Dog training choices reflect owners’ ethical views on animals

Whether a dog owner rewards their dog with a treat or corrects it by pulling on the leash is not simply a matter of what they believe to be the most effective training method. According to the study, owners’ choice of training methods is linked to their ethical stance on how animals should be treated and used. The results come from a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Copenhagen in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Edinburgh.

Dog owners with an animal welfare-oriented ethical stance are less likely to use punishment-based training methods than those who believe that animals are there for humans to use.

“If you use punishment as part of dog training, you are more likely to view dogs as existing primarily for human purposes. If you use less punishment and rely more on positive training methods, you are more likely to orient yourself towards the idea that animals should have rights, or at least good welfare,” says Peter Sandøe, Professor at the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the University of Copenhagen and senior author of the study.

Treats versus verbal correction

The study is based on responses from 500 dog owners in the United States, who were surveyed about their training practices.

Positive training methods – such as treats, toys and verbal praise – were widely used among respondents, while punishment-based methods, including verbal reprimands or physical correction, were used less frequently.

The participants were also asked about their views on animals and were categorized based on their responses. Overall, respondents reflected three main types of ethical orientation towards animals: an anthropocentric orientation, an animal welfare-oriented ethics stance and an animal rights orientation.

The results show that dog owners with an anthropocentric animal‑ethical stance are more likely to use punishment‑based methods than owners who believe that animals are entitled to good welfare or rights. In addition, owners who believe that animals are entitled to good welfare were more likely to use positive methods than owners with an anthropocentric stance.

Training choices are not based on effectiveness alone

According to Peter Sandøe, the study indicates that choice of dog training methods does not solely reflect technical knowledge or understanding of learning theory.

“Training is not a neutral activity. It is an activity in which the owner’s view of the animal becomes apparent. The methods people choose also reflect their beliefs about what our moral obligations towards animals are.”

From this perspective, influencing choice of training methods is not merely a technical or professional issue.

“It is not only about learning theory – it is also an ethical discussion. You cannot isolate it as something purely technical or sciency, as some tend to do,” says Peter Sandøe.

More reflective choices for dog owners

Although the study was conducted in the United States, similar patterns may be expected in other countries, explains Peter Sandøe. While the distribution of ethical views may vary across countries, the relationship between ethical orientation and the choice of training methods is likely to be comparable.

At the same time, the findings may encourage reflection among dog owners.

“The study creates room for reflection. Ethics appears to play an important role in why people do what they do when training their dogs,” says Peter Sandøe.

Overall, the study highlights considerable variation in how people relate to animals.

“People have very different views on animals, and dog training is an area that really divides opinions,” concludes Peter Sandøe.

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About the study

The study is based on responses from 500 dog owners in the United States who completed a questionnaire. Participants reported how often they used different training methods and were then asked to respond to a series of statements about animal ethics.

The study is not representative, and the results cannot therefore be used to estimate how widespread different training methods or ethical orientations are in the general population. The study focuses solely on the relationship between training choices and ethical orientation.

The study used a measure of animal ethical orientation developed by researchers at the University of Copenhagen. This measure has also been applied in previous studies examining the relationship between animal ethics views and consumer choices, such as the purchase of pork with or without animal welfare labels.

The data collection was carried out by Tracy Weber from the University of Edinburgh.

The study also involved contributions from Kevin McPeake from the University of Edinburgh, Thomas Bøker Lund from the Department of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen, and Björn Forkman and Iben Meyer from the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the University of Copenhagen.

Link to the study: Full article: Dog Owners’ Use of Training Methods and Their Ethical Stance on the Treatment of Animals

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Three types of ethical orientation towards animals

The study categorized respondents according to their ethical orientation towards animals. Overall, three main orientations were identified:

1. Anthropocentric orientation – the view that it is ethically acceptable for humans to use animals for human purposes.
2. Animal protection orientation – the view that humans may use animals, but have an obligation to ensure good animal welfare.
3. Animal rights orientation – the view that animals have moral value comparable to humans and should be entitled to similar rights.

Dog owners with an anthropocentric orientation were more likely to use verbal reprimands or physical correction as part of their dog training than owners with one of the two other animal-ethical orientations. At the same time, owners with a welfare‑oriented view used more positive methods – such as treats, toys, and praise – than the anthropocentric owners.

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Positive and punishment-based training methods

Most respondents reported using positive training methods, consistent with what the study refers to as positive reinforcement training.

• 97 percent reported using praise
• 86 percent reported using treats or toys as rewards

Punishment-based methods were used less frequently:

• 46 percent reported using some form of punishment
• 25 percent reported using physically aversive methods, such as pulling on the leash or similar forms of physical correction

Only a small proportion of respondents – just under 18 percent – reported relying exclusively on reward-based training methods.