The Bitter Apple Spray Lunacy

The numbers are exponentially increasing, and it's a shameful travesty of purported "dog training."

I'm hearing too often from new clients during their intake interviews that they were instructed by prior trainers to spray their dogs with an irritating bitter spray to stop unwanted behaviors, such as barking at other dogs. A quick Internet search will reveal numerous references to using bitter spray to punish a puppy or dog after it barks, bites, or commits some other misbehavior. This includes a disturbing number of web sites published by self-proclaimed "humane" shelters, animal-related organizations, and individuals.

If this were only the newest absurd training fad, or merely a useless waste of time, I would not be so concerned about this growing trend. But this barbaric practice is far from benign. Puppies and dogs are being abused and harmed by this absurd approach to "training." And when this tactic fails, as it always will, their equally victimized owners must eventually confront the task of trying to undo the damage to their overall training and to the trusting relationship they once hoped to enjoy with their beloved canine companion. Unfortunately, serious damage can't always be undone.

There are a number of bitter sprays currently available that are marketed as "powerful taste deterrents." These are the products that the "bitter spray trainers" are instructing their students to spray into their dog's mouth, with unavoidable overspray into their nose, eyes, and about their face.

The Grannick's Bitter AppleŽ product appears to be the most popular of the bitter taste deterrent sprays. The label on Grannick's Bitter AppleŽ is to be applied to surfaces that you wish to protect against chewing, such as furniture and other household items. It also purports to "Discourage fur biting and hair chewing." The expectation being, that if the dog contacts the just-sprayed surface with its mouth, it will quickly experience an unpleasant taste, and will subsequently make an immediate negative association between the object/surface and an unpleasant taste. Bitter AppleŽ spray has been around for a long time, and it can be an effective counter-conditioning aid in some chewing situations for some dogs (and cats, ferrets, etc), because there is an immediate association between the initial act of attempted chewing, and the unpleasant taste. Tongue contacts recently sprayed surface ---> surface tastes bad ---> mouth removed. (Now, oftentimes the mouth goes looking for another surface to chew on -- but that's a whole other training topic!)

Notably absent from the Bitter AppleŽ product label and associated materials is a recommendation for the user to spray the product into their dog's mouth, nose, eyes, and about the face to correct misbehavior. It stands to reason that the bitter spray manufacturer would financially benefit from increased sales if they promoted their product as some sort of "spray-on" compulsory training aid, as the bitter spray training advocates do. But the manufacturer does not. The "technical information" provided by leading retailer Petco states:

"Not for use outdoors. Caution: Keep out of reach of children. May stain surfaces. Directions: Shake before using. Apply topically. Avoid spraying in eyes. Repeat as often as needed."

Spraying Bitter AppleŽ into the dog's mucous membranes (including the lungs, when the spray mist is incidentally inhaled) is clearly an "off label" use of this product. Additionally, the author has yet to locate any research studies or clinical references confirming that the direct application of any commercial bitters-based spray into a dog's mouth, nose, and eyes is free of risk.

So why would someone instruct a dog owner to spray a commercial product -- manufactured and marketed for use as a chewing deterrent to be sprayed onto furniture and household items -- into their dog's mucous membranes?

Those who are advocating the spraying of a bitters-based irritating substance into the dog's face to somehow "correct" barking or other unwanted behavior long after it occurs may be (1) ignorant, (2) lazy, or (3) sadistic, or all of the above.

Let's review the typical class scenario of spraying your dog with a bitter spray in response to your dog breaking out of its sit to bark and lunge at another dog. You:

1. Observe that your dog is misbehaving.
2. Fumble around for the bitter spray bottle in your equipment bag, pocket, or retrieve it from the class trainer.
3. Grasp the bottle in your hand (assuming you even have a free hand, if your dog is barking and leaping about).
4. Remove the nozzle cap.
5. Position the bottle in your free hand.
6. Lean over your dog.
7. Forcibly grab and hold your dog by the leash, collar, neck, or scruff hair.
8. Place the spray nozzle in proximity to your dog's mouth.
9. Push down on the spray nozzle (assuming you got a direct shot into your dog's mouth, and do not spray a second or third time).
10. Forcibly clamp shut your dog's mouth with both hands to ensure that it gets the 'Full Monte' of bitter taste (yes, this excessive force is being advocated by some "trainers").

A minimum of 10 or 20 -- and more likely, 30, 60 or more -- very long seconds have passed since your dog initially barked. And still, the correction continues.

