The benefits of using positive reinforcement training with dogs (and all animals) has long been studied and proven to be the most effective and kind way to change behaviors. I'm a firm believer in science over shock, praise over punishment and compassion over correction. When we punish dogs using physical force (shock collars, choke chains, striking, etc.), we are taking away their choices and dogs are highly capable of making good choices, when we set them up to do so.
Positive reinforcement dog training must be done correctly or you will hear "it didn't work". Timing and knowledge go a long way but, when done correctly it is the greatest force on earth.
That being said, do you find yourself saying yes or no to your dog more often? Saying Yes! (or good dog) to your dog on a regular basis has many benefits.
Some of them include:
- It builds your dog’s confidence. Being praised vs. being scolded has proven to be more effective in learning and confidence in dogs.
- It increases your bond. Letting your dog know how happy you are about their good choices will strengthen the bond between you. They will start to look to you for guidance on matters that they may not have in the past. They will feel safer with you, too.
- It changes behaviors. By providing positive reinforcement by saying “yes!”, good behaviors will increase and undesirable ones will decrease.
- It’s easy to use and readily available. Positive words like yes! are always on the tip of your tongue and easy to access.
- It makes you and your dog feel good. Praising feels much better than punishment for both parties!
Letting our dogs know when they’ve done something right boosts their confidence, makes them happy and can change unwanted behaviors. For example if your dog is always jumping on people and you find yourself yelling no, try saying yes, before they jump. Better yet, pair it with a treat in the beginning so the word yes has a lot more power.
Being proactive and communicating with our dogs helps them learn better behaviors and it boosts their confidence. Saying no to them does the opposite. When we say no to a dog we take away all of their choices and we expect them to simply stop what they were doing. But let’s say they were jumping on someone because they were really happy to see them. If we just say no, what is the alternative behavior we want? Sitting? Lying on a mat? Standing? We need to train something else because saying no isn’t an effective training solution. Say yes every time your dog is doing something you want them to do (or before they do something you don’t necessarily like). Say yes when the don’t jump, pull on leash or bark. Teach them other behaviors to do instead of the ones you don’t like and catch them being good. This is what training is all about. Rewarding our dogs when they are good, teaching them alternate behaviors and giving them the chance to make their own choice.
This is how positive reinforcement dog training works. We reinforce (reward) the good behaviors which causes the dog to do more and we handle the negative behaviors by developing a plan to change them into something the dog can do instead. It's about always setting our dogs up for success and building them up.