Hello Friends -- Im about to have a moan its good for the soul

[bloom]

wow truely impressive post :-)

[Hilary B]

I would agree that 'punishment' has to be at the time. One expert on dog training reckons that it should be 4 seconds max from command to reinforcement, with response, (or lack of it) fitting in between. This covers everything; from physically moving the dog into the 'sit' position if he doesn't respond to the word, upwards and onwards. Aversion therapy may or may not work, but that is what 'push the cat in the pond' is, an attempt to make him/her see the pond as 'not a fun place'. A bog garden, necessitating paddling in muddy water in order to reach the pond edge, is more likely to deter.
Has puss been 'seen in the act' of fishing? If not he/she may have 'stolen' prey from a visiting predator (mink?)

[FionaH]

Interesting stuff Sluglobber. I tried clicker training with my pony. Untill she ate the clicker! Think she was trying to tell me something