Training Methods - Training Challenges

Read more about Training Challenges here.

One of the reasons I spent several months putting together the "Training Challenges" series of articles was to point out there are many stages or levels of training - even for simple commands. I think this point is often ignored on the internet because there's really no accountability online. In fact, it seems commonplace for folks to offer spectacular claims without any proof.

Over the past few decades, training dogs using ONLY positive reinforcement has become incredibly popular. While training will always evolve, in today's electronic age owners are bombarded with marketing that insists dogs will reliably do whatever their owners wish out of friendship and love alone. I believe that concept of the human-k9 bond is a bit disrespectful and short sighted. Dogs, like all living creatures, learn best when offered information through multiple avenues of communication. Limited teaching, in my experience, offers limited results.

To the point, for every 75-100 dogs I'm called to see with behavior problems AND positive ONLY training backgrounds - I see about 1 dog with behavioral issues AND training backgrounds using broader methods. From my perspective, it seems there's a correlation between increasing behavior problems and the increasing popularity of positive only training.

So whether you're thinking about training your dog, looking for solutions to behavior problems, or wanting a stronger relationship with your dog - details matter. Look at dogs trained using various methods. Are they respectful, calm, and happy to spend time with their owners? Or are they out of hand, unreliable around distractions, or otherwise not listening to their owners?

If our society wishes to reduce common behavioral problems AND improve the overall well-being and mental balance of our pets, maybe it's time to upgrade some standards. As always, owners must decide what level of training they want with their dog(s). If lower levels of reliability become the de facto standard for training, canine behavior and the relationships we share with our dogs will certainly suffer.