Is Violence the Best Dog Training Method?

In the early 20th century, Germans authored the world's first dog training manual, a tome with a surprisingly straightforward philosophy: without some form of coercion, even the most docile dog would not comply with its owner's commands.

The manual repeatedly emphasized the necessity of using force to establish human dominance over the dog and to control its behavior through coercion.

While these ideas may seem inhumane and ineffective by today's standards, the book continues to influence many fields, such as the training of guard dogs, where trainers might resort to sticks to stimulate the dogs, among other methods.

Even today, many individuals advocate for the use of violence in dog training. But beyond the ethical debate, there is the concern that violent training methods could inadvertently cause injury to the dogs. Can anyone guarantee that the dogs will emerge unscathed?

It wasn't until 1940 that the concept of "positive reinforcement" in dog training was introduced by American Blanche Saunders. Many dog trainers have found this approach to be far superior to the German methods, primarily because dogs trained this way exhibit more consistent and reliable obedience.

What are the drawbacks of violent dog training? It can exacerbate a dog's reclusive nature and increase the likelihood of aggressive behavior. Initially, this was considered the primary drawback of violent training. However, numerous studies have shown that this approach not only makes dogs more aggressive but also distances them from their owners, fostering a lack of trust.

An international test for children's attachment to their parents involves placing a child in a room with only a few chairs. The child plays with their parent, and then a stranger enters to interact with the child. After some time, the parent leaves, and the stranger tries to engage with the child again. Observers record the child's interaction with the stranger in both scenarios.

The results are intriguing: children who have not experienced domestic violence show a preference for their parents and are willing to interact with strangers regardless of their presence. In contrast, children who have experienced domestic violence are more timid and tend to seek out the stranger's company, especially when the parent is absent. This is because children who haven't experienced violence are more confident and enjoy their parents' company, while those who have may prefer the stranger's company over communicating with their parents, as they have developed a rift with their parents.

This phenomenon is not unique to humans. Researchers have found that dogs subjected to violent training are indifferent to both strangers and their owners, while dogs trained with rewards are friendly towards strangers and highly dependent on their owners.

It is clear that dogs trained with rewards strengthen their attachment to their owners, as rewards are associated with the owner's presence. Conversely, dogs trained with violence only respond to commands under specific circumstances, such as the use of sticks or shouting, and may develop a conditioned response to complete a series of commands.

Just as with humans, violence can create a rift between dogs and their owners, leading to a decrease in the dog's willingness to follow commands and a growing lack of trust in their owners.