Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site whuxlm.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!whuxlm!jak From: jak@whuxlm.UUCP (Keegan Joan) Newsgroups: net.pets Subject: Re: Training dogs (food) Message-ID: <811@whuxlm.UUCP> Date: Mon, 19-Aug-85 08:33:08 EDT Article-I.D.: whuxlm.811 Posted: Mon Aug 19 08:33:08 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 20-Aug-85 22:15:48 EDT References: <192@drutx.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany Lines: 28 > > I am a cat person myself, so I don't know much about obedience > training (since cats don't obey by nature :-). This interested > me. > > Why is using food controversial? > > > -- > > Sue Brezden > One reason I remember hearing is that, if you use food to train your dog, they will ONLY work if you use food. I have not found this to be the case. Even if I only reward my dog with food some of the time, he does the right thing the rest of the time too. (He always gets lots of praise whenever he does the right thing). I attended a seminar once on dog training by Charlotte Schwartz (she does a lot of obedience training and tracking in NJ), and her theory is that rewards for a dog are food and sex, and you can't give them the latter!?! Anyway, I think the trainers who believe in using food tend to lean more toward positive reinforcement than negative. Those that don't use food seem to go in for lots of jerking on training collars, ear pinching, prong collars, etc. I don't want to generalize too much, my experience is still limited. Joan Keegan AT&T-Bell Labs ..!whuxlm!whuxlg!jak