The DogSmith Blog

Competence is the most ethical obligation a professional has in their field of expertise (Welfel p 81 2009).  To be competent means the professional is knowledgeable, is schooled in the theory and research of their industry and has the necessary skills to actually apply that field of knowledge to a working situation with their clients [...]

First off, The DogSmith does not advocate punishment, not when there are so many other more pleasant ways to decrease the intensity, duration or frequency of a problematic behavior. In the scientific world a ‘punisher’ has to be an event that decreases the strength or likelihood of a behavior. So punishment does not have to [...]