Punishment & Its Fallout

A course for those who love dogs and want to learn more about the science of their behavior.

Our next cohort will be held in Spring 2025!

Most positive reinforcement trainers are quick to dismiss punishment, and for good reason. But when someone pushes back, asks why, or insists that punishment is necessary to learn, many trainers feel at a loss for how to explain the risks of punishment. Join us for a course designed to help you articulate more than just that “punishment is bad”!

You’ll leave this course feeling more confident in your decision to avoid punishment and more equipped to talk about why that is the right decision. You’ll also have tools to recognize when a dog may have experienced punishment in the past, when the side effects of punishment are impacting their behavior, and how to mitigate the fallout, helping improve your training and your clients’ (dog and human!) quality of life.

*Note: this is NOT a course to teach training through punishment, but to facilitate better understanding of and planning for any side effects you may be encountering.

The Details

Where: Online via Zoom

When: Spring 2025 dates TBD

What: At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Define positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment and give examples of each

  • Define “aversive” and give an example

  • Identify examples of punishment procedures based on the effects of an intervention

  • Evaluate the impact of an intervention and compare that to the intent behind implementing the intervention

  • Name and describe the side effects of punishment and give examples of the topography of these side effects in dogs

  • List considerations for the use of punishment

  • Identify barriers to using punishment effectively and ethically in applied settings

  • Develop risk-benefit analyses to evaluate the potential use of punishment when presented with a hypothetical scenario

Cost: General Enrollment: $395 per student. We also offer one free BIPOC spot in all of our professional courses and sliding scale payment options, and free registration for veterinary staff.

Who is this for? Dog behavior professionals or very invested dog guardians! Because we are seeking to make the best class possible, we are hoping to pull together a diverse cohort of participants. If you are interested, please fill out the form and we will be in touch about next steps.

Continuing Education: 10.5 Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) CEUs are available for this course should the participant attend all 5 sessions in their entirety.