The Benefits of Positive Dog Training
By Suzanne Long
What is positive training, exactly? Positive training is basically rewarding your dog for what he or she is doing correctly versus punishing him for what he is doing wrong. Focus on correcting the dog for the negative behavior by redirecting and showing him what you are actually expecting from him. Forceful negative correction confuses and overwhelms the dog and can possibly lead to fear and even aggression.
Consider this, for example. You catch your new puppy peeing on your floor so you hit him or rub his nose in it. IF your pup understands what he did wrong when you punish him, all he is learning is to be afraid to do it again. Did you achieve the results that you desired? Possibly, but you also taught him to fear you and he still doesn’t know WHERE he is supposed to go. The alternate approach, also considered positive training, is in this case, when you catch your puppy peeing on the floor, immediately take him outside. When he goes to the bathroom outside, reward him for doing what you expected. Rewards can be treats, throwing a ball, playing tug-of-war, etc. In the end, he’s learned where IS supposed to go versus where he is not supposed to go.
When you use a positive approach, your dog is better able to understand what you expect of him and more willing to repeat it because he knows that he will be rewarded for it. He also learns that he can trust you which can strengthen the bond, loyalty and love you share for each other.
Did you know that trainers of bomb sniffing dogs, guide dogs, search and rescue dogs, therapy dogs, as well as dogs used for police and military tasks are now using positive reinforcement training? They have found that it is a faster and more effective way of developing desired behaviors.
One of the most frustrating things that most dog parents have to deal with, at some point, is leash training. Dogs love to be outside which is both exciting and stimulating for them. The urge for them to pull takes over because they are so excited and their nose is in overdrive. Dogs that have a bad habit of pulling continue to do so because, essentially, they are being rewarded for this behavior. Obviously, this is not something that you are consciously rewarding but in the end, the dog pulls you until he gets to where he wants to go. Choke chains and prong collars are not recommended because they can damage the dog’s trachea and a lot of times the dogs become de-synthesized to the pain.
The most humane and effective tool you can use to help end pulling is a harness. The Freedom No-Pull Harness has been extremely successful for many people due to the fact that it has a connection on the back of the harness using a patented martingale loop, in addition to a front connection. The harness sits low enough that it does not damage/harm the trachea and high enough that it doesn’t restrict the dog’s shoulder muscles. Using the Freedom Harness in combination with the matching training leash can be a game changer and transform the experience of walking your dog. Here a few pointers to help you get started:
- Connect the training leash to both the front and back of the harness. This helps evenly distribute the pressure points making it safe and comfortable for your dog.
- Begin your walk and keep in mind that your goal is to have a loose leash at all times. When your dog pulls, the control loop on the back of the harness will gently tighten around his chest to get his attention. He should stop and turn around and look at you.
- Once he stops, you do not want to continue the walk until there is slack on the leash. This is a great time to introduce treat training, as well. You want to wait until you have a loose leash to reward him. If he resists or is a reactive puller (squirrels, cats, other dogs, etc.) and you are not able to get a loose leash then turn your dog around and walk in the opposite direction.
