Happy Paws

Why using force with your dog is a bad idea

I am a positive reinforcement method based trainer.

For a list of reasons... at the top of which is because I refuse to harm an animal in an effort to collect a response.  You never need to be physical or rough with a dog in order to get him to listen to you, or respect you, in fact, doing so will make the opposite true.

The second reason is because positive reinforcement is by far a more effective long term response method.  It allows both owner and dog to tune into one another and to navigate through things as a team, or rather, a pack.
In almost a decade of working with clients I've never needed any sort of pinch or slip collar, remote shock collar, or anything of the like.  Not once. And it isn't because I don't work the tough cases, in fact, quite the contrary.  I've worked some of the most difficult aggression cases in the country and fully rehabilited aggressive and unwanted dogs so that they could have a shot at a normal life with a wonderful family just like yours.

Personally, I think it's cruel to force an animal to do something you've never properly defined to him.  Correctional collars all say the same thing to me, that the owner has lost control of the dog and doesn't know what else to do.  Dogs take work, you need to invest time to work through things with them just like a child but with a far shorter attention span haha. Until the dog has been taught an alternate response he can't be expected to act appropriately.

How you communicate with your dog and the body language that you use all lead up to the response you get from your dog.  If you have a bond built on trust and set your dog up to be confident and respectful they'll be relaxed and well adjusted.  Force, pain, or intimidation will never help build a relationship of respect from any dog at any age.

As Fido's owner it's your sole responsibility to make sure your dog is happy, healthy, and safe in the community.  And that's where socialization comes in!
Socializing your pet is always crucial for any breed to ensure they remain accepting and comfortable with new animals, places, sounds, smells, and all different situations.  The more situations a dog is exposed to when he or she is young (after being vaccinated by your local Vetrinarian), the more relaxed they will be in the future.
-Mallery Bosworth, Owner/Master Trainer, ABCDT.