Establishing a strong foundation with your pup through positive-reinforcement training helps her grow into a wonderful companion. Communicating with dogs can be difficult, but positive training can overcome the challenge. Our team believes in helping you and your pet establish a bond through mutual trust and respect, by rewarding correct behaviors while ignoring incorrect actions.

What is positive-reinforcement training?

Positive training, often referred to as force-free training, is built on the concept that you reward your dog for any correct action and you do not punish her or use aversive methods when she performs incorrectly. Positive training uses the following key concepts:

  • Positive reinforcement, paired with removing or withholding something your dog wants—attention, treats, or toys—guides your dog into making the right choice.
  • Confrontational punishments, such as hitting, kicking, or yelling at your dog, must be avoided, because these methods can increase stress and make aggressive dogs more aggressive.
  • Your dog is not asserting her dominance when she doesn’t listen to you. A dog often disobeys due to a communication breakdown—she has no idea what you want. Dogs aren’t trying to be the pack leader—they want to understand and communicate effectively with their owners.
  • Dogs can’t speak, but humans can learn to read their pet’s body language and to base  their pet’s perceptions on those cues. Positive training bridges the communication gap and allows people and their pets to understand each other.

Positive-reinforcement training often uses high-value treats, toys, or actions that a pet treasures most—chicken, steak, cheese, a tennis ball, or a belly rub. Once you have learned to communicate effectively with your dog using her treat of choice, you can guide her toward correct behaviors. She will learn much more when you use positive methods instead of harsh punishments.  

Benefits of positive training

The benefits of positive-reinforcement training include:

  • Builds a strong bond with your dog based on trust and respect
  • Avoids increasing anxiety or aggression
  • Uses fun, easy training methods for the entire family
  • Provides mental stimulation, preventing boredom and problem behaviors
  • Allows a dog to choose, without fear of repercussions
  • Builds a dog’s confidence

The benefits of humane, ethical, positive-training methods make building a bond with your pet through positive training rather than dominance-based training a no-brainer.

If your pup has a behavior problem, let us help. Give us a call today!