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Where Balanced Training Is in the World of Dog Training Methods
Let me start off by saying that of all the different dog training methods you've heard about fit into one of two categories. There are only two methods in the whole world! And they are...
... all-positive and balanced. Of these two dog training methods, all-positive training is probably what you've mostly heard about. Balanced training isn't as well-known in the general public, but this is changing! Thanks to the overwhelmingly consistent and accurate results, this type of training is becoming more and more the choice for dog owners who are serious about their commitment to changing their dogs' behavior and how well they obey commands.
The problem with the all-positive dog training method (a big fad right now!) is that you can never teach your dog to obey you simply because you are the "pack leader". Touch-free training, clicker training... they all involve coaxing, luring with treats and simply put - pleading for your dog to listen.
With dogs, they have a need for a leader. If you don't take that position, your dog will. And when your dog knows you are the leader of your pack, he will respect you! Yes, your dog is your friend... but he cannot be your equal.
At Precision K9, students are taught to train their dogs using "First Command Response". This is so important to our training, that I would even go as far as to say that without it, we could no longer call our method balanced training. It is exactly how it sounds - the dog is trained to respond to your command immediately, the first time you say it. That's right! No more chanting the commands (stay, stay, stay....), no more looking silly when your pooch ignores you and runs away.
How could you want anything more?
The main elements in balanced training are negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement. Dogs live for the moment, so both reward and correction must be for the moment, too. As an example to help you understand what I mean:
When house-training your pet, you have to go outside with your puppy and give him a treat on the grass, seconds after he goes pee (this is positive reinforcement). If you wait until he comes back inside, then make him sit in front of you, THEN give him a treat, you've simply taught him that if he comes inside and sits in front of you, he'll be rewarded. Do you see where I'm going?
Or this one:
If you punish your dog for chewing your good shoes after you come home and find them by the front door, he won't understand what he's being punished for. You would have to correct him as he has the shoe in his mouth for him to understand that this correction is for chewing your shoes. This is negative reinforcement.
For negative reinforcement, or corrections, we use "startle tactics". A simple, humane leash and collar correction (which is tight for only 1 second) is given, NOT hitting the dog or yelling "Bad dog!". The objective is to startle the dog in the midst of the undesirable behavior. Keep in mind that this is only to inform you of how we train... please don't experiment on your dog! Get proper instruction to ensure that your technique is correct.
Of the two dog training methods, balanced training is the best for behavior modification, whether the problem is barking, chewing, biting, nipping, jumping, mouthing, food/toy aggression, running away, begging, or stealing objects.
To sum it up, this method of dog training is called balanced because you need to teach your dog the difference between right and wrong. It is not bred into them, nor does it occur by osmosis or anything else! You must be the leader that your dog needs.
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