Why Positive Dog Training? Why Train Your Dog at All?
February 3rd, 2010
Let’s answer the second question first.
Everyone wants a well-behaved dog–and the most effective way to have a well-behaved dog is to train that dog.
But some people, believe it or not, don’t want to train their dogs. They may not have the time to do the job. They may feel they don’t have the talent to do that job. And they may worry that if they train their dogs, they could somehow do something that would frighten or even hurt their dogs.
That last concern has some basis. Most of us hate the idea of jerking our gasping dogs all over creation to teach them to walk politely on leash. We also dislike having to have to push our dogs’ bottoms to the ground to teach them to sit, or to bark out (pun fully intended) commands. And we certainly don’t want to have to yell at or punish our dogs when they make mistakes.
Fortunately, we don’t have to. That’s where positive training comes in.
With positive training, you doesn’t have to jerk on a leash, perform tush pushes, or make like a drill sergeant in the name of canine education. In fact, with positive training, you really don’t focus on your dog’s mistakes at all. Instead, you show your dog what you want him to do—and when he does it, you give him a reward. In trainer-speak that reward is called a positive reinforcer. It’s a win-win proposition: you win because the dog does what you want, and your dog wins because he gets a reward for doing so.
In this blog, we’re going to talk about the in’s and out’s of positive training: not only what it is, but how anyone can do it. We’ll discuss what equipment you need (don’t worry, not much), how to teach specific cues or behaviors (nope, we don’t call them commands), how to solve behavior problems in a positive manner, when to call for the help of a dog behavior professional—and much, much more.
And who am I, you might ask? I’ve written about dog behavior and training for well over a decade, and am a long-time student of dog behavior. My current canine companion is a larger-than-life, force-of-nature Golden Retriever named Allie. To learn more about me, check out my bio here on K9 Cuisine.com.
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2 Responses to “Why Positive Dog Training? Why Train Your Dog at All?”
Susan McCullough has been a professional writer for 30-plus years, but didn't start focusing on dogs until 1996, when an overzealous Sheltie attacked and shredded a message that had been faxed to Susan's office. Instead of merely telling the sender "My dog ate your fax," Susan decided to see seek expert advice about how to share an office with one's animal companion. She turned that advice into an article for a national pet magazine, and she's been writing about dog behavior and care ever since.
I’m so excited for your new blog, Susan. As you know, I’m a HUGE fan of positive reinforcement training. I cannot wait to read your advice going forward.
Susan – Fabulous picture of you and your dog! I appreciate the way you enforce positive training. As the saying goes, you get a lot more bees with honey than vinegar.