Idk if anyone’s gonna engage me on this but I want to think it out loud anyways.

Just… as a continuation of an earlier tag commentary thought train, what is the difference between training, teaching, and manipulation?

Because I was thinking “well isn’t teaching an animal to trust you so they’ll do what you ask just manipulating them?” and like, kind of? But I guess it depends on what you’re asking them to do, why you’re training them to do it, and how you’re training them.

For example, if I’m training my dog to have basic manners in a public space, that’s not for my personal satisfaction but rather for the sake of the dog as a member of society. And generally the best methods to teach dogs are ones that involve building their confidence in you as someone to look towards for directions. Building their trust in you. Ideally the dog will participate because engaging with you brings good things for them.

But like, what about training animals to do things where the animal gets no particular benefit from it other than maybe a treat and some enrichment (arguably, and depending on the case of course)? Not like at a zoo, where they have to train animals to perform certain actions for the purpose of health checks and such. And I don’t know enough about the details of cetacean captivity and welfare to use that as an example of anything.

You’ve got four basic training methods:

1. Positive reinforcement: A desirable stimulus is applied when a “good” behavior happens, making that behavior more likely to reoccur. (This one is most often recommended for dog training, and probably most other kinds of training. Subject performs behavior when prompted in order to earn a good reward.)
2. Positive punishment: An undesirable stimulus is applied when a “bad” behavior happens, making that behavior less likely to reoccur (Subject stops doing behavior to avoid unpleasant stimulus. Ex. The intention people have when using shock collars.)
3. Negative reinforcement: An unpleasant stimulus is applied. When subject performs the desired behavior, the unpleasant stimulus is removed. Behavior more likely to reoccur. (Ex. applying pressure with a choke chain, releasing pressure when dog complies – not my favorite example, but the best one I can currently think of)
4. Negative punishment: A desired stimulus or object is removed when the subject performs an unwanted behavior. Behavior less likely to reoccur. (Ex. Ignoring a child who interrupts; turning away from a dog that jumps up when greeting. I suppose would also include things like removal of rights after an arrest.)

I’m not sure where I was going with all this, but I guess how do you differentiate between training and manipulating? Is it just the deceit and dishonest intentions that make something manipulation? Would that make it manipulative to earn a stray’s trust so you can catch them and take them to the vet (something that, while in the animal’s best interest, is very much NOT what the animal was trusting from you)? Why is teaching an animal that humans = food = good so they’ll be more cooperative not manipulative? I don’t personally think it is, but I cant explain why it isn’t.