Dog Health Questions: Have you ever known a dog?

That responded well to negative reinforcement?

I ask because lately dog training has been all about positive reinforcement. What do you think?

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Positive reinforcement is a relatively new method of dog training. It wasn't very long ago that the most used training method was the rolled up newspaper. Before anyone ever heard of positive reinforcement, there were many very well trained dogs, who earned obedience titles, and excelled at working for their humans.

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• Nope, my dog never has. I trained him that way once and he didn't learn anything at all.
  
  However, that's my dog. All dogs are different. While I don't recommend negative reinforcement, it may work for some people.


• I'm sure that there are dogs out there that do respond to negative reinforcement...They are the submissive ones who will do anything to please. And I feel that it doesn't actually work--It just makes them fear you.


• you mean, like hitting a dog?
  they only time i'd ever hit a dog is if it was biting someone.
  
  other than that i couldnt tell you. sorry :[


• no living thing responds well to negative reinforcement. discipline yes but not negative reinforcement.


• Many dogs receive some training in aversion therapy, which maybe likened to negative reinforcement. Such as having a motion detection sound alarm go off if the dog tries to get into the trash. Or, even knowing that their owner will yell loudly at them if they start to mess in the house. So, in that way, it works and almost everyone uses that method to an extent.


• nope.
  all the dogs I know only responded to positive reinforcement.
  but you never know, maybe only certain dogs respond to negatives.


• I have not seen a dog respond well to neg. reinforcement. Dogs are always happier when they get lots of love and attention. Maybe treat :) I know our dogs have always loved getting a head-scratch, or a nice treat!! I think positive reinforcement is the best way to go. That way, a dog understands what he is supposed to do. If a dog gets neg. reinforcement they don't understand what is being asked of them


• Yes. My 5.5 month old Pit. It's called Negative Punishment not reinforcement. It is withholding treats and praise when the dog is not doing what you are trying to train it to do.
  
  Positive Reinforcement is using treats and praise when the dog does it correctly. The opposite of that is Negative Punishment.
  
  It works very well. And I learned this from Pit Bull Training Handbook by Jason Mann.


• ROTFLMAO...only every single one on the face of the planet!Funny............billions of humans have trained hundreds of billions of dogs for TENS of thousands of years but the ARs have thoroughly brainwashed the average boobs that they CAN'T in less than a decade...amazing what MEDIA BLITZ can do,eh?


• All dogs respond to negative reinforcement. Conversely all dogs respond to positive reinforcement. The degree to which they respond depends on the dog and excellent trainers are going to know how each is utilized.


• Well that depends what you mean. Negative reinforcement is actually reinforcing a behavior by removing something. While positive reinforcement is reinforcing a behvaior by adding something. For example if I did an experiment where I gave a rat a small electric shock every time he stepped on a certain square, that is technically positive reinforcement. But you probably mean by negative reinforcement, discouraging a behavior with a negative stimulus. To assume all dogs will respond to positive reinforcement (the way you mean, not the technical definition) is a mistake. If you have a highly dominant high energy dog and you only use praise to get him to listen to you, he isn't going to. Some dogs need to be taught that they need to respect you, whether it be by touch (not hitting, just simple touch) or by claiming something like space with your body language. I'm sure there are a lot of people who think dogs can only be trained with positive reinforcement, and while most of them can, there are some who simply need more than praise and treats. Probably more than you realize. Personally, I think people who believe dogs can only be trained with positive reinforcement are new to the game. I certainly prefer to use positive reinforcement when I can, but sometimes it is not an option. I work at a doggy day care and if I fight breaks out, you can't just say good dog and hand out treats. It doesn't work that way.


• Depends.....I believe you should never hit a dog.
  
  But my dogs it seems need a balance between positive and negative
  
  Negative meaning.....being scolded and put in the crate.
  
  And positive meaning good dog and treats.
  
  It takes a balance but my dogs have never really been much trouble at all anywayWe did strictly positive like the trainer said and they ended up worse behaved than any dog we've ever had, infact they learned to walk all over us


• Quick question....how do you train using negative re-enforcement and what behaviours do you train?I cant think of anything at all....
  
  are you getting negative re-enforcement and punishment mixed up>???im so very confused