ABWC Fairfax
About Our Practice
About Our Practice
Why we do not condone the use of punishment tools or techniques:
Animal Behavior Wellness Center focuses on the use of positive reinforcement as the primary consequence when teaching new behaviors. At no time do we condone the use of punishment, correction, or aversive training techniques.
The definition of punishment is anything that stops a behavior from occurring and/or decreases the chances of it being repeated in the future.
Punishment based training techniques increase fear, anxiety, and arousal. Punishment can also put the user at risk for becoming the target of aggression.
Discontinue use of all punishment and aversive training devices, including penny cans, scruffing, water bottles, squirt guns, chain bags, verbal scolding, spanking, and swatting.
DO NOT punish or correct an animal for behaving like one.
You can interrupt behavior (non-stressful, no force, no confrontation, no pain, no intimidation), and then redirect them to something else, but you should take steps to better manage the behavior or begin managing the behavior thereafter.
Training should focus on teaching and reinforcing. Again, no pain, force, confrontation, stress, or intimidation. Find more information about Behavior Modification HERE.
