Question
This answer got me thinking, is corporal punishment really an effective training method for dogs? Without doubt there are people firmly on both sides of any position like this, so answers that we have always done it 'this way' are not what I am looking for.
Are there any reliable studies, showing the effectiveness of corporal punishment, versus other training methods in dogs? Alternately any studies that show effectiveness of any particular line of training that be compared in your answer to corporal punishment as a method.
Answer
No, corporal punishment is not an effective training method.
Hiby et al reviewed dog training results, but included corporal punishment under the broader category of punishment based training (including yelling at the dog and putting him out) and concluded
Overall, our results suggest that punishment-based training is not effective at reducing the incidence of problematic behaviours, and its use seems to be linked with the increased occurrence of potential problems.
EF Hiby, NJ Rooney, and JWS Bradshaw. Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Animal Welfare 2004, 13: 63-69.
Herron, et al performed a study focused on the dog's response to specific negative training techniques, and noted that 43% of the dogs in the study (12/28) responded aggressively when they were hit or kicked for exhibiting undesirable behavior. This display of aggression is a safety concern for the owner, as well as not being a desireable training outcome.
"Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors" Meghan E. Herron, Frances S. Shofer, Ilana R. Reisner Applied Animal Behaviour Science 117 (2009) 47–54
Answered By - Zaralynda