Negative punishment

How it works

Negative here means something was taken away, not that the technique is harsh. The most familiar version is the game stopping: play ends the moment teeth touch skin, so the behavior that ended the game happens less. It requires that the dog actually wanted what was removed, which is why turning away from a dog who was not seeking attention changes nothing. It sits lower on the Humane Hierarchy than positive punishment because nothing unpleasant is added.

What it looks like

A puppy mouths too hard during a game of tug. The handler lets go, stands up and walks away for fifteen seconds, then restarts. Over several sessions the hard bites reduce, because they reliably end the thing the puppy wanted.

Commonly confused with

Extinction

Extinction withholds the reinforcement a behavior was already producing. Negative punishment removes something else the dog currently has. Ignoring a barking dog is extinction; ending the game they were enjoying is negative punishment.

Related terms