishment the way we think of it doesn't work very well. Chance had already calmed down by the time he was punished, and didn't know why it was happening. It must be because he calmed down, right? It doesn't happen if he speeds up. The faster he runs, the longer he can stay out! 

There's nothing wrong at all with using the crate for some sanity. It just isn't too effective as the sole means of showing him what Jackie wants. 

Unfortunately for Jackie, Chance was getting worse and worse. She dreaded coming home from work. She knew it would be a half hour exercise of her patience before she could begin to think about relaxing. And after hours of meetings and phone calls, the last thing she needed was another test of her patience! 

The straw breaking the camel's back however wasn't her daily routine. Her friends used to come over for movie nights every weekend and she noticed they've been having more and more reasons not to come. One friend suggested that she consider re-homing Chance if he causes her so much stress. That was the last thing she wanted to do but she was at wits end feeling more and more alienated and powerless. 

What she really needed was just a bit of guidance to help her learn how to interact with Chance in a way that was productive and empathetic to both of their needs. 

She needed to learn how to properly correct and reward his behaviors in a way that they both understood.

You see, the problem wasn't for a lack of trying, just simply a lack of understanding. She thought he would learn from the punishments, but punishment is not exactly the same as a consequence. Consequences can be positive or negative, good or bad. Praise for sitting? A consequence. Getting stung for licking a bee? Consequence. Getting a tasty snack while digging through the garbage? Still a consequence. Punishment is typically an emotional response to get back at someone. It's not often performed in the moment and it rarely has anything to do with the actual transgression! 

Good consequences, such as treats or play, are king when it comes to motivating Chance! But just like the punishment he received, it only works if it's timed well. If he sits nicely, Jackie can't give him the treat once he jumps again or he'll think he was rewarded for jumping! 

Bad consequences, also called a correction in dog training, can often help bring clarity to our dog regarding what we want from them. But think of them more as feedback! Like a game of hot and cold. A good consequence is like your friends yelling "Warmer...warmer!!!" as you get closer to your goal. A bad consequence, or correction, should be the same as saying "you're getting colder!" It's just communication! 

When Jackie started getting some help, things were able to begin to shift. She no longer felt like it was an uphill battle to teach her dog, or like she had to keep him separated any time a guest came over to save the embarrassment! She became confident in her ability to communicate what she likes and does not like to Chance and their relationship began to blossom. He now waits quietly to greet her after work and enjoys a nice scratch behind the ears with all four feet on the ground. Once she's settled in, she'll often pay a game of tug or fetch, which he lives for! He greets guests at the door and allows them space to enter. He does not pester for attention. He knows now that not everyone is ready to give it right away! The peace in Jackie and Chance's home is palpable. 

A lot of our dogs are a lot like Chance, and a lot of us are just like Jackie! We just need some better guidance to live in harmony. I'm here to help you achieve that harmony!