Many professional dog trainers will tell you that they only use positive dog training techniques, even when it’s not true, because that’s what dog owners want to hear. They don’t want their furry best friends hurting. However, there really are positive dog training techniques, called force free dog training, that are growing in popularity among pet owners and trainers.

What is force free dog training?

Very often, dog trainers use pain, intimidation, threats, force, etc., to teach dogs desired reactions and responses. Force free training is all about eliminating these harmful elements - it means no corrections, no collars, no pain. These training techniques use positive reinforcement to achieve the desired results. It’s more about reinforcing the right behaviors, and less about punishing and correcting the wrong ones.

Whenever the desired behavior occurs, you need to immediately provide your dog with a reward - praise or treat (visit https://petfoodreviews.online/best-dry-dog-food/ to find the best foods that are both delicious and healthy). Studies show that positively reinforced behaviors are more likely to sustain than those taught with pain and fear. It actually applies to a variety of species, including humans; psychologists all over the world highlight the benefits of positive reinforcement when it comes to children.

How to recognize a force free dog trainer?

While looking for the right dog trainer and aiming for force free dog training, you will not want to see choke chains, pinch/prong collars, shock collars, physical manipulation, pushing or pulling the dog, kicking, or hitting the dog.

You can’t only trust or believe that the trainer of your choice is force free - you need to be sure of it. Ask them to take all the equipment off the dog (except for a flat buckle collar and a leash on it, for safety reasons) and tell your dog to work with them. Then, you have to observe your dog’s behavior - is he happy? Is he glad to work with this person? Or does he try to leave? Trust your dog and let him decide. Ask the trainer about all the equipment they use and try to find out what they do if the dog doesn’t listen.

Where does the popularity of force free dog training come from?

Dogs have been people’s best friends for a long time now, but recently, more and more people have been recognizing dogs’ feelings and emotions. Animal rights activists are louder than ever before, and they are being heard. Apart from that, there are certainly more animal behaviorists than in the past. Graduate applied behaviorists are speaking up about how we treat our dogs and how we should treat them. They complete important research, organize workshops, and educate others about dogs’ needs, behaviors, and responses. They all agree that the use of physical confrontation and pain is not only unnecessary but can also be harmful and unsafe to dogs’ both physical and mental health. Violence can lead to anxiety, aggression, and mistrust, and these definitely aren’t things you want for your dog. What’s more, it can result in the feeling of guilt, regrets, and self-recriminations in people.

Is force free dog training the future?

Many people believe that we have had enough of animal cruelty, and training dogs with the use of pain and fear will eventually disappear. Force free dog training can help you reinforce the desired behaviors, but it also strengthens your bond with your furry friend; he will be more likely to trust you and stay loyal to you out of pure love, not fear. The results are science-based, and it won’t require you to use force; many people aren’t capable of hitting or even screaming at animals. And now they know how to avoid it.

Natalia

Content writer, linguist, bookworm and animal lover. The proud owner (or the subject) of a Miniature Poodle and a British Shorthair. Co-writer at Pet Food Reviews (https://petfoodreviews.online/best-dry-dog-food/).