ArcaMax

Dear Cathy,

I recently have spent time with a dog trainer on a social level. In these settings, the trainer has commented about her dog training methods that don't seem compatible with your column or my own experience.

This trainer boards and trains dogs at her facility. She appears to be successful and gets dogs regularly. However, she mentioned pushing a dog's nose into excrement when he wasn't "getting it" after several weeks. She also said that dogs know she is the alpha and that they need consequences just like kids. Is this true? I had a Golden, and can't recall giving him a consequence. He just wanted to please us. Do dogs need consequences?

— Charley, Chicago, Illinois

Dear Charley,

Your instincts are correct. With advancements in our understanding of animal behavior and training techniques, pushing a dog's nose into feces is an outdated and inappropriate training method that relies on punishment and dominance-based techniques to train the dog.

This approach was used to supposedly teach the dog that eliminating indoors was unacceptable by associating the smell of feces with discomfort or humiliation. However, modern dog trainers and behaviorists have widely discredited this method. It is considered ineffective, potentially harmful to the dog's mental well-being, and damaging to the bond between the dog and their owner.

Contemporary dog trainers advocate positive reinforcement-based methods, which focus on rewarding desired behaviors rather than punishing undesirable ones. Dogs will "get it" if you provide consistent, positive reinforcement, which takes time and patience – variables that are different for every dog.

Perhaps this trainer feels the need to move things along more quickly so she can point to some training success when the owner picks up the dog. But training based on punishment or fear can lead to anxiety and behavioral issues in dogs later.

Positive reinforcement, on the other hand, involves rewarding desired behaviors with treats, praise, or toys, which helps build a strong bond between the owner and the dog while encouraging good behavior. Dogs naturally seek to please their human caretakers, and positive reinforcement helps establish rules and boundaries for the dog without being a bully toward them. So, in answer to your question, no, dogs don't need consequences. They need a human companion who is patient, predictable, and consistent with their expectations.

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