The Science

"The great thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe it." -Neil Degrasse Tyson

Scientific studies can be boring. Most people don't care about actual studies, but what we do need to care about is the results of these studies. This page will be updated as new scientific studies and findings come out. If you have a question about a study's efficacy or validity, please contact us!

Scientists have proven that punishment-based training increases fear, aggression and anxiety in dogs.

http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(08)00371-7/fulltext


Scientists have proven that punishment-based training is associated with human aggression.

http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(13)00292-X/pdf


Scientists have proven that positive reinforcement training is just as effective as punishment-based training.

http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(17)30035-7/abstract


Using Punishment for Behavior Modification in Animals: The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) Position Statement:

https://web.archive.org/web/20130413011108/http://avsabonline.org:80/uploads/position_statements/Combined_Punishment_Statements1-25-13.pdf


The Use of Choke and Prong, Common Fallout, Multiple Scientific Sources:

https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/chokeandprongcollarpositionstatement


The Use of Shock, Consequences of Shock, Multiple Scientific Sources:

https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/shockcollars


Textbook Learning Theory Go-To's:

  • Chance, P. (2013). Learning and behavior. Nelson Education.
  • Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis. Pearson.
  • Domjan, M. (2014). The principles of learning and behavior. Nelson Education.
  • Domjan, M. (2000). The essentials of conditioning and learning. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
  • Goodwin, C. J. (2016). Research in psychology methods and design. John Wiley & Sons.
  • Honig, W. K. (1966). Operant behavior: areas of research and application. Appleton-Century-Crofts.
  • Keller, F. S., & Schoenfeld, W. N. (1950). Principles of psychology: A systematic text in the science of behavior (Vol. 2). Appleton Century Crofts.
  • Klein, S. B. (2011). Learning: Principles and applications. Sage Publications.
  • Schwartz, B. (1989). Psychology of learning and behavior. WW Norton & Co.
  • Shettleworth, S. J. (2010). Cognition, evolution, and behavior. Oxford University Press.

Copyright 2017 Eileen Anderson

"Science has indeed spoken about the use of punishment in training, the role of dominance in the dog world, the effectiveness of positive reinforcement and more. Though the argument rages on about the safest, quickest and most effective way to train dogs, modern behavioral science has definitively ended the debate.

Positive training is the future of dog training.:

https://positively.com/dog-training/positive-training/the-science-behind-positive-training/

Copyright 2017 Victoria Stillwell