I admit I did not read every word, but I have to agree on most everything when it comes to real world life.
It would be a wonderful world if everything could be gained through *positive only*--a Utopia of sorts.
Fact is, every single being would have to be on the same exact page & thought process, & that's just not going to happen in this life. But then again, I live in the real world & don't have the luxury of sheltering myself in a bubble.
I've worked with pooches, & also I've worked with children who are special needs, & also worked with kids who have serious behavioral issues.
I have also raised a child with serious behavioral issues for 15 of the 20 yrs of their life. I have both seen & experienced both sides.
Positive only people, the one's who are inflexible to any other concept, IMHO have issues of their own.
They should be dealing with those issues--within their own psyche.
These types who are PO only & your pooch is abused if you use any other method-- appear terrified of consequences--any consequences--they don't teach them to their kids, their dog or anything else--it's as if they want to ignore the fact that consequences exist.
This is where the UNREALITY comes in. ignoring the fact that consequences exist, & refusing to teach consequences *does* lead to seeking behaviors.--Whether it is animals or humans--consequences teach limits & boundaries.
Every animal seeks to understand their limits & boundaries. Be it a fish, a dog or a3 or a 15 year old child.
For instance, it has been my direct experience that 're-direction only' fails at some point, be it dog or child, at some point, you've got to make it clear a certain behavior is not acceptable. Re-direction helps, & should be the 1st step--because it gives the outlet & shows what is an acceptable behavior--but when the old behavior is resorted to, something needs to be done to deter- the behavior you want to stop-not just distracting away from it.
Both human beings & other animals evolve & there is (was) survival of the fittest throughout evolution.
This certaily was NOT positive only.
if all you ever get is a distraction or a redirection, it then becomes limitless, no clear boundaries exist.
Just like good fences can make good neighbors, boundaries are necessary, & so is the understanding of what can or will happen if the boundary is crossed.
LOL I've gotten to a point with the PO people with kids, where I just view it as raising poorly adjusted, ill prepared pre-adults--they can't handle stress or pressure, all they've ever known was a bubble of positive. They crumble in workplaces because competition isn't fair & neither is life & they seem clueless as to understand why they don't keep getting more chances when they skrew up. And this is humans-with the capability of deep understanding. These kids do not understand their place, how to cope, or how to move past, suck it up, pick themselves up & move on in the real world.
As far as PO people with dogs, I tune it out now. balance is key & is realistic. I don't live in a bubble & neither does my pooch. A Pooch's mother taught by using corrections, & the pup clearly understood. This is how they communicate.
Then a human comes in & just distracts/redirects...no rules are defined.
The adrenalized seeking behaviors are pretty much on spot, & the description is simplified, but it hits the gist of things.
The HPA Axis is a complicated *negative feedback* loop system.
The hypothalmus(CRH/CRF) stimulates the pituitary(ACTH) that stimulates the adrenals(adrenaline{epinephrine} & cortisol), with the adrenals eventually signalling the hypothalmus via cortisol to stop producing CRF.
The more stimulus an animals brain has when it is a baby & in the development stages, the more pathways are built.
The more stimulus an animals brain has when young also directly correlates to the ability to handle stress later in life, through various stimulations of the HPA axis. Once pathways are built, they are there for life. If they are never built, you may miss a window that cannot be opened. For humans, one great example is language, if this window is missed, impairment for life can result (this was found through studies of abused/neglaected children), this is probably the most extreme example.
Keep in mind, PO for dogs (or humans) is a form of behavioral psychology, it's not science in the sense of law, it is theory.
It is very similar to BMT (behavioral modification therapy), with the exception that it uses no negative reinforcements or corrections.
Many theories work perfectly in text books & limited situations.
PO doesn't have a bunch of neuro-endocrinological scientific tests to back up the data for dogs/dolphins or rats.
The cost to do this with MRI/SPECT scans & a ton of expensive bloodwork is still in it's infancy with people.
There is some info from the BMT side, with humans (& some animals).
Much of the research comes from veterans, holocaust victims, POWs & traumatized children & some lab animals, usually wistar rats, & some monkeys. Every once in a while there may be some studies on dolphins or dogs--but it's expensive & very very limited funding.
Most of the people who are going off about PO only do not have a backround in neuro-endocrinological studies, or even a clear understanding of how the hypothalmus works with the hpa axis. Best understanding they might have is Pavlov's dog type of stuff. They're not scientists, & they are grabbing research from other areanas & it doesn't always apply in reality.
Fine by me but my kids know their manners when out and to respect others (both furry and skin kids)