Training Preferences

There are those that believe that everyone should not use any aversive when training a dog or doing behavioral modification.  They believe operant and classical condition is the only way to go.

Others prefer to use force corrections. They use tools like check chains, pronged collars, e-collars, etc.

There are also those that call themselves balance trainers. Instead of trying to train a dog or modify its behavior by force only or positive reinforcement only they believe nature teaches us that you need to have a balance between both in when dealing with dogs.

I'm curious as to what other preference are? Where do you stand on this subject.

I won't condemn anyone for their methods of choice. I have never called myself a balance trainer. But if other were to label me this is what they might call me. I like to have at my disposal a variety of tools. It can be a ball, toy, food reward, clicker, choke chain, e-collar, or pronged collar.  I will use any or all of them when training. It really depends on the dog.

I have never used a thundershirt, halti collar, or gentle leaders. I'm not against them I have not made a choice to use them.

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Comments (5)
    • I think the approach should be different based on the dog and the breed. Not all dogs learn the same and the owner/trainer must use the method, or combination of methods, that work best for their dog and situation. I have used force and positive reinforcement at different time. There are times for both and the talent of the owner/trainer to know which to apply in a particular situation is where the best learning will happen. When to be firm and use dominance over the dog or when to be the giver of good things.
      • I agree. I have dogs. Each one is different. I don't use a cookie cutter approach in dealing with my dogs. One thing may work well for one, but something else works much better for another.

        • R
          I try not to use much more force than their mothers.
          • Those mothers can be quite rough with their pups in training them.

            • B

              My bandog matriarch will drive you crazy with the constant screams from yelping pups corrected for who knows what in the night and I went from cringeing to stepping in and stoping it when I saw her repeatedly drag a ( maby 10-12 week)pup by the back leg across the yard dangling,after catching it at a trot...all I could think was hip damage! But her grandma, a gamebred eli dog accidentally killed one of her father's litter , pierced it's skull with a canine for standing in the water bowl! Don't remember the dogs I had as a kid doing that stuff...but they didn't chase bears ,fight men, or attempt a coyote ethnic cleansing like these do ether...maby she's rough with them because she jt rough!

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