The Art of Ignoring Part One: Negative Punishment is Positive!

Today we are going to talk about punishment (dun, dun, DUN!). The word punishment has very negative connotations, especially in the positive dog training world. But when we break punishment down, we can see its usefulness. Whenever we are working with an animal, it is helpful (and more accurate) to think in terms of rewarding or punishing a behavior rather than the animal. We aren't just rewarding our dog for sitting, we are rewarding the sitting behavior. We aren't punishing our dog for barking like crazy, we are punishing the crazy barking behavior. In training, we can increase a behavior with reinforcement or we can decrease a behavior with punishment. In general, positive dog trainers like to focus on rewarding wanted behaviors as opposed to decreasing unwanted behaviors. But punishment can be useful if done correctly. In fact, many people (and even trainers) punish behaviors without even realizing it!

Example: A puppy runs up to me on the first night of puppy class. She is very excited to say hello! She jumps all over me for a few seconds. I completely ignore her until she is sitting. Then I lavish her with attention. Hello cute puppy! By the second night of class, the puppy greets me by sitting politely at my feet.

Polite, sitting puppy

What just happened here? I obviously rewarded the sitting behavior and was rewarded myself with a polite puppy greeting a week later. But what about the jumping behavior? Did you notice that I punished that behavior?

In terms of animal behavior, negative means to remove and positive means to add. Positive reinforcement (again, reinforcement increases a behavior) adds something that the dog wants. Attention, verbal praise, food, toys, etc. I positively reinforced the sitting behavior with attention and verbal praise. Negative reinforcement removes something that the dog doesn't want. An example of negative reinforcement would be forced fetching, where a trainer pinches a dog's ear until they open their mouth. When the dog opens their mouth, the trainer lets go. This reinforces the mouth opening behavior by removing something that the dog doesn't want (pain!).

Rana's sitting behavior is positively reinforced with a doggy doughnut

Punishment follows the same rules. Negative means to remove, positive means to add. But in this case, the "evils" are flipped. Positive punishment adds something that the dog doesn't want. Pain, verbal or physical corrections, loud noises (like a can of pennies), spray bottles, etc. Negative punishment removes something that the dog wants. Withholding attention, treats, etc. are examples of negative punishment. Time-outs (which were discussed in another blog post) are another example of a negative punishment. The dog is removed from the situation (time-out) and then attention is withheld until the dog is released from the time-out. Most positive dog trainers use negative punishment, because it doesn't require the use of force, pain, or intimidation. A "positive dog trainer" is simply someone who refuses to use pain, force, or intimidation to train dogs. In this way, negative punishment is actually "positive!"

So look back at the puppy example. I applied a negative punishment (withholding attention AKA ignoring) to the jumping behavior. And I applied positive reinforcement (attention) to the sitting behavior. And absolutely no force, pain, or intimidation was used on the puppy! This is the art of ignoring, folks. In later blog posts I will address how to successfully ignore your dog in specific situations. We will also talk about extinction bursts (tantrums!) and cases of natural negative punishment in dog-to-dog interactions (hint: go look at the bite inhibition blog post. Do you see a negative punishment?). Have a great Memorial Day weekend and as always, thanks for reading! 

Socialization

Socialization is one of the most important aspects of raising a puppy! Socialization helps dogs learn to be comfortable in a variety of situations. Puppies are like little sponges—they are always learning! And when they are young, puppies are curious and able to learn about new situations. As dogs get older, they become naturally suspicious of new situations. Good socialization takes advantage of a puppy’s natural ability to learn about new situations.  When a well socialized puppy grows into an adult dog, the adult dog can be confident because she has “been there, done that.”

Puppies need to explore the world when they are young!

Fear Period

                Puppies go through several stages in their development. One of the most important stages is the “fear period.” During a fear period, dogs are very sensitive to negative experiences. A bad experience during a fear period can leave a lasting impression on an adult dog. Most puppies experience their first fear period between eight and ten weeks, although every individual puppy is different. A second fear period is typically experienced between four and six months. Some dogs may experience more than two fear periods. A dog experiencing a fear period will typically exhibit “wary” behaviors, such as getting down low, tucking the tail, not wanting to walk forward, etc. Some dogs may even act this way around things that they used to be comfortable with!

It is critical that dogs have only positive experiences during fear periods! Do not force a puppy into a negative experience and do not “coddle” a puppy that is frightened. “Coddling” or consoling a frightened puppy by picking it up, cooing at it, or giving it lots of attention is like telling the puppy, “Good boy! You are very right to be frightened!” Instead, use a neutral tone of voice and remain calm. Say things like, “Oh it is only a vacuum cleaner, silly puppy!” Praise any confident behaviors (for example, a puppy taking a step towards the vacuum cleaner to sniff it).

New Experiences!

Puppies should have as many positive experiences as possible. Use treats and toys to help make positive associations! Here is a list of some of the things you should expose your puppy to:

·         Strangers (as many as possible!)

o   People with hats, umbrellas, backpacks, hoodies, costumes, etc.

