Which Dog Obedience Training Technique Will You Use?
When training a dog, consequences (i.e. a result or effect of an action) are rewarded or punished. For example, you go to work and then you get paid. You don’t go to work and then don’t get paid. Not receiving a paycheck is a punishment, which is what you learn to avoid. Thus, you go to work. Receiving a paycheck is a reward, so you go to work more often. This is the basis of how we all learn. Let’s discuss the three most popular dog obedience training methods, which are food rewards, clicker training and corrections.
Food Rewards (Positive Reinforcement )
Positive reinforcement dog training is a large umbrella, so let’s make it simple. Reward behaviors you like. Ignore or redirect behaviors you don’t like. Positive reinforcement means to reward a dog’s behavior, such as “sit,” so your dog will sit more often.
- Rewards can be food, toys or games. Your dog should choose his reward, as it’s his currency.
- Many dog trainers use and recommend food rewards because it’s user-friendly for pet owners and dogs love food. This method is very forgiving for both you and your dog.
- If a dog refuses to eat his food reward, this is usually a clue that your dog is too stressed or fearful to learn or doesn’t like his reward.
- Food rewards fade. Once the dog knows the behavior, he will do the behavior on cue 80 percent of the time. You don’t need to carry treats in your pocket all the time. 🙂
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Clicker Training
Clicker training has become widely popular lately. Clicker training uses the same premise as positive reinforcement training except you use a clicker to click when the dog performs a good behavior.
- The click is used to mark the good behavior and means the dog has earned a treat.
- Before using a clicker, dog owners need a firm understanding of clicker mechanics, which means they should learn perfect timing of the click, shaping and capturing a behavior, and basic guidelines for using a
Corrections (Compulsion Training)
Compulsion means “to compel or coerce.” In dog training terms, this means to physically place (i.e. using your hands) a dog into a behavior and use leash tugs and verbal sounds as corrections.
- This method of dog training was hugely popular 15 to 20 years ago, and was based on military dog training.
- Some dog trainers don’t use food rewards. Rather, they correct a dog until he does the right behavior, such as “sit,” and then praise the dog. In my opinion, this is a difficult way to learn.
- Now, I’m not saying punishment doesn’t work. Think about speeding on the highway and a policeman gives you a ticket. You learn to drive slower for at least awhile until you learn to scan your area for policemen.
- Punishment works, but it has fallouts. Punishment teaches a dog to become helpless and confused, so he offers nothing. This is sad.
- This dog training technique isn’t user-friendly. You must know what you’re doing and give the smallest amount of correction to stop the behavior or else you can damage a dog. Also, when giving corrections, most pet owners go overboard. Punishing is very rewarding for the person doing it, as he’s releasing his anger.
What questions do you have about dog obedience training methods? Please comment in the section below.
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Choosing the Right Dog Trainer
3 Behaviors All Dog Trainers Should Know
Handling Difficult Dog Training Cases
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