Finding a Training Approach that's Right for You:
There are a surprising number of options to choose from when it comes to training your dog, some
of which include:
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Leash and collar (aka balanced training, traditional training, "aversive" training)
Remote Collar (aka shock collar training, e-collar training)
Bark Busters®
All Positive (aka click n treat training)
What method will allow you to reinforce the training 100% of the time?
So, what method is right?
What method are you comfortable with?
What method best addresses the specific behavior problems you're experiencing?
No approach is perfectly suited to every person or dog in the world. That's why it's important to
have a clear understanding of your needs and lifestyle, your dog's personality, and how each
approach attempts to address the specific behavior issues you're dealing with.
To figure out which approach is best for you, consider a few factors:
To figure out which approach is best for you, consider a few factors:
The definition of a "trained" dog and how training works
In order to have a productive discussion about training methods, we need to first have a clear
understanding of what dog training entails and what it means to train your dog. When discussing
dog training, there's usually an implication that the process has a definitive start and end point.
While a training class may last for 60-minutes over the course of six weeks, your dog is always
learning even after you leave class for the day or "graduate" after six weeks.
As soon as your dog is born, the learning process begins with his mother, littermates, and the world around him. Throughout his life, he is constantly learning from other animals, people (especially you), and his surroundings. This "incidental learning" tends to lead to many behavior problems because the dog makes incorrect or unwanted associations.
Obedience training is a human invention that formalizes the learning process by teaching the dog what YOU want him to learn rather than leaving it up to him. Regardless of method, the only way to get reliable obedience training results is to reinforce the training as much as possible, ideally 100% of the time. If you tell your dog to "sit" but you don't reinforce it every time, instead of learning the command reliably, he learns that "sit" means only under certain conditions (the leash is on, you're standing beside him, or you're holding a treat in your hand), or in certain places (standing in the kitchen next to the treat jar, or at the training facility). It takes between four and six thousand successful repetitions of a single behavior for a dog to generalize it. This means that your dog won't be reliable until you've had extended practice in many different places and circumstances. For some dogs, this takes months or even years to achieve.
Obedience training and/or behavior modification is sought by frustrated owners to address unwanted behavior that often develops as a result of the dog teaching himself. This increases the training challenge because he's not just learning something new, he's also unlearning something old.
Now that you have a better understanding of what it entails to train your dog to get reliable results, when it comes to method, the real question is which one will enable you to reinforce the commands with your dog 100% of the time?
As soon as your dog is born, the learning process begins with his mother, littermates, and the world around him. Throughout his life, he is constantly learning from other animals, people (especially you), and his surroundings. This "incidental learning" tends to lead to many behavior problems because the dog makes incorrect or unwanted associations.
Obedience training is a human invention that formalizes the learning process by teaching the dog what YOU want him to learn rather than leaving it up to him. Regardless of method, the only way to get reliable obedience training results is to reinforce the training as much as possible, ideally 100% of the time. If you tell your dog to "sit" but you don't reinforce it every time, instead of learning the command reliably, he learns that "sit" means only under certain conditions (the leash is on, you're standing beside him, or you're holding a treat in your hand), or in certain places (standing in the kitchen next to the treat jar, or at the training facility). It takes between four and six thousand successful repetitions of a single behavior for a dog to generalize it. This means that your dog won't be reliable until you've had extended practice in many different places and circumstances. For some dogs, this takes months or even years to achieve.
Obedience training and/or behavior modification is sought by frustrated owners to address unwanted behavior that often develops as a result of the dog teaching himself. This increases the training challenge because he's not just learning something new, he's also unlearning something old.
Now that you have a better understanding of what it entails to train your dog to get reliable results, when it comes to method, the real question is which one will enable you to reinforce the commands with your dog 100% of the time?
Your comfort level
What we don't know usually scares us. Your comfort level with a training method, tool, and
instructor are very important because if you're not comfortable it's unlikely you'll reinforce the
training. If you don't reinforce the training, your chances of long-term success are zero.
Two important questions to ask yourself when considering different training approaches are:
Two important questions to ask yourself when considering different training approaches are:
1) How do I feel about this form of interaction with my dog? For example, am I comfortable
saying "no" to my dog or does that make me feel guilty?
2) Is this interaction something I can realistically continue to do for the rest of my dog's life to
reinforce the training?
Remember, it might take months or even years to create a reliable response in your dog. This is
how you're going to reinforce behavior expectations for the rest of your dog's life. Even if he
masters the initial training in a few months, I guarantee there will be situations in the future where
you'll have to return to the training tool and method to refresh the expectations in a new place or
under new circumstances. For example, you're expecting your first child so the dog has to know how
to behave with a small, stinky, noisy human around, or you're moving to a new home so the dog has
to know that the rules apply there too.
As with any big life decision (what car to buy, what college to attend), it's up to you to do your homework and make a decision based on good information. Good information means going right to the source, speaking with a trainer that actually uses the tool or method in question rather than just relying on a neighbor's recommendation or simply signing up with the first training school that pops up on your Google search.
