Dog, Most Popular Dog Training Methods

If you have a dog you should consider dog training Fredericksburg. The more time you spend with your dog the more you’ll come to realize that they can be a pain when they misbehave. Dog training is arduous, painstaking, and downright taxing if you don’t know what techniques to use. Keep in mind that dogs aren’t humans. Yes, they have emotions just like humans do but they aren’t as receptive as humans so you need to use techniques that will work on them. There are different approaches to dog training but the most popular of all are traditional dominance and the scientific method. We’ll differentiate these two methods below.

Traditional Dominance Training

Traditional dominance training is a method of dog training that was used in World War II. This was when military trained dogs and used force to compel them to obey commands. Trainers assumed that the reason why dogs behave badly was that they are training to outrank the trainer. Instead, trainers are placing their dogs in a conflict situation where the dogs are prone to commit mistakes. To correct bad behavior, traditional trainers will either use a shock collar to let the dog know it went beyond its limits or use a leash to get the dog to heel. The method is successful only if the master is intimidating or strong enough to be able to control the dog. However, this form of training received a lot of doubts and questions because the dog’s behavior is suppressed. The dog will tend to have a subdued personality to avoid getting corrected.

Diane Baumann and William Koehler developed the Koehler method. This method of training encourages punishment to get the attention of the dog. It also uses reinforcement like providing praise. What makes the Koehler method different from science-based training is that the latter uses negative reinforcement instead of punishment. These two are different since negative reinforcement involves removing a negative stimulus while punishment is adding something harsh to correct bad behavior.

The best example of traditional training is Cesar Millan. You’ve probably seen him on TV and other social media sites because of his admirable skills in training dogs. He uses dominance theory in dog training. This theory gets its principles from studies on wolf packs but many argue that wolves and dogs are not the same. However, a lot of pet owners say that Cesar Millan’s theory works, which is why Millan remains to have a strong following.

Scientific Training

There are faster and more effective strategies that are based on the apt control of resources and the use of positive techniques. In this method of dog training, the trainer will reward the dog if it performs the desired behavior and takes away rewards if it manifests unwanted behaviors. The scientific method of dog training is quite similar to the behavioral perceptive of an American psychologist and behaviorist, B.F. Skinner because it uses positive and negative reinforcement. In this. Method, trainers work with the dog instead of ordering the dog.

Many animal behaviorists and veterinarians are fond of this training method. In this approach, the animals are taught the correct behavior by rewarding them and also teaching them that unwanted behaviors will not work. One example is when a dog is going to jump to get a toy that you intend to toss. A traditional trainer would give the dog a leash or correct the dog verbally but in the scientific method, the trainer will hold the toy so that the dog cannot reach it. If the dog sits, the trainer tosses the toy through negative punishment. The dog will soon understand that jumping will not work and sitting works. Therefore, force is no longer needed.