Practicing Reward-Based Dog Training
When people call me up inquiring about dog training, I often get asked, “What kind of training approach do you follow?” And my answer typically goes to “reward-based dog training.”
I believe practicing reward-based dog training is one of the best styles out there. It sets dogs up for success and for balance. Many people confuse reward-based training meaning “treat training”, but that isn’t necessarily true. I do use treats to help dogs get motivated and to reward them when they succeed, but treats don’t have to be the only reward! You can also praise your dog, or give him a petting or ear rub as a sign of your approval and their success!
Reward-based training is all about controlling your dog’s environment so they have a better chance of succeeding, and you are therefore taking away their opportunity to fail and be in a bad situation. We start off taking away distractions so the dog can focus better, but we don’t take them away entirely through the whole training course. Once the dog acclimates to the training structure and has a better understanding of what we expect of them, then we advance them and start slowly reintroducing problem-causing stimuli. This gives the dog the time to become more equipped to overcome said stimuli and achieve behavioral success!
I do not follow harsh, dominance techniques, but I do believe it is important that the dog sees the owner as a consistent leader. Not necessarily an “alpha”, but a guiding force that will direct them to better decisions and scenarios. To gain this role as a leader, I work closely with owners so they understand better how to handle and communicate with their dogs. It is primarily about consistency and setting fair boundaries for the dog. It’s not about being mean to the dog, just showing them that they have choices in life, and that the best choice not only ends well for the owner, but also for the dog!
I can say I am “positive”, “balanced”, or whatever, but ultimately, I practice reward-based training where dogs learn better behaviors and eventually, choose those better behaviors themselves. I want dogs to find success and do the right thing not because they are scared of us, and not because we are just bribing them with food. Through my Buffalo dog training, dogs will do the right thing because they will choose and want to it.
For any questions on any of my reward-based dog training programs, call 800-649-7297!