Humans, including children, see the world in cause and effect. So children can easily see "I am being punished because I hit my sister". Children also speak English and have a working memory, so you can punish a child today for drawing on the wall yesterday and the child understands this.
Dogs, however, learn by association and do not have the same working memory. In order for punishment or praise to work, it must occur within 3 seconds of the action.
This is why you cannot train dogs like children.
Consequence does cut both ways, but association is tricky and hard to predict. For example, the dog pees on the rug. You smack him. You mean to tell the dog that peeing on the rug is unacceptable, what the dog learns is that peeing in front of the humans is unacceptable. So now he won't pee in front of you outside, and he'll hide in the closet in your bedroom to pee. Not really what you wanted, is it?
Using positives in training bonds you to your dog. Using negatives can easily damage your relationship. So why risk it, especially since the average person doesn't have the timing to make punishment work anyway. Punishments can also have other, undesired, consequences. Suppose my dog lunges and barks at other dogs we pass on walks. I buy a choke chain and "correct" the dog every time he lunges and barks. He's very likely to start associating the other dogs with pain in his neck, and now his behavior is even worse.
As to why we shouldn't take our cues from wolves or other dogs . . . why would we? Dog mothers frequently eat their babies, should I take parenting advice from a dog, too? We're humans, we can do better.
Dogs, however, learn by association and do not have the same working memory. In order for punishment or praise to work, it must occur within 3 seconds of the action.
This is why you cannot train dogs like children.
Consequence does cut both ways, but association is tricky and hard to predict. For example, the dog pees on the rug. You smack him. You mean to tell the dog that peeing on the rug is unacceptable, what the dog learns is that peeing in front of the humans is unacceptable. So now he won't pee in front of you outside, and he'll hide in the closet in your bedroom to pee. Not really what you wanted, is it?
Using positives in training bonds you to your dog. Using negatives can easily damage your relationship. So why risk it, especially since the average person doesn't have the timing to make punishment work anyway. Punishments can also have other, undesired, consequences. Suppose my dog lunges and barks at other dogs we pass on walks. I buy a choke chain and "correct" the dog every time he lunges and barks. He's very likely to start associating the other dogs with pain in his neck, and now his behavior is even worse.
As to why we shouldn't take our cues from wolves or other dogs . . . why would we? Dog mothers frequently eat their babies, should I take parenting advice from a dog, too? We're humans, we can do better.
