Dog Food Secrets

Dogs will naturally do things that we don’t want them to do. They will chew anything that they can get their teeth on, they will bark like there is no tomorrow, they will pee and poo where they please, they will dig holes and destroy the backyard, and so on. If we want the dog to behave, we must train him. Dogs do not possess the ability to learn proper behavior on their own.

The two primary dog training tools are positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Today, positive reinforcement is gaining more and more popularity among dog owners and is recommended by most experts in the field as a principal training technique.

Positive reinforcement is a punishment-free training method where the trainer rewards a dog for good behavior. A desired behavior is reinforced with rewards such as treats, verbal praises, toys, and so on. The dog will associate something positive for specific behavior and this will increase the likelihood of performing that behavior in the future. Eventually he or she will do it with no tricks or treats.

The opposite of positive reinforcement in a negative reinforcement where the trainer delivers a punishment, or negative consequence, when the dog performs an undesirable behavior. Punishment gets the dog to stop doing something. Negative reinforcement is connected to misbehavior.

Unlike negative reinforcement, positive reinforcement is not associated with stress, fear, avoidance, and other negative emotions. In most cases, it’s more effective than punishment.

Although the main training method should be positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement does have its role in the training process. But it should be used very carefully, because it can produce a significant long-lasting negative effects.

I use mostly positive reinforcement methods to train my dogs and I can say that the results are really great. This is a great way to build a strong relationship and learn to communicate with each other in a positive manner. Remember, a well trained dog is a happy dog.