Why Positive Reinforcement Training May Fail Your Dog

Professional Dog Trainer and Behavior Specialist, Doggy Dan, has some pretty interesting opinions regarding Positive Reinforcement Dog Training and whether or not it’s effective. He’s created a full tutorial on the topic which you can read for free.

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

According to HumaneSociety.Org, “Positive reinforcement training uses a reward (treats, praise, toys, anything the dog finds rewarding) for desired behaviors. Because the reward makes them more likely to repeat the behavior, positive reinforcement is one of your most powerful tools for shaping or changing your dog’s behavior.”

But is it?

Doggy Dan believes Positive Reinforcment Dog Training is mostly good because it is a kind, gentle way of training your dog without trying to force, punish or scare your dog into behaving a certain way.  But he does have some hesitations about it, which he discusses at length in his tutorial.

Does Positive Reinforcement Dog Training Work?

Doggy Dan points out that in order for Positive Reinforcement Dog Training to work, many factors must fall into place, and timing is absolutely everything.  If you don’t do this training exactly right, not only will it not work, but you could actually end up rewarding unwanted behavior.

Also, if your dog learns to respond ONLY to rewards, then it’s likely they won’t listen to you if those rewards aren’t being offered or aren’t available.  This can be downright dangerous when you’re talking about dog recall, for example.  If your dog won’t obey when you call them, and they’ll only come if there’s a treat being offered, what good does that do when your dog is about to run into traffic or jump all over a small child in the park?

On a less serious note, if your dog will only get off the couch when he gets a treat, he’s not really being taught to stay off the couch.  He’s being taught a way he can get a treat.  Those are different things.  It’s almost like memorizing stuff instead of actually learning stuff.

The #1 Reason Why Positive Reinforcement Training May Fail Your Dog

According to Doggy Dan, using treats to train your dog can actually be quite helpful and effective.  You can learn more about ways to use treats as a dog training tool in my article, How to Train a Dog With Treats (includes video).

But training with treats shouldn’t be the ONLY method you’re using to train your dog.  You need to truly understand the essential fundamentals of proper dog training, and you have to be able to train your dog in a way the dog can actually understand.  Not just memorize, but fully understand.

A Better Alternative to Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

Go to Doggy Dan’s tutorial and you’ll get a much better understanding of how and when to use treats to train your dog.  You’ll also hear Doggy Dan talking about his 5-step dog training program called, The Dog Calming Code.  You’ll love it.  It’s a way easier and faster way to train your dog. You’ll be so glad you found it!  You can read my review here, or go directly to the program. 

Who is Doggy Dan?

Doggy Dan is a Professional Dog Trainer and Behavioral Specialist, and the creator of the dog training website, TheOnlineDogTrainer.com.  The site has more than 300 videos where you get to see Doggy Dan working with dogs and their owners.  He offers a $1 three-day trial to the website and a monthly membership for $37.  It’s been my #1 recommendation for dog training for more than seven years because it is effective and affordable.

I Donate to Animal Charities

Thank you for visiting my website.  I donate 10% of my earnings to animal charities.  You can see a list of the charities I donate to here.  If you like this website, please share it with your friends who have a dog or a cat.  Thank you!  Debra

 

For More About Dog Training, CLICK HERE.