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Editorial
. 2025 Sep;53(3):229-231.
doi: 10.3758/s13420-025-00672-5. Epub 2025 Apr 21.

Chasing solutions: A response to Bastos et al. (2024)

Anamarie C Johnson  1 , Clive D L Wynne  2
Affiliations
Editorial

Chasing solutions: A response to Bastos et al. (2024)

Anamarie C Johnson et al. Learn Behav. 2025 Sep.

Abstract

Two sentence summary: In this response to a recent commentary by Bastos et al. (2024) on our study showing a superiority of aversive over positive reinforcement training to inhibit chasing in dogs under specific conditions, we emphasize three points: (1) failing to inhibit chasing can result in injuries and fatalities to dogs and people, (2) dog owners want and need rapid solutions (more time-consuming approaches are less likely to be implemented), and (3) the existing literature favoring positive reinforcement is based on correlational and quasi-experimental methods that cannot determine causality.

Keywords: Distress; Dog training methods; Eustress; Positive punishment; Positive reinforcement; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval: Not applicable. Consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Conflicts of interest/Competing interests: The authors declare there were no conflicts of interest or competing interests.

References

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    1. Johnson, A. C., & Wynne, C. D. L. (2024a). Comparison of the efficacy and welfare of different training methods in stopping chasing behavior in dogs. Animals, 14(18), Article 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14182632

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