AVERSIVES POLICY
RAD Assistance Dogs prides itself on being an organisation that is at the forefront of current scientific research in the dog training and behaviour field.
As a charity, RAD wants to be visibly seen to be the gold standard of dog training, consequently, RAD is examining its stance on member’s use of aversive tools when wearing or displaying RAD livery.
RAD have a ban on slip leads, prong collars, E collars, Half choke collars, choke chains. RAD are in the process of phasing out head collars.
What are aversives?
In dog training the term ‘aversive’ means something unpleasant that is used to reduce or prevent an unwanted behaviour. An example of this would be a shaker can that is used every time a dog barks, the intention is that the distressing noise will prevent the dog from barking in the future as they wish to avoid the noise from happening again.
Aversive tools can range from unpleasant sounds, physical corrections/reprimands, shock collars, prong collars or harsh scolding. Something is considered to be an aversive if it causes a dog to work towards stopping it or avoiding it all together. It is important to remember that an aversive is something that a dog finds unpleasant not what we as humans may find unpleasant. For example, a high-pitched noise might not bother us at all, however, due to the differing physiology of a dog’s ear, a dog may find the noise to be distressing.
It is important to remember that, as humans, we regularly behave in a way that works towards avoiding aversives. We don’t put our hands in open fires in order to avoid the pain of being burned. In this example, the unwanted behaviour would be touching flames and the aversive tool would be the open fire. Once a person has been burnt by the fire, they will not put their hand into it again, therefore, the aversive tool has now prevented the unwanted behaviour which was touching flames.
What things are classed as being aversive?
RAD Assistance Dogs deems the following to be aversives:
1. Shock collars
2. Prong collars
3. Slip leads when used to discourage pulling
4. Haltis or any other ‘anti-pulling’ device that applies pressure to the muzzle
5. Choke chains
6. Lead corrections (i.e. sharp tugs on the lead)
7. Shouting
8. Negative physical contact (e.g. hitting or kicking)
9. Downwards pressure used to force a dog into a certain position (e.g. pushing down on the bottom to get a sit)
10. Negative pushing (e.g. pushing and shoving in a non-play setting)
11. Spray bottles
12. Loud noises used for training (e.g. shaker cans)
13. Ultrasonic collars and devices
14. Invisible fence collars
15. Spray collars
16. Threatening body language or confrontational staring
17. Holding a dog’s mouth closed
18. Poking or simulating a bite with fingers (commonly used by Cesar Millan)
19. Grabbing the collar and using it to pull the dog
How do aversives work?
When using aversives in dog training you are utilising positive punishment and/or negative reinforcement.
With positive punishment an unpleasant sensation is added to punish an unwanted behaviour. For example, when a dog wears a choke chain, if it pulls on the lead the chain tightens around the dog’s neck. Positive punishment is not only unpleasant for a dog but it is also unproductive, as will be explained later in this document.
https://www.k9ofmine.com/how-to-not-train-dog-with-aversives-punishment/
Negative reinforcement means removing something that a dog finds unpleasant in order to increase or maintain the frequency of a desired behaviour. An example of negative reinforcement is when a dog’s bottom is pushed down in order to force a dog into a sit. Once the dog is in a sit position the hand and force are removed. If the dog begins to sit more frequently using this method, we would say that the behaviour has been negatively reinforced by the removal of the pressure on the dogs back end.
https://www.k9ofmine.com/positive-reinforcement-dog-training/
Why should aversives be avoided?
Aversives are incredibly controversial when it comes to dog training. Whilst many ‘old school’ dog trainers utilise these tools, the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (IAABC) endorses the elimination of these practices replacing them instead with ‘least intrusive, minimally aversive’ training methods (please see their LIMA statement for further clarification - https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/).
Aversive tools make training unpleasant for dogs. As dog lovers and guardians, we want training to be a fun and exciting experience for everyone involved. In order to get the very best out of our dogs, training should be pleasant and rewarding. As humans, we recognise that in order to achieve our full potential we require a positive and rewarding environment. We are less inclined to do something if we are shouted at instead of praised and the same is true for dogs.
Pain, fear and intimidation will make a dog nervous or anxious about training sessions instead of looking forward to them.
Aversive based training causes an increase in stress and anxiety.
https://www.k9ofmine.com/how-to-not-train-dog-with-aversives-punishment/
Aversives create negative associations. When you use an aversive tool in a training session, from your dog’s point of view, you become a source of pain and fear. Consequently, your dog may start to associate your presence with these distressing sensations which could lead to them becoming afraid of you.
Supporters of shock collars will argue that the collars don’t hurt dogs, they just startle them. Even if this is true, having your dog associate you with being repeatedly startled will not improve your bond but will instead cause them to view you as a negative source.
