Beware of Unintended Consequences
Aversive is in the eyes of the learner!
I have historically resisted going to the dentist. One of the main reasons I put off any type of dental procedure is that as a child, I experienced a significant amount of pain at the hands of a dentist. In his eyes, I’m sure he was doing the “right” thing but for me, the consequence is long standing fear of the dental chair. That was in the 1960’s and 1970’s and thank goodness dental care has evolved since then.
Fortunately for me I found a dentist that doesn't terrify me as much, so I've been pretty good about seeing him routinely for cleanings. His practice also is up to date with the latest pain relief and procedures while I’m in the dentist chair. After all, this is the 21st century! I've had a tooth that for the last several years I've been told, at every visit, needs a crown. For a variety of reasons, excuses really, I've put that procedure off. What does that have to do with dog training? Well, that tooth turned into a dental emergency.. The unintended consequence for the decision to put off the crown procedure were a fractured molar, bone infection, pain, swelling, surgery, and a bone graft. And yet to come, an implant if I want a full set of teeth.
Every training decision we make can have unintended consequences as well. More often than not, the consequence is not a positive one. Many owners, in their efforts to "correct" one perceived bad behavior, are left with other behaviors that may be more harmful to the dog, the relationship, or innocent bystanders. Teaching dogs by “correcting” is way of thinking that is still based on training methodology and beliefs from many decades ago.
Here are some common scenarios I see every week in training:
Electronic stimulation collars: Why these are available in big box retailers, hardware stores, and elsewhere is beyond me. Most owners want to use them for one of two reasons - aggression/reactivity toward other dogs or failing to come when called. These collars deliver a pain or vibration stimulus, at varying levels and durations, when the owner pushes a button. The unintended consequence?
Dog barks/lunges at other dog -ZAP! His perception is that the other dog now causes pain or discomfort too! He is quite likely to be more reactive or react quicker the next time. What happens if the owner's timing is a little off and the instant the dog notices a child near the scary dog -ZAP! You guessed it! The dog now begins to fear children as well.
Dog fails to come when called -ZAP! The dog doesn't know at that moment he is being corrected for not coming, especially when he's too busy chasing something. He either becomes desensitized to the sensation, or worse yet, keeps running because the sensation doesn't make sense! What if the owner's timing is off on that button? "FIDO COME!" Is repeated a couple times, he is just turning after making the decision to head back to the owner -ZAP! Now coming when called is painful. Forget it now!
Underground containment systems: this is the biggest source of frustration for owners, and something I get called about on a weekly basis. The dog learns to stay within the boundaries or risk pain crossing through the barrier. While I will agree a dog safely in the yard is better than one risking being hit by a car, there are some unintended consequences I see over and over.
Uncontrolled barking - territorial aggression, frustration at being unable to visit beyond the barrier, but still being able to see the entire neighborhood's activities, and boredom all lead to barking. Once a dog is barking in this situation is is very difficult to change unless the owner is willing to change how the dog is managed outside.
Aggression toward unfamiliar dogs - friendly breeds such as Golden Retriever and Labradors just want to play. Those that choose to test the fence, and receive several painful "lessons" , or break through the fence, now begin to associate the sight of unfamiliar dogs with pain. Pain is a powerful motivator. This quickly develops into full blown aggression for some dogs.
Destructive behaviors - owners often leave their dogs outside unattended to "have fun" and "play", or for exercise by themselves. Well guess what dogs do to amuse themselves? They dig up flower beds, they chew on siding or landscaping, and they run and bark at others in the neighborhood.
Physical punishment techniques for biting, etc: old school training techniques based on force and intimidation have sometimes devastating consequences. "Alpha rolls", "scruffing", or muzzle grabs can all cause fear based aggression toward owners or people in general. When a dog chooses to defend itself from these techniques, and a bite occurs, who gets the blame? Would you not defend yourself if someone you knew repeatedly grabbed you, pinned you down, or pinched you? We call this domestic abuse when it involves two humans.
"Walking" a puppy before he learns what impulse control is: all puppies need exercise and without it, there are other unintended consequences such as destructive chewing. But allowing a puppy to pull its owner everywhere it wants to investigate, pull to greet people and other dogs, and jump up to say hello, leads to an adult dog with the same habits. He learns these behaviors work and then suddenly, one random day in the dog's life, these behaviors are not okay. Now, without rhyme or reason for many dogs, they might even be painful (I.e. Owner uses pinch/shock collar).
The message: train, don't complain. If you feel you have to change a behavior beware of the unintended consequences you might end up with. Your goal should be to change the behavior in a humane way that makes sense to your dog. Otherwise it might be a more painful, more expensive consequence just like my tooth!
