Why Balanced Training?

My dogs are not trained purely positively.

I tell them no. I correct them if they are rude. I reward them when they do well.

Curiously, my boyfriend was also not trained in a purely positive way. I correct him when he is rude. I thank him when he does nice things. And he's not aggressive. Despite the study that says it has to be because the beatings cause aggression. But neither do my dogs.

Have we lowered the standards for how we think people should be treated? Or have we just become softer and kinder, never wanting our dogs to have a bad time? Or is it both? We don't want our dogs to have a bad time, and therefore have lowered our expectations of how others should be treated?

Who knows what caused what, but positive reinforcement training fits all of our own emotional criteria for being kinder and not causing stress or discomfort. We were told that we could train anything we wanted this way and eliminate all unpleasant habits in our dogs with positive reinforcement alone. I wish it were that simple. If we have a dog that when off leash chases rabbits and deer, positive reinforcement will not solve it. Corrections will do it, but positive reinforcement alone won't. If we have a dog that jumps rudely at people, positive reinforcement will not solve the problem. Of course, never say never. There are some brilliant positive reinforcement coaches out there who can do this. But most won't. And that partly explains why we lose our canine privileges.

We set aside common sense when it comes to telling our dogs that they are rude and intolerable. Instead, we've become so kind and tolerant, with a never-ending concern for doing no harm or causing stress. We want to reward all wickedness. My dogs are raised with the same guidelines I have in every other relationship in my life. We communicate. There is giving and receiving. It's a lot of fun, but there are also consequences if you cross the line. Our life is in harmony, in balance, just like our training.

Once I read a little proverb. “Humans are like tea bags. You don't know how strong they are until you soak them in hot water”. I believe that to be true. And, I don't worry about causing stress in my dogs because I know treating it makes my dog ​​a more complete person. Stress is not to be avoided. It's to be kissed. I expect my dogs to behave well. And they do. Expect the same from yours. Here is permission to give your dog backclear boundaries, even if they can cause stress. A fair correction on his leash for being rude won't make him aggressive, I promise. And if he's so out of control that he wants to punish you for it, then consider your invitation to chat "teeth are forbidden to touch human skin."

We would never allow family members to be as rude as we allow our dogs to be. We also don't give them rewards once they are nicer. Start applying these same principles to your dog. Keep your rewards when learning, or earned. Add corrections for lack of effort or rudeness. The same thing you do in your human life. Dog training is not as complex as we made it. Just be clear. And always fair. And honor your dog by not raising him to be a selfish fool.