Using aversives causes damage to your bond with your dog. As explained previously, using aversives can cause a negative association between you and your dog. When a dog learns that you are someone that inflicts unpleasant sensations upon them, they learn to fear you instead of trust you. This will severely damage the relationship between dog and guardian. A bond based on trust and enjoyment is much more rewarding than a dog that obeys cues out of fear and punishment.
Aversive tools can cause a dog to shut down. When a dog doesn’t understand why they are being repeatedly punished or the alternative behaviour that they should be displaying they can develop ‘learned helplessness’. Psychologist Martin Seligman coined this phrase in 1965. Seligman’s experiment is upsetting and may be triggering for many members, consequently, it will not be discussed in this document. If you wish to read details of the experiment, please use the following link: https://study.com/academy/lesson/how-seligmans-learned-helplessness-theory-applies-to-human-depression-and-stress.html. Learned helplessness is used to describe an animal that doesn’t try to escape a negative situation because past experience has taught them that they are helpless to change the situation.
Dogs trained with shock collars display this behaviour by lying down and refusing to move no matter what situation they are placed into.
Training with aversives can cause an increase in aggression. As discussed previously, some dogs shut down under the stress of aversives, however, other dogs will handle this stress differently. Dogs may bottle up their fear and anxiety for as long as they can, until they finally break and snap. This is often what has happened in cases where people have claimed that their dog has bitten them out of nowhere and without warning. This point is very clearly highlighted in the following video (trigger warning: serious dog bite) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ihXq_WwiWM. In the video Cesar Millan uses aversive methods with a dog exhibiting resource guarding. The dog can be visibly seen bottling up their distress and beginning to go into shut down. When the dog lies down, Cesar incorrectly tells the owner that he has deescalated the situation, but this is not the case. In reality the dog is desperately trying to manage their distress but sadly they lose control and bite when Cesar continues to use his aversive methods.
Does training with aversives work?
The ‘old school’ train of thought for success is a dog simply stopping an unwanted behaviour. Conversely, modern dog trainers argue that the ends don’t automatically justify the means. Aversive-based training may stop an undesired behaviour, however, it may also cause a dog to become afraid of performing many other desired behaviours simply because they are afraid of being punished. From the dog’s perspective lying down and staying still feels like the safest option.
Aversive tools are often sold as ‘quick’ fixes as their introduction does appear to quickly stop an unwanted behaviour, in spite of this, modern dog trainers would argue that there are no quick fixes when it comes to dog training, true progress which lasts takes time, patience and hard work. A recent episode of ‘Dog’s Behaving (Very) Badly’ demonstrates this concept. In the episode Graeme Hall advises the owner of a dog that pulls to use corrections by giving the lead a sharp tug whenever the dog goes to pull. The dog appears to instantly stop pulling giving the impression that the unwanted behaviour has been extinguished, but, if you look closely at the video, you will see a different story (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGpj-1pdd54). Once the lead corrections are applied the dog shows clear signs that they are in distress: whale eye, tail drop, turning their head away, avoidance of gaze, stiffening of the body, whole body shake and change of gait from happy trot to stiffened walk.
Further inspection of the video will lead you to also notice that Graeme has to pull the lead harder and use more tugs in quick succession in order to continue to obtain the desired behaviour. This clearly demonstrates a key concept when training with aversives. As time progresses you will need to use an increasing amount of force in order to achieve the desired behaviour. What starts off as a little tug on the lead escalates into pulling the dog with enough force that their body swings around, and this is just during one session, image the force needed after using this technique for a number of weeks.
What can I do instead of using aversives?
One of the best things that we can do for our dogs is to ask ourself ‘what does my dog need?’ instead of punishing them for their behaviour. It is very easy to become frustrated with our dogs because they communicate so differently compared to us. Next time your dog is exhibiting an unwanted behaviour, stop and ask yourself ‘what is my dog trying to tell me?’. For example, a dog that is displaying nuisance barking might be trying to tell you that they are over aroused or anxious and that they need our help in order to manage their emotions.
One of the key downfalls of aversive-based training is that it prevents you from addressing why your dog is displaying an undesirable behaviour in the first place. A halti may prevent a dog from pulling but it does not tackle the reason why the dog was pulling on the lead.
Policy written on 16/11/2022.
Resources
https://www.k9ofmine.com/how-to-not-train-dog-with-aversives-punishment/
https://www.facebook.com/seespotlearn/photos/a.107215773987125/722982079077155/?type=3
https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2018/05/what-is-negative-reinforcement-in-dog.html
Office
PO BOX 11044 Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 1YY
Contact Us
0800 054 1143
enquiries.radassistancedogs@gmail.com
RAD Assistance Dogs is the trading name of Recovery Assistance Dogs and is a charity registered in England and Wales | Charity No. 1125395