there was much about the article that was clearly incorrect. The person (owner) of the dog did MANY things to "create" this dog with improper use of R+. If you reward when the dog is behaving inappropriately, you WILL build inappropriate behavior. I guess I was hoping for a bit more discussion and not just trashing the article without discussion.
I think the point of the article is that when dog training and handling is misunderstood and applied with misunderstanding it can create a mess. Reading the article the thing I was impressed with was incorrect reward delivery and a simple lack of establishing clear boundaries and communication. Reading about this dog in this article I would venture this is NOT a dog that needs corrections as much as it needed clarity, boundaries, correct handling and understanding of dogs. When I got to the part where the trainer gave up I believed (and maybe reading too much into this) that the OWNER failed and not the dog.
If you are working with someone training a dog and you say do "X" (such as crate the dog next to the bed at night and yes.. that may be a bad example but I am writing on the fly here) but the owner won't do it and insists on doing "Y" (letting the dog own the bed and sleep on it) and then complains because the dog owns the bed.. well after awhile you just have to stop trying to teach them or help them because they are making excuses instead of doing the work.
This article was IMO about an owner failing and not understanding how to use R+ and totally not understanding dogs AND not learning.
I do not think R+ is "bad" and corrections are "good." Most of the training I do is R+ and most of it in our club is R+ simply because it works. Understanding location of delivery is and timing of delivery is essential.
Are corrections used? Yes. Infrequently and judiciously. Depends on the dog. Depends on the situation. Depends on a LOT of things.
I would love to discuss, but this article was literally EVERYTHING that could possibly go wrong. An unstable dog with fear issues, an inexperienced owner, the dog getting worse for some reason that really isn't explained in the article other than "the owner was too nice". Not to mention, the entire article was judgmental. Who cares if you have an Instagram for your dog or like dog-themed bumper stickers? That doesn't reflect on your ability to train a dog....(and no, I do not have an Instagram for my dog or have any bumper stickers, lol!!) Also, judging people who SEEK HELP by hiring a trainer?
Obviously, the dog described in the article is imaginary, as is the owner. If such a dog did exist (and we know they do), it likely has genetic fear and anxiety issues that are not likely to be overcome with correction based training, either. Did the imaginary owner make a mistake in taking on that type of dog? Probably. But, it read as an article from a high-on-herself "balanced" trainer who really wanted to bash positive reinforcement trainers and put a catchy "How to Kill Your Dog" label on her article. I went to this trainer's blog, and almost every one of her articles follows the general theme of the "How to Kill Your Dog" one. "Anyone who doesn't want to punish their dog is soft and wrong" is what I'm feeling. She's very impressed with herself.
Also, here are a few excerpts from the trainer's website:
But what if fear was actually a useful emotion?
"I don't want my dog to be afraid of me...but what if it's useful? That's okay, then, right?"
I am not against using e-collars in certain circumstances, such as recall, when properly used and when the dog is properly and fully trained to understand the command, but this statement is a huge red flag to me.
You want it done right, quickly.
In "When to Call a Pro". We all know that doing things right sometimes does not mean doing it quickly. Dogs are individuals and it takes time. Any trainer who said "I can teach your dog to behave real quick!" is not someone I want to work with.
You might also find "The Most Good" an interesting article, which seems to imply that punishment is the only way to achieve ultimate dog zen across the entire world and completely eliminate reactivity, fear issues, and anxiety.
So, trash. I believe the author of the article is completely absorbed in her own world and basing her claims on a limited number of scenarios (most of the success stories appear to be of normal dog bad behavior issues that are pretty easily fixed, such as jumping, inability to settle, and poor leash skills) while belittling anyone who would rather try force free methods first.