Happy Paws

Why positive obedience based training methods?

This question may be one of the most crucial to answer when searching for a dog trainer for your dog or puppy.  My first response is the obvious one, because it works, but this alone is no reason to conclude that this is the right method of training for you.  

In my professional opinion there is nothing more important in training than an owner being able to successfully communicate with his or her dog.  Afterall, if you cannot tell your dog what you expect from him, how is he to know what he needs to do to meet your expectations?  What sets positive obedience training apart when it comes to bridging the communication gap is that you do not have to force the dog into doing what you ask.  Why is this important?  When we force an animal to do what we ask, we are not teaching him to work with us, but rather that if he does not there are negative consequences.  This is a very old school of thought.  Training a dog to listen to you or else they receive a punishment creates fear of a negative reaction rather than a partnership. 

Through luring, shaping, marking, and patience your dog will learn to earn a reward, be it a toy, treat, affection, or a combination of all of these things.  Your dog will be motivated to work for you based on his eagerness to receive a reward.  This does not mean that your dog is fed treats until his stomach can touch the ground mind you, but finding your dog's "currency" is an intergral part in training him.  Why should you do this?  Think of it this way, you go to work, put in a forty hour week then go to pick up your paycheck but there isn't one for you.  Would you still want to put in a forty hour week with no payoff at the end of it? Of course not.  Your dog works much the same way, if we reward the behaviors we like, we increase the likelihood the dog will offer this behavior again dramatically.  

During the formative stages of a behavior motivating your dog with the tone of your voice, treats, and toys gives your dog a positive reason to work with you, it's his paycheck.  Through positive obedience training you can bridge the gap of communication between you and build a stronger bond than you could otherwise have done with negative reinforcement techniques.

Gone are they days when Fido was whacked with a newspaper when he made a mess in the house! Many people would have done just that, partly because it released THEIR anger and frustration on the assailant known as Fido, and partly because no other option was known.  But thanks to an innovative training methodology staying in the past is just plain silly.

Praise your dog for what you like, dog offers what you like again, simple right?

Rewarding your dog and reveling in his successes will offer you the opportunity to fully appreciate your dog and become best friends.

-Mallery Chabot, ABCDT.