Teaching helps your learner to develop new and more appropriate skills. Punishment in a given context may temporarily suppress the problem behavior but has a teaching moment all of its own!.
Punishing teaches your child or pet that you may be the cause of fear or pain. You can be scary and should be feared!
Think about each of these scenarios!
Scenario 1
Imagine you walk into your child’s room and they are drawing on the furniture. You say, “Sally stop, no” then walk away as you are busy doing other things. You then walk back into the room a few minutes later and Sally is now drawing and coloring on the wooden floor. “Sally, NO, I have told you once. Do not color on the furniture and floor. Once again you leave to get back to your own task. Several minutes pass and you go back to check on Sally. Sally is now coloring the wall with a nice orange and blue, a very pretty montage. “NO, Sally STOP RIGHT NOW”! This is not acceptable, you are going to help me clean this all up. I will take your crayons away until you learn how to behavior.
Scenario 2
Imagine you walk into your child’s room and they are drawing on the furniture. You say, “Sally, oh dear what are you doing”? Love that you want to spend some time being creative but let’s find a great canvas for you to draw on. Would you like paper, cardboard or a coloring book? Coloring book, OK. You got it. Here you go. Great job. Now we can save your art for everyone to see.
Now substitute the child for your dog and the coloring for inappropriate chewing! What options do you have? What can you give the dog to prevent the chewing and reinforce a more appropriate and acceptable behavior?
Every situation is an educational opportunity! Teach don’t Punish!
If you need help with training please contact your local DogSmith