When it comes to dog training, there are great debates over the type of method(s) to use. The most extreme sides are what the experts refer to as "positive reinforcement" and "negative reinforcement". In layman's terms, the positive reinforcement side says that you should reward (typically with treats) desired behavior/response and ignore any undesried behavior, and it should go away on its own, since the dog will try for the reward once it learns what you want. The negative side says that you should not use treats or any other reward other than praise and you should only give it once your dog complies. You get the dog to comply by repeatedly giving a command and then a correction (aka punishment) if it is not done correctly. A typical example is using a prong collar to pull on the dog's neck until he sits for you. Once he sits, you simply say "good sit". Trainers and behaviorists from each side insist their side works best for the dog and produces the best results. I am often asked which side I am on when I visit with clients for the first time. I say "neither".

First of all, no one method of training is going to be right for every dog. Also, it is different if you're working with a friendly little puppy vs. a big ferocious dog who has bitten several people and/or dogs before. You need to adjust your methods, your pace, and your tolerance differently for each dog you meet. I do believe in using treats as motivation for learning new behaviors or new commands. However, I do not believe in consistently offering treats for everything the dogs does. First, the dog should listen to you whether or not you have a treat in your hand. Even with a filet mignon in your fist, a dog might choose to ignore you and run across the street to chase a squirrel - and get hit by a car on the way. Also, treats are not the only type of reward. Walks, meals, toys, visits on the couch and even affection are also rewards. I like using all of these opportunities to train a dog and allow him to use his brain and be challenged. That said, I do not believe rewards are mandatory. Imagine raising a child this way: "Johnny, if you do your homework, I'll give you $20." "Suzy, if you make your bed, I'll buy you a new toy." That would create a very spoiled child who will not do exceptionally well in school or life. Instead, most people create longer term rewards, such as "If you get a good grades this semester, we'll give you a present". And, most parents also introduce repercussions for not complying - e.g. "If you do not do your homework, you do not get to watch TV". I believe this is the same way we need to raise our dogs. They need to understand that if they listen, they will probably get rewarded but, if they do not, they will get in trouble.

In nature, the mother dog bites a pup on the neck when he does something wrong and the pup stops. The Alpha dog corrects the same way. There are no cookies for doing it their way. You either do what they want... or else. When we try to turn that completely around, it is bound to not always work. Here's an example. Rather than asking a dog to sit over and over while waving a cookie in his face, or "pronging" him relentlessly, I tell my clients to do the following: Show the dog you have something wonderful - a treat, his bowl of food, his leash - and then say "sit". If the dog sits, you say "good dog" and give him the reward (or ask for another command first, such as stay or down). If the dog does not sit right away, you simply turn your back and walk a few steps away. The dog thinks "oh no!! I want that treat! Don't go away!" and usually proceeds to follow you. You simply wait a few seconds and then turn back to face the dog and ask him once again to "sit". Most likely, he will comply and you can reward. If not, you turn and walk again. Of course, this is only done once the dog actually knows the command (preferably without a hand motion) and is just "being stubborn" - as most owners like to call it. In reality, the dog is just doing whatever he was trained to do. Perhaps he thinks he should wait for 3 repeats, since that's what you always do. But once it is made clear to him that sitting immediately gets a reward and ignoring you gets a "punishment", he will opt for the reward.

One last note on aggression… I do believe that using yummy treats to help a dog get comfortable with other dogs or people he's afraid of is a good thing. However, it must be done correctly. Just dishing out treats to a dog who's barking furiously at another dog is not going to teach him to stop. In fact, it's condoning the behavior and making him do it more. There needs to be a clear message of "this is good" and "this is a mistake or bad" when training a dog. The more clear you are, the better trained the dog will be and the more confident and responsive he will be as well. Aggression cases need to be handled by behaviorists who understand operant conditioning and explain and perform it properly with their clients. I've had many clients try unsuccessfully to work with a positive reinforcement trainer who just wants to dish out treats, and their dogs make no progress - or even get worse. These dogs need very careful and precise guidance. So, if your dog is showing signs of aggression, make sure you work with someone who has a successful track record and true understanding of canine behavior.

In summation, I cannot be defined as being in either of these camps. But when asked to describe my style, I usually say I try positive reinforcement whenever possible, but I train dogs as you would raise a child. I introduce negative consequences that are gentle and humane when necessary to ensure compliance and, ultimately, the safety of your precious family member.