Balanced Dog Training

What is Balanced Dog Training

"Balanced dog training" has become a bit of a buzz word in the dog training field because it, like many training terms, is vague and can have multiple meanings and interpretations. So, I offer here a simple explanation.

Dog training works in two ways: (1) we train dogs to do behaviors, and (2) we train dogs not to do or to stop doing behaviors. Balanced dog training is a modern training method that incorporates both reward-based training to teach and maintain desired behaviors and employs correction and punishments to prevent or stop undesirable behaviors. Balanced training recognizes that dogs are individuals, and different types of rewards or corrections may work best for different dogs. The best balanced trainers are knowledgeable in various methods, have a full "toolbox," and are versatile in their use of tools to best suit the individual dog. 

Our Position

Dog Decoded has two goals in mind when working with clients:

1. The Dog

2. Results

While it is our goal to help our clients succeed in their training programs, it is also our priority dogs are treated with respect, dignity and the relationship between dogs and their owners is one of fellowship, as well as leadership. Dogs need the right information, environment, and healthy attachments in order to succeed in training, be mentally healthy, and biologically fulfilled.

It is the general position of balanced trainers that dogs should be rewarded for behaviors we want to encourage and corrected for behaviors that we want to stop and decrease the chances of those corrected behaviors reoccurring. It is the position of Dogs Decoded that we are responsible for providing our dogs with all the information they need to be successful. Leaving out corrections is leaving out important information. It not only slows the training process but can be is unfair to our dogs.
 

Leadership

"Leadership" is another buzzword in the dog training field that can best bring people together and, at worst, can spark long-lasting heated debates. This is because the concepts, theories, and interpretations surrounding "leadership" are vast and go beyond differences in opinion about the role dogs should play in our homes and what is an appropriate relationship dynamic. Those who disagree with the concept of "leadership" believe the term is synonymous with punishment-based training, dominance theory and can give silent permission to mistreat dogs in the name of pack structure. However, balanced dog training has evolved into a much more motivational model that strays away from the misconception that dogs are inherently looking to gain leadership or status over their owners. This is now known to be false, and the majority of dog trainers today do not promote a punishment-based training model (nor should they).

It is my position, based on many years of animal studies and working with dogs that the most effective way to train dogs and live happily with them is to be a good teacher. We know the best teachers reinforce and reward more than they discourage or punish. But at times, teachers are required to use correction and punishment when it is in the best interest of their students. I want to be as gentle and encouraging as I can be and as firm as I need to be. It is also important to me to acknowledge and understand the animal in front of me. I believe it is rare for dogs to misbehave out of spite for their handlers or that dogs are inherently "bratty" or "pushy." But rather they are motivated by complex instincts, emotions and simply what they have been taught by the people around them, whether or not those lessons were intended.

When we gain our dog's trust and respect, we can easily teach them positive, appropriate behavior and guide them through unexpected situations. When we are consistent and reliable leaders, dogs choose to follow us. However, this leadership is not taken by force. We cannot achieve leadership by bullying, over punishing or forcing dominance.

Good leaders are in tune with their dog's moods, sensitivities and when their dogs feel most confident. They can easily calm their dogs from an excited or stressful state. And good leaders take time for daily constructive exercise, not just independent play in the backyard. Good leaders can bring their dogs out in public, confident that their dogs will look to them for guidance and direction in an unfamiliar situation, rather than act out impulsively. Good leaders can control their temper and deal with unwanted behavior calmly and clearly.

And most importantly, good leaders learn from their dogs just as much as their dogs learn from them. All this takes time and sometimes unyielding patience, but the reward is invaluable for you and your dog. Without leadership, we cannot properly care for our dogs.

Why Training is Important for Your Dog’s Wellbeing
We also must remember: with great power comes great responsibility. It is not enough to teach our dogs the family rules. We must provide them with constructive activities that fulfill their instinctual and biological needs.

In nature, dogs live a very simple life. Dogs wake and spend most of their day in motion, searching for food. Because dogs are hunters and scavengers and food is not always available, they may spend days expending a significant amount of energy tracking a meal. When food is found, and eaten dogs then spend time relaxing. This is a canine way of life.

This social drive of the pack to achieve a common goal is why dogs have been domesticated and bred over thousands of years by humans to work many jobs. It is only recently – in the last hundred years – that dogs have been bred to be simply companions. A majority of dogs today are not bred for function. However, no matter what the breed may be, your dog’s past relatives lived a very active life of purpose.

Interestingly in correlation with this recent shift in the role dogs play in our lives, it is also only recently that dogs have begun to exhibit many of the behavioral issues that once were rare but now are very common. It is easy to see how many pet dogs living in seclusion and inactivity without a daily objective have become hyperactive, aggressive, untrusting, or neurotic.

Simply put, dogs need jobs and activities. They need challenges, and they need to feel confident and proud of themselves. It is essential that we spend time with our dogs and create activities for them in which the dog and owner can work together to achieve a common goal. It is essential that ALL dogs are given the appropriate amount of physical and mental exercise. This is where leadership plays a key role in giving our dogs fulfilling lives as dogs, not just pets for human enjoyment. Training your dog how to behave in new environments allows you the freedom to be active with your dog out in the world and allows your dog the freedom to explore and experience the world with you.

When we leave dogs to their own devices, we soon realize the activities they choose for themselves are usually not appropriate for the home or neighborhood. Digging up the yard, chasing the cat, guarding the house, fighting with other dogs, incessant barking, counter surfing, chewing the couch, and that stubborn woodwork. To a bored and unsocialized dog, these are all very important and fulfilling jobs. And we really can’t blame them when they are given no other option. I believe creating challenges for ourselves and our dogs, setting and achieving goals, giving our dogs self-confidence and a sense of purpose is the greatest form of affection. And your dog will thank you by being a reliable, calm, and polite family member.