Whether you have adopted an older dog into your family or you have recently brought home a new puppy, a certain amount of training is necessary. Positive reinforcement is significantly more effective for your dog than training that is based around punishments or negative reinforcement. Here are some of the reasons why positive dog training can be so effective.
Your dog won't dread training
If your dog knows that he risks disapproval or punishment every time you start trying to teach him something new, he will begin to dread and actively seek to avoid your training sessions. This is the last thing you want as it will slow down your dog's ability to learn as well as your ability to teach him. If he is reluctant every time you start trying to teach him basic commands, you in turn will be more easily frustrated.
Positive reinforcement makes your dog less stressed
Animals can feel stress just the way humans can, and if your dog is being regularly chastised during training sessions, the results can be severe. A dog that is overly stressed will engage in self-destructive behavior. Dogs who are stressed can also revert back to previously abandoned undesirable behavior. They may also forget things that they have already learned, like their basic house-training. If you notice your dog seems to have regressed, take a good look at what your training might be doing to him.
Click here for more information.
Positive training is much easier on you.
It is significantly easier to give your dog a treat when he has done right than to scold him when he has done wrong. Get your dog to associate obeying your words or gestures with getting a treat, and you will have an extremely enthusiastic pupil on your hands!
More room for error
When you are training your dog, you should expect to make mistakes. You might accidentally give him a command and praise him when he does the wrong thing. He might also do the right thing and you might end up accidentally giving him negative reinforcement. When you make mistakes with training, it is easier to correct errors made while using positive reinforcement than those made while using negative reinforcements. A dog who has been punished will be a great deal more nervous about trying again than a dog who has not.
Better focus
When you can show your dog a treat, you are putting your dog into frame of mind where he wants the treat and will do what needs to be done to get it. A training regimen that utilizes negative reinforcement, on the other hand, hinges on your dog being able to look head without any sort of reward. Punishment is something that will get your dog's attention, but because it will take a bit of time, especially at the beginning, to get your dog to associate your command with the action he needs to perform, it can be an extremely stressful time for both of you.
Click here for more information. Less traumatic teaching methods
Dogs very quickly learn to associate objects and events, and if you use something unpleasant like a choke chain on your dog, he will begin to associate that unpleasantness with his training.
Less association of something unpleasant with the trainer
If you put your dog through an unpleasant training experience, there is a good chance that he will begin to associate you with unpleasant memories. Instead of having an animal who is generally happy to see you, you will have a dog who is much more prone to be nervous.
When you get ready to train your dog, it is definitely worth the time you invest to make sure that his training is a good experience. Positive training will ensure that you get a dog that is both obedient and confident.
Click here for more information.by Tom Zinovia
