Training Ethics

The dog training industry can be a confusing place to navigate for dog owners.  With the industry being unregulated, transparency when it comes to training ethics is so important so owners can make educated decisions on who to trust with their beloved pets.

I use science-based modern, ethical and kind training methods to bring out the best in dogs and improve the bond between dogs and their owners, but what does that actually mean in practice?

A few commonly asked questions...

Q: What is positive reinforcement?

A: Positive reinforcement in the timely introduction of reward for behaviour we want to see more of from our dog.  We are adding something the dog desires to increase the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated again in the future.

Q: What happens if my dog gets it right?

A: Motivation drives behaviour, so behaviour that gets rewarded gets repeated.  Sometimes we can control what behaviours gets rewarded, but other behaviours are self-reinforcing, such as chasing birds (very exciting), barking at the postman ("he went away - great, barking worked!").  I will teach you what makes your individual dog tick, based on their instincts, breed specific traits and favourite activities and how you can use it in your training to supercharge your dog's success.  

We celebrate success in our training, and rewards are an extremely powerful communication tool we all understand.  When our dog gets it right, they earn a reward to reinforce that behaviour and increase the likelihood of them repeating it again in the future.

Q: Isn't using food in training just a bribe?

A: Studies have shown that the quickest way to teach a new behaviour is to reward every correct response with a reward.  As dogs are natural scavengers and food motivated, most dogs respond quickly to the use of food in training.  A piece of food is often used as a 'lure' for your dog to follow with their nose to move the dog into positions to teach a new behaviour and put it on verbal cue, such as sit, down, spin, etc.  When the dog shows confidence in following the lure, we fade the food in our hand and teach our dogs to offer the behaviour first, BEFORE a reward to given.  

Once new behaviours have been taught, we switch from continuous reward to variable rewards, which can still include food, but also play, toys, praise, affection and access to life and environmental rewards.

Q: So what happens if my dog gets it wrong?

A: I do not use fear, pain or intimidation in any of my training, nor recommend any intentionally aversive techniques or equipment as studies have shown that these have a negative impact on the relationship between people and their dogs, affecting trust, confidence and general well-being.  

If a dog is motivated but not able to give the correct response to what we're training, we need to consider how we can adjust our training to set our dog up for success, rather than punish incorrect responses which has a knock-on effect on confidence and willingness to participate in training.