Hi everyone! My name is Renee and I'm a balanced dog trainer...
Sheepishly waves to a chorus of "Hi Renee!"
And what is a "balanced dog trainer" you ask? In technical terms, this means a trainer who uses all four quadrants of operant conditioning (often termed "scientific training") as well as classical conditioning and counter-conditioning along with other behavior modification techniques.
What does that mean to the average person? A balanced dog trainer is a trainer who uses a wide variety of tools and techniques (within reason, of course) that they vary according to the individual situation and needs of different dogs and owners. This includes the use of punishment (as defined by operant conditioning)/corrections.
I joke that if you ask 10 dog trainers about training tools and techniques you'll get 11 different answers. Everyone has an opinion when it comes to how best to train a dog. Unfortunately, the latest trend in dog training is the positive-only movement. The positive-only movement has commandeered the dog training world, which has become embroiled in its politics. People who use tools and techniques outside the realm of what is considered to be "positive-only" are demonized, made out to be poor trainers at best, abusers at worst. Having experienced this demonization first hand, I feel it's important to show an alternative perspective on what balanced training really is, that balanced trainers are NOT abusive, as well as the serious limitations of "positive-only" training.
Dog training used to be pretty darn harsh. It was done with a lot of physical force, harsh corrections, alpha rolls, minimal rewards, etc. In response to this, dog training has swung to the polar opposite end of the spectrum, with positive-only, where at its strictest, you can't even tell the dog "No" as that's punishment. According to militant positive-only adherents, punishment will destroy a dog emotionally and will irreparably harm the relationship with the owner. Of course there are varying levels of application of "positive-only" methodology along with varying levels of devotion, sometimes bordering on cult-like fanaticism. Woe unto those who use methods that are considered outside the realm of "positive-only!"
I think it is a very important improvement in dog training that we've swung away from harsh methods. However I have seen serious limitations with the swing to the other end of the spectrum in "positive-only" training, much to the detriment of the dogs and owners involved. I believe that intentionally limiting the tools and techniques that are acceptable to be used in dog training (again, within reason, some techniques and tools will always be abusive), as positive-only training does, unnecessarily limits the dogs that can be helped. I prefer to keep a wide variety of tools and techniques in my toolbox, so that I may be able to help in a wide variety of situations. Limiting the tools and techniques used is like only keeping a hammer in your toolbox. Sure, a hammer can be used in a lot of different situations. But it just can't do the job that a screwdriver can do. You need to have the screwdriver in your toolbox too AND know how to use it. I feel the same about positive-only dog training, which is the hammer. It can't be the only tool in your toolbox. I believe a solution is to be found somewhere in the middle, a balanced application of a variety of tools and techniques.
The following article does a good job of outlining the issue, so I don't feel the need to reinvent the wheel.
http://karmaperformance.weebly.com/when-did-balance-become-a-dirty-word.html
I am a FIRM believer in positive reinforcement training. This is where you teach the dog a behavior and then reward the dog for doing the behavior correctly with something they find rewarding (like food/treats, playing with a toy, physical affection, etc). I believe that it is very important to use positive reinforcement in TEACHING a dog what behaviors we want them to do. But I'm also a believer in balance. In every dog's training there comes a point where there must be consequences for failing to comply with our requests, once they've been taught what it is we're asking. Those consequences can vary according to the situation, from ignoring the dog doing attention seeking inappropriate behaviors, a verbal correction, a leash correction, giving the dog a time out, etc.
In all my years working with MANY different dog breeds and individuals, I have yet to find one method that consistently works for ALL dogs in all situations with all owners. People have different learning styles, so why should we assume dogs are any different? No one style of teaching or learning works best for every person and I believe the same applies to dogs as well. Different dogs and dog breeds have different temperaments and thus need different training styles and tools. Different owners vary in their abilities to train and apply different methods. If something isn't working, I believe it's important to have a variety of techniques and tools to use so both the dog and owner can succeed.
This blog will be my balanced perspective on a variety of dog related topics including training, care, nutrition, etc.