·         Children

·         Loud noises

o   Vacuum cleaner

o   Fireworks (or prerecorded fireworks)

o   Loud metal noises (like a metal chair falling on the ground)

o   Screaming

o   Thunder (or prerecorded thunder sounds)

o   Car horn, traffic

o   Doorbell ringing

o   Applause/ excited crowds

·         Things with wheels

o   Bicycles

o   Rollerblades, skate boards

o    Cars, busses

o   Shopping carts

o   Strollers

o   Wheelchairs

o   Garbage cans with wheels

·         Fans

·         Balloons

·         Bags blowing in the wind

·         Brooms

·         Umbrellas

·         Vet’s office

·         Car rides

·         Animals

o   Dogs (of all breeds and ages!)

o   Cats

o   Small animals (such as hamsters, rabbits, etc.)

o   Livestock (especially horses!)

o   Reptiles

o   Birds

·         Different surfaces

o   Metal grates

o   Manhole covers

o   Different floor types (especially shiny and slippery floors)

o   Ice and snow (if possible)

o   Wobbly surfaces

o   Mud, wet grass

o   Concrete

·         Stairs

·         Bridges (especially bridges that swing and bridges with metal grates!)

·         Grooming tools

o   Brushes

o   Nail clippers

o   Dremel

o   Toothbrush

·         Anything that you want your puppy to be confident around as an adult dog!

The Puppy is Part Shark!

One of the most common puppy problems I have heard people complain about is biting. Puppies explore their world with their mouths. Unfortunately for us, puppies also have sharp little teeth. And it hurts when they use those teeth on us! So here are my tips for teaching bite inhibition in puppies.

Class started for us the moment we brought little Rana home. Our 8-week-old little fluff ball had such a sweet little puppy face! But behind her adorable nose was a set of sharp, little needle-like teeth. And it didn't take long for that sweet little puppy to start using her mouth on our arms, legs, and hands.

"I'm gonna GET you!"

The "Ouch and Ignore" Method

From the beginning, I used what is often called the "ouch method". I like to call it the "ouch and ignore method", because it is the ignore part that is important in this technique. Dogs are motivated by attention.   "Attention" includes happy things like petting, and not-so-happy things like shoving the dog away, grabbing their nose, yelling at them, and so on. So what do we do if we can't give the dog attention for bad behavior? We ignore them.

Puppies will naturally learn how hard is too hard while playing with their litter mates. If a puppy A chomps down too hard on puppy B, puppy B will yelp and stop playing with puppy A. In a way, puppy B is saying, "OUCH! If you bite me that hard, I'm not going to play with you anymore!" While having puppies play with other dogs is very helpful in teaching bite inhibition (more on that later), human skin is very different. We should still teach our puppies how to treat human skin.

Puppies will teach each other how to use their mouths

So here is how it works. Start by playing with your puppy with a toy. It is very likely she will get too excited and nip at you, or miss the toy and get your hand. If she bites too hard, yelp, cross your arms, and turn away. Try to make your body language say "I'm done playing. I'm ignoring you." The puppy will probably try to continue to play. As soon as puppy walks away, turn to her and give her lots of praise! Repeat this process every time she bites too hard. Remember, at this point we are trying to teach our puppies not to bite too hard. We are NOT trying to teach them never to use their mouths on us.

This process worked very well for Rana. It took a few days after we brought her home before she started to "get it". When we felt that she was starting to understand this concept, we introduced chasing games (where we ran around and allowed her to chase us)  and used the "ouch and ignore" method. I wanted her to be able to play with running humans (specifically, running children) without biting their ankles off. Through the "ouch and ignore" method, she learned that by nipping a running human, the human stops and ignores her, and the play is over. Now, she rarely nips at a running person.

Rana plays well with running children

This exact process doesn't work for every puppy. Some puppies get too excited by the yelp part of the method. If that is the case, you can eliminate it and try the ignore part only. Some puppies won't stop nipping you no matter how much you try to ignore them. If that is the case, you can leave the room entirely or put them in a crate and walk away. Remember, the ignore part of this method is key.

EDIT: I have had a few suggestions regarding the "ouch" method with children. The "ouch and ignore" method is difficult to do with small children. I always recommend supervising interactions with children and animals closely. I taught my little sister (age 8) how to do the "ouch and ignore" method. She knows to stop moving and ignore the puppy when she bites too hard. For younger children, it may be necessary to teach them to CALMLY leave the puppy play area when they get hurt. It is important to understand that typical kid behaviors such as screaming, running, jumping, and flailing extremities at the puppy is very exciting and may cause the puppy to nip. Here is a link on how to teach kids to "be a tree" around dogs. I find this concept very helpful for kids, who don't always understand that certain movements make dogs more likely to nip.

Leashing the puppy when around children is also very helpful. As you can see in the photo above, Rana is dragging a leash behind her. This makes it easy for me to quickly grab the leash if needed. And if the puppy ever gets too excited or too chompy, you can always give her brain a little break by putting her in a crate.

