A few weeks ago, a political commentary influencer named Hasan Piker found himself in controversy over how he treats his dog, Kaya. On a Twitch stream, Kaya yelped as Piker reached for something out of frame, making people think that he uses a shock collar. He denied this and said her collar is a vibrating collar.
Regardless of Piker’s choices with his dog, there are many different dog training methods to discuss. Some are more effective than others, and some are more problematic.
Classical conditioning, discovered by Russian psychologist Pavlov, involves a stimulus that causes a reaction that normally wouldn’t occur. The famous example of this is Pavlov’s dogs; they would start to drool when they heard a bell, as they associated that sound with mealtime, even when no food was present. Dog training involves operant conditioning, where desired traits are reinforced and undesired traits are discouraged.
There are four quadrants of operant conditioning: positive reinforcement, negative punishment, positive punishment and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is giving a reward when a desired action is performed (giving a dog a treat). Negative punishment is where something is removed when an undesirable behavior occurs (stopping play time when a puppy plays too hard).
Positive punishment is giving a “punishment” when an undesirable action happens (saying no when your dog eats your meatloaf). Negative reinforcement is where you remove an unpleasant stimulus after the desired behavior has been performed (shocking a dog until it returns to the yard).
Positive reinforcement is the most effective way to train your dog. Both positive punishment and negative reinforcement can have bad side effects. Studies have found that positive punishment has resulted in elevated stress levels, increased aggression and physical harm. Negative reinforcement results in a terrified dog, as they have no idea why they’re getting punished.
There are seven different types of training styles: alpha, positive reinforcement, clicker training, e-collar, model-rival, relationship-based and science-based. Alpha training and e-collar training are the least effective, with the others being significantly more effective.
Alpha training is based on a research article done on wolves from various zoos. This involves a hierarchy in the pack. However, multiple studies have disproved this system; wolves in the wild tend to act more like a family, as packs in the wild are families. The wolves in the study mentioned previously were all strangers. L. David Mech, the wildlife biologist who published the book that popularized the term “alpha wolf,” has been advocating for the correction of the mainstream opinion.
This type of training can result in your dog being fearful and not trusting you, so it’s better not to use this one.
Positive reinforcement training is in the name; your dog does something you want, you give a reward. This training style has no bad side effects on your dog. The main issue is that it takes time and patience. But the reward is 100% worth the time.
Something similar to positive reinforcement training is clicker training. This involves pressing a clicker to signal to the dog that they did the correct action. This prevents confusion that can come from the same word being said in different tones.
It can be difficult to use at first, especially if you’re not that well coordinated. For clicker training, it is important to start slow with the clicker and move onto more advanced tricks when you’re more comfortable.
E-collar training involves a tool with the same name. E-collars can emit a shock, vibrate, or play a tone that distracts your dog. For the shock, you can change the vibration amount using a handheld device. This device is also where you would press buttons to give the dog a shock. Since each dog is different, the amount needed will vary.
For e-collars, it is important not to get a cheap one. Options that are less than $100 tend to use electric shock instead of a similar, safer model like a TENS unit.
E-collars, if used wrong, can cause stress and confusion. Imagine this: you are frolicking in a field and all of a sudden, you feel a vibrating sensation in your throat. You don’t know where this sensation is coming from or why it is there, but as you walk away from the field, the vibrations stop. You learn to avoid the field, but you don’t know why you get those vibrations. This is what dogs can deal with when wearing a collar like this.
It is important that if you’re going to use an e-collar, you should not only punish the dog but also redirect their behavior. If you shock your dog when they run onto the road but don’t give them a treat when they are beside you, they won’t learn an alternative behavior.
It is also important to start e-collar training at home. If you try the collar out in public, the dog might associate the sensation with something else, like another dog that they are getting into a fight with, and the next thing you know, your dog has bitten another dog.
When used incorrectly, e-collars can cause anxiety, fear and aggression. They can also cause pressure sores if they are left on for too long. If you do plan on using these, make sure to get in contact with a trainer who specializes in these so that you can learn how to properly use them.
Have you ever seen a TikTok of a young couple with a puppy where the girlfriend tells her boyfriend to speak so that the puppy learns the command “speak”? That’s model-rival training in a nutshell. This training method was developed by Irene Pepperberg and was initially tested on parrots. This is a good tool to use in a multi-dog house, but not great for a single-dog household.
Relationship-based training is similar to positive reinforcement training, but focuses more on building a relationship with your dog. This includes understanding your dog’s stressors and how to adapt. Some people include this in positive reinforcement training, but others don’t.
Science-based training is using the latest research to make a training regime for your dog. This can be tricky, as new research is coming out every year. A lot of people view this more as a mindset instead of training style.
Going back to Hasan Piker, he said he uses a vibrating collar on his dog, Kaya. Online sleuths looked up the collar and found that it has shocking abilities. Piker’s dogsitter, Caroline Kwan, says she has seen the collar in the clip and it is a vibrating collar with the prongs removed.
In the clip, it can be inferred that Kaya received a vibration for getting up. If that’s the case, that is a problem. Kaya is a huge dog who needs to have constant activity. Piker has set up an exercise program for his dog, but she still needs to be able to move even when he is streaming. I don’t watch his videos regularly, so I don’t know if Kaya isn’t allowed to move for every stream and every minute, but if she isn’t, that is on average seven hours where she isn’t moving.
On the other hand, people have mentioned that this might have been taken out of proportion. In the video, it looks like Kaya’s dewclaw hits the bed, which could result in the yelp. Piker just happens to reach for something out of the camera’s range.
If you’re interested in learning more about dog training, the local dog training center Canine Body and Mind has resources for positive reinforcement training. They also have classes where you can train your pup. If you’re interested in learning more about e-collar training, the local company E-Collar Technologies has resources about their devices on their website.
