It’s not uncommon for a Labrador retriever or a Labrador retriever puppy to do something wrong. But do Labs know they did something wrong?
It’s unlikely that dogs have the same internal mechanisms as people for doing the right thing. Dogs probably don’t have a conscience which gnaws away at them if they do something that hurts somebody else nor do they have the complex problem solving capabilities that humans have, but a dog may know it’s in trouble if the dog owner acts differently.
Whether your dog’s guilty look is an actual expression of guilt and whether they feel guilt is hard to know. Dogs may feel a sense that they have wronged their owners, but equally, it could be an anthropomorphism by the human: a tendency to see human emotions in an explicitly non-human animal. The good news is that whether a dog feels guilty or not, there’s a lot that owners can do to correct a dog who has done something wrong.
Punishment vs. Discipline
When dogs exhibit bad behavior, it’s easy for owners to lash out, shout and physically attack their animals. But this is not a good idea. Just like children, dogs can become dysfunctional when physically or verbally abused. Owners, therefore, need to avoid punishing their dogs at all costs: it won’t help the situation, they likely won’t understand what they are being punished for, and punishing may make the problem worse.
There’s a difference between punishing and disciplining a dog. Punishment is a negative process where you attack your dog and get it to do what you want through fear and pain. Discipline, on the other hand, is a positive reinforcement approach to training your Lab where you encourage good behaviors by rewarding them. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can discipline your dog positively and have a positive effect on your dog’s behavior.
Don’t Give Your Lab Attention When They Misbehave
Dogs are fundamentally social creatures. If they were people, they would be extroverts, energized by those around them. Because of this, withdrawing attention from a dog can be a powerful tool to encourage them to modify their behavior.
If you notice your dog doing something wrong, try to avoid giving them attention. Your dog may misinterpret shouting or hitting as a form of communication and use that as a reason to keep doing the behavior that is causing your distress. What’s more, withdrawing attention in situations that warrant it is a much more humane intervention than, say, verbally shouting at your dog. It’s better for both the animal and the owner.
Use Time – Outs From Situations
Time-outs are another kind of positive reinforcement technique that people use to avoid punishment. Time-outs don’t necessarily mean removing all contact from the dog: that is likely to lead to distress. Instead, time-outs are about preventing the dog from doing some kind of bad behavior.
Say, for instance, that your chocolate lab is playing too rough with a new puppy. A time-out is removing the dog from that situation and placing it somewhere else, separate from the other animals. By doing this, the dog knows it’s in trouble, and you can resolve the situation without anyone getting hurt.
Focus on Rewarding Good Behaviors
Labs are incredibly adept at responding to rewards. If a black lab thinks that it is going to get something good as a result of engaging in a particular type of behavior, it will. Showing your Lab what you want it to do will be more clear communication on your part instead of showing your Lab what you don’t want it to do. Everything from body language to your voice are part of your communication to your Lab
When a Lab does something that you want, focus on giving it a reward of some kind. The reward doesn’t have to be anything fancy – either a cuddle, warm words or a small treat will suffice. Dogs will quickly learn which behaviors elicit these responses, and which don’t
Why Does Positive Reinforcement Work Better Than Punishment?
The reason positive reinforcement works better than punishment is because it does not lead to dysfunctional behaviors (and it’s kinder to the animal, who often does not know better). Being violent or shouting at a dog might prevent it from doing what you don’t want it to do, but it invariably leads to problems in the future. If your dog is stressed, it could start repeating behaviors, barking incessantly, or wet its bedding.
Positive reinforcement, on the other hand, doesn’t lead to any dysfunctional behaviors: the dog senses no need to modify its behavior because it is not in danger. When it does what you want it to do, it gets a reward.
Whether dogs know that they did something wrong will remain a philosophical question for some time yet. But owners would do well to remember that positive reinforcement is a much sounder strategy than punishment. Dogs need to feel that they are valuable members of the family, not objects to be derided and punished when they accidentally do something their owners don’t want.
Alexandra Horowitz is a scientist who studies dog cognition. She has written many books and one particular favorite is called “Inside of a Dog.” This book touches particularly on the nose of a dog and their perspective of life from behind such a powerful nose. Her works are an interesting read for those who have a quest to learn more.
