Quote:
Originally Posted by natas
Very good point, and I didn't even notice that. I am actually a firm believer in punisher directly when something happens rather than later. I do it with my dogs. If I come home and find the trash scattered around I do not punish them because they don't understand it...but if I catch them in the act I react asap.
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Exactly.
I use operant conditioning myself, which calls for the use of -no- punishment during training. It works fantastically. Animals respond much better to it than to traditional methods.
BUT, I do believe that sometimes punishment is not only necessary, but vital. The timing, however, is even more vital. I had a dog once who would panic when you touched his collar, no matter how nice you were tlaking to him, because his previous owner would baby talk to him, grab his collar, and punish him physically.
The dog didn't learn that he was punished for any reason other than that his collar was grabbed. That elephant may well do the same thing next time. "I remember this. I let go, and got pain. This time I won't let go." Crunch.