The alternative to fully exploring all of your options is that you may end up using a training method that is not well-matched for you, your dog, or your lifestyle. At best, choosing an ineffective training approach leads to a lot of frustration for you, confusion for your dog, and potentially more money spent on additional training later on. At worst, it could result in giving up your dog if it seems like fixing the behavior problems with the chosen method is impossible or training funds have run dry.
As with any big life decision (what car to buy, what college to attend), it's up to you to do your homework and make a decision based on good information. Good information means going right to the source, speaking with a trainer that actually uses the tool or method in question rather than just relying on a neighbor's recommendation or simply signing up with the first training school that pops up on your Google search.
The alternative to fully exploring all of your options is that you may end up using a training method that is not well-matched for you, your dog, or your lifestyle. At best, choosing an ineffective training approach leads to a lot of frustration for you, confusion for your dog, and potentially more money spent on additional training later on. At worst, it could result in giving up your dog if it seems like fixing the behavior problems with the chosen method is impossible or training funds have run dry.
Addressing your specific problems
Not all training approaches and handling techniques are created equal for addressing specific
behavior problems. Dogs that are very shy around people will need patience, time, and a lot of
positive reinforcement without coddling to gain confidence. Dogs that become highly reactive
around other dogs need to have this behavior interrupted and redirected quickly and effectively.
When exploring training methods, think about the specific behavior problems you're facing and ask pointed questions of prospective trainers about how they and their approach would be used to address the issue. Getting past generalizations and sales pitches and determining how they will successfully use their approach to train your dog will help you have a better understanding of whether or not it will work for you.
Beware that many trainers hide behind high brow, scientific jargon when explaining their training approach. You know you've run across one of these trainers (or "behaviorists" as they often prefer to be called) when they discuss your dog's behavior in terms of "conditioned responses" and tell you that they use "positive reinforcers and negative punishment, shaping and behavior extinction" to modify your dog's behavior. It's not necessary to use this language to describe dog training, but it elevates their status in their eyes. All dog training and behavior modification can be explained in plain English. If a trainer can't or won't give you a straight answer in plain language to your questions or seems to just be providing a non-specific canned answer, you might want to look elsewhere. Remember, this person will eventually have to teach you, and if you need to learn a whole new lexicon to teach your dog not to jump up on Aunt Gladys, it only adds unnecessary complexity and time to the training process.
If you're interested in learning more about the vocabulary of operant conditioning, check out this Wikipedia entry on the topic.
When exploring training methods, think about the specific behavior problems you're facing and ask pointed questions of prospective trainers about how they and their approach would be used to address the issue. Getting past generalizations and sales pitches and determining how they will successfully use their approach to train your dog will help you have a better understanding of whether or not it will work for you.
Beware that many trainers hide behind high brow, scientific jargon when explaining their training approach. You know you've run across one of these trainers (or "behaviorists" as they often prefer to be called) when they discuss your dog's behavior in terms of "conditioned responses" and tell you that they use "positive reinforcers and negative punishment, shaping and behavior extinction" to modify your dog's behavior. It's not necessary to use this language to describe dog training, but it elevates their status in their eyes. All dog training and behavior modification can be explained in plain English. If a trainer can't or won't give you a straight answer in plain language to your questions or seems to just be providing a non-specific canned answer, you might want to look elsewhere. Remember, this person will eventually have to teach you, and if you need to learn a whole new lexicon to teach your dog not to jump up on Aunt Gladys, it only adds unnecessary complexity and time to the training process.
If you're interested in learning more about the vocabulary of operant conditioning, check out this Wikipedia entry on the topic.
A word of caution
I encourage you to speak to trainers that specialize in the methods you want to learn about and
keep an open mind. When you do this, keep in mind that dog training is a highly competitive
industry and all trainers have a personal agenda (getting the sale, of course). Unfortunately,
sometimes this means trainers do unscrupulous things, intentionally or unintentionally. This ranges
from a well-intentioned trainer taking on a case they really aren't equipped to handle, to a trainer
bad-mouthing another trainer or approach in the hopes of scaring you away from the competition.
If a trainer makes you feel guilty or uncomfortable about considering a particular method, trainer,
or training tool, I'd encourage you to look elsewhere. For more specific tips and information about
finding a trainer, see "Choosing a Dog Trainer."
Remote Collar Training
As a trainer that uses the remote training collar, in my opinion, this tool gives you the best ability
to 100% reinforce the training whether your dog is standing beside you, across the room, or across
the yard. The remote sends a signal to the dog's collar and the collar emits an electric stimulation,
just like the sensation of electric therapy machines used in physical therapy. The remote training
collar allows you to have near-perfect timing to interrupt unwanted behavior, and assimilate your
dog's training into your normal, everyday life a lot easier than other training methods that require
you to use a leash, or clicker and treats to reinforce the expectations. This training assimilation
means you achieve those four to six-thousand repetitions a lot faster than if you were just doing
obedience practice during designated sessions, so your dog generalizes the new behavior in the
context of everyday life a lot faster.
Now that you understand how to find an approach that's right for you, it's time to learn about choosing a dog trainer.
Now that you understand how to find an approach that's right for you, it's time to learn about choosing a dog trainer.
Learn more:
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By Sarah Smith (CPT)
What to consider when choosing a training approach to ensure success