what is adversive training

Aversive training techniques are methods that use an unpleasant, fear-inducing, or painful stimulus to discourage or stop an unwanted behavior. These methods are typically categorized under the learning principles of Positive Punishment (adding something unpleasant) and Negative Reinforcement (removing something unpleasant to increase a desired behavior).

Many professional veterinary and animal behavior organizations recommend avoiding these methods due to the risks they pose to animal welfare, including increased fear, anxiety, aggression, and damage to the human-animal bond.

🛑 Common Aversive Techniques and Tools

Here are examples of training techniques and tools widely deemed aversive:


Physical Correction 

* Hitting, swatting, or kicking the animal  

* Shock Collars (E-collars) 

* Lead/Leash jerking or "popping" 

* Prong Collars 

* Holding an animal's mouth closed 

* Choke Chains (Slip collars) 

* Poking or prodding the animal 

* Invisible Fence Collars 

* "Alpha Rolls" or "Dominance Downs" (physically forcing an animal onto its back or side) 

* Spray Collars (e.g., citronella) 

Verbal/Intrusive 

* Yelling, shouting, or harsh scolding

* Shaker Cans (cans with coins)

* Confrontational staring or threatening body language 

* Spray bottles (squirting water).


Understanding the Principles

In the context of animal training, aversive methods are associated with two quadrants of Operant Conditioning:

 * Positive Punishment: The addition of an unpleasant stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior (e.g., delivering a shock for barking).

 * Negative Reinforcement: The removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior (e.g., releasing pressure from a choke chain when the animal stops pulling).

In contrast, methods recommended by most experts for being least invasive and minimally aversive (LIMA) rely on Positive Reinforcement (adding something pleasant to increase a behavior).

Would you like to know more about the Positive Reinforcement methods that are recommended as alternatives to aversive training?

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