Communicating with Your Dog Bowie MD

The dog training method you use depends on how you choose to communicate with your dog. And, this is where trainers split camp. The two camps are positive trainers and correction trainers. Correction training is also referred to as fear passed training, while positive training is often called reward-based training. Put simply, with correction training the dog learns to be afraid of the consequences of not doing the right thing, whereas with reward training he gets a reward as the consequence of doing the right thing. I use both methods, but whenever possible – and for short training programs – I use positive training. In all articles I advocate positive training. You cannot safely learn correction training without the supervision of an experienced trainer.

1. Develop a deeper understanding of positive training. “Positive Training” is a very misunderstood term. Most people think it means just using food rewards. Though positive training may include using food as a reward, this does not properly define the method. Positive training is training without using physical pain as a punishment for not doing the right thing.
   
   When you ask your dog to sit, there are many wrong things he can do, but only one right thing. He can stand, lie down, and run away…etc. which are the wrong things. The only right thing would be for him to sit. If you were to use correction training, you would continue to punish him again and again until he did the right thing. If the dog does not understand, then he might give up trying out of fear before he ever gets to the right thing. With reward training he gets nothing until he does the right thing. This way he is not afraid to learn new things. ...

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Author: Eleanor Scheidemann