What is a correction?
In the dog world, the phrase "to correct" is controversial Many dog trainers argue that there's nothing wrong with 'correcting' a dog because you're simply showing him how to be correct. I've seen entire blogs written to justify the use of the word, and its application in dog training, by referring to the root of the word "correct" - to make right. I know that I appreciate it when someone corrects my work to help me improve.
If a correction is designed to make the dog correct, why does it often look like the dog is being made sorry rather than being made right?
This reminds me of a phase in my life where saying something was "bad" really meant that it was "good". Cool. The meaning of the word changed, and only a person in a closet would have failed to notice that change. As a result, we accepted the changed word and we used the original meaning with care to avoid a misunderstanding.
Is it possible that the current meaning of the word "correct" has changed from "being made right" to "applying unpleasant consequences?" I'm talking about the dog world; not the common usage of the word (we are talking about dogs here, aren't we?).
If you cannot decide for yourself if the meaning of the word has changed, then I'd like to suggest a fairly simple test to help you get calibrated.
You'll need three things. A dog making a mistake, a trainer applying a correction, and a five year old.
While the five year old is observing, "correct" the dog for making a mistake. Then ask the child, "is the dog happy now that I showed him how to be correct?"
If the five year old looks at you like you've grown a second head, then you may wish to acknowledge that the root meaning of the word and the common usage of the word are no longer the same.
Lets call a spade a spade. A correction means to make the dog sorry so that they will perform differently the next time. If you are showing a dog how to perform correctly, then don't call it a correction. You are "showing","teaching" or "training" the dog. And if you are really trying to help the dog, then whatever you are doing should look like help to the random five year old.
Regardless of how you feel about corrections in training, isn't it better to use language that is clear and descriptive of what is really happening?
I've seen people jerk their dogs all over the place in the name of dog training. I've seen dogs cowering away from their owners and other run away in fear. I've seen dogs pee and roll on their backs as their trainer approached. I'm sure each of those individuals would say they were 'correcting' the dog, and many of them would subscribe to the usage of the word that I began with - that they were making the dog right.
I've yet to hear someone say they were abusing their dog. So, in the interest of clarity, if we are truly showing our dogs how to perform and we care how they feel about their work, we should eliminate the use of the word "correction" from our vocabularies and substitute onother, less tainted word, in it's place.
41 comments
What an interesting thread of thought! But we have to remember here that we are dealing with us human handlers who mostly grew up in schools where “corrections” were always clearly defined by negative input when we made mistakes on math or english exams or other subjects and saw all of those red marks when we got our test papers or compositions back. We usually learned from our mistakes and survived all of those “red ink” corrections. We DID eventually get better. But bottom line was that it was generally pretty painful getting to that “better” spot. So it seems to me, it’s understandably hard for us to re-learn a positive connotation of the word “correction” well enough to pass on to our dogs in training.when we are having to re-teach this whole concept to our own selves at the same time too!
As a language person, I find this topic fascinating. I would agree that in common parlance “correction” means punishment. Since we have the very useful and clearly defined four quadrants of positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment, I am inclined to use those terms, since I know what they mean. On the other hand, if I say that I have “punished” my dog, your average person is unlikely to imagine that what I mean is that I have trotted away and given a treat to my imaginary dog Fred, although that’s a pretty likely scenario for what I have done. (Thanks, Denise!) But I love the concept of including the words positive and negative feedback in the training vocabulary. Punishment reduces behavior. Reinforcement increases behavior. Positive feedback lets a dog know they are on the right track and reinforcement is likely. Negative feedback lets a dog know that they are on the wrong track, and that reinforcement in unlikely. I use the word “good” to let my dog know that I like what she’s doing, but I want her to keep going. I’m not as consistent on a negative feedback marker, but, for instance, if she brings me back the wrong scent article I will turn away from her and say calmly “I don’t want that one. Find it.” If she misses a weave pole entry I might say “oops” and pull her out to try again. Pure clicker trainers are not generally big on this kind of feedback, but I think for sports where dogs have to make choices it’s useful to let them know as immediately as possible if they’ve made the wrong choice.
Denise, I just love how you train dogs~ just sad that some people still don’t get it? Makes training so much more fun for all parties involved!
Truth hurts folks…….
Wonder how much ‘correction’ it would take to get trainer/handlers to do the work ‘right’ to start with and to teach slowly, consistently, and check in with their dog? Dogs are perfect at being dogs and they learn so quickly – why is it they seem to – um – ‘need’ correction from some handlers? It’s not willful disobedience, or disobedience at all but a lack of interest in some activity that’s not serving them or making them happy when something else looks more enticing, I think. Why can’t we, as handlers, recognize our lack of clarity and/or consistency in our work with them?
I see it in my own 2 VERY different dogs – both happy to work with me (I think) – but when they’re tired, or having an off day, or my tone/character is off from who they want to work with, they perform lots of actions that they’d get ‘corrected’ for with others. Sometimes, I realize I need to back off, do some fun things with them, teach some random trick or something else b/s what is making them uncomfortable.
Egad … correction clinic??? Thank you, Denise, for calling out the truth here. I was an English major in an earlier life, and I tend to use words pretty precisely. Technically, I have no problem with the idea of a correction, in the original and dictionary meaning of the word. When a dog is fairly well along a learning curve, and does something that isn’t what I’ve asked for, I’ll put forth a “nope” sometimes, and give her another chance to make it right; that’s my idea of a correction. But I could have nightmares over the fear instilled in generations of dogs through the years in the name of correction. Knowing what the word has come to mean to too many people, I have started trying to use the word “feedback” and just hope THAT doesn’t get twisted!