Tuesday Training Byte: Moving away from traditional force methods

For many years through much of the 1900s and even early 2000s, the tradition dog training required some level of force. Some examples are pushing on the dog's butt to get him to sit, pulling down on his leash while pushing down on his shoulders to get him to lie down, hard jerks on the leash to reduce pulling, etc. Personally, I feel this is in direct opposition to the relationship I want with my dogs: loving companions with a deep bond and willingness to do what I ask. In fact, it is in most dogs' nature to resist pressure. In other words, if I push down on its shoulders, my dog will lock elbows in an attempt to resist or work against the pressure. Think of using the harness. It is the same principle of working against the pressure. Over decades I have found a better way.

Most of what I do is force-free. I use a food lure to encourage my dog to move in the direction following my hand or hands with the foods. As soon as the dog is the the desired position, I mark the behavior with a "Yes!" followed by the treat. I have trained a 17 year old Beagle that was a biter with this methods. No collar, no leash, no touching or forcing the dog. If I am wanting my dog to put his front paws up on a low platform and he is fearful, I do not pick up his foot and place it on the platform. I just encourage him and lure with a treat and no force.

Another reason I like this method is that my dog more clearly understands what I want him to do, not what I do not want him to do. Marking and rewarding correct behavior is key in your dog consistently doing that behavior. If I am constantly telling my dog to "Leave it!" and not reward him for doing so, the leaving behavior will likely diminish over time.

To be sure, we want our dogs to comply with our commands without having to "bribe" them with a constant flow of treats. As my dogs understand the commands, I mark behavior with a yes and a smile or a simple, "Good boy" as his reward and acknowledgment. If we do a training session of say 10 minutes, they get the jackpot treats at the end. But early on, using ample treats as a lure without using force helps your pup make the connection and eagerly do what is asked. Happy training!