And in your dog's mind, there is absolutely no connection or association whatsoever between its initial bark and your physically forcing him to accept a spray of a bitter and irritating substance into its mouth, nose, eyes, and face.

Applying a delayed correction for a behavioral transgression is contrary to the most fundamental knowledge of how dogs learn. If you punish after the fact, it does nothing to resolve unwanted behavior. It may temporarily postpone the next iteration of the misbehavior, but there is nothing in the act of administering a protracted physical punishment that resembles teaching, training, long-term behavioral modification, or ethical canine management.

Delayed punishment, especially physical compulsion, will only teach your dog that you are erratic, unfair, untrustworthy, and that you will capriciously inflict physical pain on your dog for no apparent reason. You can take that one to the bank. (Please see When and How to Make a Correction in the Online Dog Training curriculum.)

If you want to teach your dog to be afraid of your hands (and by association you) and of any movement toward its face or head, then spray an irritating substance into your dog's face with no temporal association to an unwanted misbehavior.

• Spraying an irritating substance into a dog's face after it misbehaves is NOT a training strategy.

• Spraying an irritating substance into a dog's face after it misbehaves is NOT an effective correction.

• Spraying an irritating substance into a dog's face after it misbehaves does NOT modify unwanted behaviors.

• A compulsive correction lacking an immediate association with the unwanted behavior, such as spraying bitter chemicals into your dog's face several seconds after it has barked, is ignorant at best, and cruel at worst.

Erratic, ill-timed compulsion is not an acceptable training strategy. If you wish to extinguish an unwanted behavior, one strategy is to train an alternate behavior and consistently reinforce that desired behavior as the more rewarding behavior. Yes, this takes a little more work, effort, and time (which appears to be in short supply at the chaotic group classes held by the growing legion of "bitter spray trainers"). But your investment in appropriate training strategies will effectively teach your dog to willingly demonstrate acceptable behaviors in public, and maintain the mutually trusting and cooperative relationship you desire with your canine companion.

If your trainer is instructing you to spray an irritant into your dog's face, please consider the fact that you are paying good money to someone who is teaching you how to traumatize your dog and erode the trust your dog may have once placed in you.

Ask your trainer if spraying the bitter irritant into your dog's face (and by proximity its mouth, nose, and eyes) is explicitly indicated as a recommended use on the product label. If they answer yes, request that they read the supporting label information to you and the class.

Ask your trainer what is in the spray. If they can't tell you the product ingredients (or if they need to read the label to learn what's in the product), ask your trainer why they've been telling you to spray a chemically manufactured substance into your dog's face, mouth, nose, and eyes, and they don't even know what's in it.

Most likely, your trainer can't tell you the exact ingredients of whatever commercial bitter spray product he or she advocates. For example, the Bitter AppleŽ label says "water, isopropanol 20%, bitter principles and extractives." Only the manufacturer knows exactly what bitter principles and extractives are in their product, and they aren't legally obligated to share the details on the label. Without full and explicit knowledge of a product's ingredients, nobody should be directing you to spray that product into your dog's mucous membranes.

After all, would you allow somebody to do that to you?

Here's the real test. If yours is a "bitter spray trainer," at your next class, approach your trainer and point your bitter spray bottle a few inches away from their nose. Tell them you're not exactly sure what's in the bottle, and request the opportunity to restrain them by their hair or their neck and spray the liquid into their mouth, nose, eyes, and around their face.

If your trainer answers "No" to your most reasonable request for permission to do to them exactly what they are instructing you to do to your dog, request a refund, leave the class, and find a trainer who understands the fundamental basics of canine behavior, learning, and training. Then congratulate yourself for being an informed and responsible steward of your dog and the training he or she receives.

If your trainer answers "Yes," then by all means do it. Instruct them to keep their mouth and eyes open, and to rapidly inhale and exhale just as an excited, barking and panting dog would. Then pause for about 10 seconds, and suddenly surprise them with a spray of liquid taste deterrent directly into their face. Observe their physiological and psychological reaction, and then ask your bitter spray trainer:

"What did you just learn?"

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Frustrated with ineffective and archaic puppy training advice that seems more punitive than positive? Consider enrolling for Online Dog Training with a supplemental telephone consultation to get you and your dog started with positive training and enthusiastic learning.

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Isopropanol, commonly referred to as isopropyl alcohol (Rubbing alcohol is a solution of 70% isopropanol in water).

Isopropanol Chemical Fact Sheet.

Suggestive evidence also exists for kidney damage in dogs following subchronic exposure to isopropanol in drinking water (Lehman et al.,1945).

Chronic Toxicity Summary - Isopropanol.

Corrections

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