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Positive reinforcement dog training is when you reward your dog for a specific behaviour, so the behaviour is likely to occur more often. When a dog sits, and he gets a treat, he learns to sit more often, adding a ‘Sit’ cue will greatly aid in the management of your dog.

Begging is a obvious and clear example of how well and quickly positive reinforcement can work; if you feed your dog while he sits next to your plate, he learns that sitting close to your plate makes food happen. Yes, this is positive reinforcement and most of us have experienced just how quickly a dog can learn to beg!

Positive reinforcement works for humans too.  We work for paychecks, pats on the back, bonuses and hugs; these are all human rewards. Yummy treats are easily great dog rewards but praise, pats, fun games, escaping a boring crate or moving away from a scary dog are also positive reinforcement examples for dogs.

 

• This method of training will improve the bond between you and your dog, fostering mutual trust, providing affection, and encouraging cooperation.

• Positive reinforcement will help you learn how to communicate clearly with your dog. Effective two-way communication will also increase the bond between you.

• Easy to do: just reward behaviours you want to see more often.

• If you reinforce a dog’s desirable behaviors, there is less of a chance that he/she will indulge in other behaviors that you do not like. Decision-making is influenced without the use of force.

• Positive reinforcement teaching techniques use non confrontational methods to work a dog’s brain

• Fun for dog and pet owner: positive reinforcement is fun because earning rewards is fun! Celebrating wins is much more fun than digesting mistakes.

• Extremely effective.

• Can be done anywhere: dog training sessions can happen anywhere; just grab food treats!

• You don’t need fancy equipment: throw out choke chains, pinch collars and electronic collars. All you need are a handful of treats and your dog!

• Food is a teaching tool, It should not be a bribe an INTD trainer will help you recognise the difference.

• Fading food rewards and using a range of real life rewards are important elements of positive reinforcement dog training. 

• Increasing a dog’s enjoyment of social interaction gives the dog what she needs to deal with the pressures of domestic life.

• Dogs that are taught using positive reinforcement methods are more tolerant, self-controlled and behave much more predictably in different situations.

 

Put simply, if your dog feels good about you, he/she will be happier, confident, better behaved, and more inclined to respond to you when you ask him/her to do something.

The process of changing a dog’s behavior using positive reinforcement relies first and foremost on understanding and patience; it takes consistency and repetition.  Training your dog will be a process rather than an event.

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