Other Tips for Teaching Bite Inhibition and Reducing Nipping

Hand feeding. There are many ways to teach bite inhibition in puppies. One of my favorite ways is to hand feed. Every bite that your puppy gets from your hand is a way for them to bond with you. It is also a way for that puppy to learn not to bite your hand! I hand fed Rana with every meal while training her. I would lure her into sit (or whatever I was training at the time), click, then give her a small handful of kibble. When I combined this with the "ouch and ignore" method, it didn't take long for Rana to start treating human skin gently.

Mess with their mouths. I try to mess with my puppy as much as possible to get her used to handling. I often stick my (clean) hands in her mouth and praise her for not biting down.

Doggy Daycare. Puppies are very good at teaching each other "how hard is too hard." Playtime with other dogs will get your puppy tired (and a tired puppy is a less sharky puppy). It will also teach your dog valuable social skills (including bite inhibition). Doggy Daycare is a great place for puppies to socialize with other dogs. Just look for a daycare that requires all adult dogs to be vaccinated.

Training. Training your puppy will help to exercise his mind. And a tired puppy is a good puppy. Try short 5-10 minute training sessions. Work on the basics (sit, down, and so on). "Self-control" exercises can be very helpful in reducing many unwanted puppy behaviors. An example of a self-control exercise would be to make your puppy sit and stay at a gate until you release him. Another example would be to make your puppy sit and stay (until you release him) while you set a treat on the floor.

Teaching basic commands like "sit" can help exercise your puppy's mind.

Teach "Leave it" or "Gentle". My boss calls this "puppy zen". Place a treat in a closed hand. The puppy will mouth and bite at your hand for the treat. Say "leave it". The second your puppy looks away from your hand, click and treat. There are many variations on this. You could use this method to teach "gentle". Instead of waiting for the puppy to look away from your hand, click and treat when the puppy  does anything other than biting your hand (licking, mouthing, and so on). I personally use this method to start the process of teaching "leave it".

Buttery Hands. I have never actually used this method. All you do is smear cold butter, peanut butter, or some tasty, gooey treat all over the back of your hand. Then you allow the puppy to lick it off of your hands. The idea behind this is to teach the puppy that licking skin earns rewards. It isn't my favorite method, and it is very messy. But it is a positive training technique and I can see the benefits of using it on a sharky puppy.

No Chewing on Clothing! This one is really important. Do not allow the puppy to bite clothing (shoes, pants, shirts, skirts, and so on). Clothes cannot feel pain, so they cannot tell the puppy when they are biting too hard. Allowing a puppy to bite on clothing is like inviting your puppy to bite down on things that are dangerously close to your skin. It is just a bad idea. If a puppy bites your clothing, stop moving immediately. The movement of the clothing (especially jeans and skirts) can be very exciting to the puppy. If you have a toy handy, you can try to give that to the puppy in a "chew this, not that" move. If the puppy continues to bite at the clothes after you stop moving, leave the room.

Why is Bite Inhibition Important? 

Bite inhibition refers to a dog's ability to inhibit their bite pressure. As scary as it is, dogs may use their mouths instinctively if they are scared, startled, excited, or in pain. The dogs with good bite inhibition will rarely leave marks. The dogs with horrible bite inhibition are the ones that cause serious damage. I encounter this at my work all the time. Here are some situations that I have experienced at work.

Dog #1 is a black chow that does not have good bite inhibition. He rarely plays with the other dogs, and spends most of his time sleeping. One afternoon, I went to pick up Rana (who had stayed at work while I ran some errands). The chow's owner arrived to pick up her chow at the same time. I had already received Rana and was chatting with the chow's owner while she waited. When the chow was brought up front, he decided that he was going to try to play with Rana. His play style is very scary, and that chow face is especially hard to read, so Rana had no interest in playing with him. He was very excited and was running around the lobby, so I called the chow to me and patted my thigh. He play bowed me, jumped up, and playfully nipped my thigh. That nip broke the skin and left a huge bruise through my jeans.

Dog #2 is a pomeranian mix with good bite inhibition. My boss' shiba inu mix decided that she had to corner and bark incessantly at this pom mix. I removed the shiba from the room, and went to pick up the pom mix (who had cornered herself on a play structure and was attracting the attention of other dogs). When I picked up the pom mix, she turned around and bit me. Apparently, in addition to being scared from the shiba, the pom mix was having arthritis issues and was in pain. By picking her up, I caused her a little bit of pain. This added to the fear caused by the shiba, and the pom felt the need to bite me. Thankfully, the pom mix had good bite inhibition and did not leave a mark.

One of the extreme examples of bad bite inhibition that my boss often uses is a story about a golden retriever. He was a sweet natured, well-behaved dog. One day, a lady ran over his tail with a wheelchair. Startled and in pain, the golden retriever bit the lady several times, leaving large puncture wounds all over her body. The golden did not know how to control his bite pressure.

These situations should highlight the importance of bite inhibition. There are going to be situations where a dog may be in a position to bite a human. Whether they are out-of-their-minds excited like the chow, or in pain and scared like the pom mix and golden, a dog may use their mouths on a human. That bite inhibition is extremely important because it reduces the chance that the dog will cause damage.

Links

Dogstar Daily has an excellent article on bite inhibition.

Here is another helpful article on mouth shaping and bite inhibition in puppies.