We know some people grew up with training methods that involved choke chains, prong collars, shock collars, alpha rolls, or punishment when a dog did something wrong. Most people who used these methods did so because they didn't know there was a better way. There is.
The research is overwhelming. Multiple peer-reviewed studies have found that aversive training methods, those that use pain, fear, or intimidation to suppress behavior, cause measurable harm to dogs. Dogs trained with aversive methods show significantly higher levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), display more fear and anxiety behaviors, and are more likely to develop aggression. One study found that dogs from training programs using aversive methods were more "pessimistic" in their outlook, reflecting a state of chronic stress and reduced quality of life.
Aversive methods also don't actually teach your dog what you want them to do. They suppress behavior through fear, which means the moment the fear is removed, the behavior often returns. And a dog who is afraid of being corrected is too anxious to learn well in the first place.
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) has issued a clear position statement: reward-based training should be the first-line approach for all dog training and behavior modification. Punishment-based tools like prong collars, choke chains, and shock collars should not be used.
At GBF, we stand firmly behind this. There is no behavior problem that requires hurting or frightening your dog to fix.