At one time there was a consensus of opinion that positive only was the way to go where puppy training classes were concerned. However, over time and as a result of consistently good results people are becoming more and more drawn to a balanced training regime. Now I’m sure everyone will have their own personal preference when it comes to training methods, but one thing is certain. there are certain elements that feature strongly in both types of training. So, we thought we would take a minute to look at which elements are commonly found in both methods of training.

Food Rewards

It goes without saying that rewarding dogs for good behaviour is a great thing to do, and quite often the reward your dog will appreciate most is food. Even though dogs may often be enthusiastic about other things such as toys and balls, food is undoubtedly the number one attraction. This is why it is an integral part of both different types of training especially when used in context.

Praising the Dog

Praising your dog during training is a great way to motivate them, and hence is an important part of both positive only and balanced training. However, one thing to take into account is that dogs need to understand the relationship between cause and effect. This means it is imperative that praise is given immediately after your dog has done something good, that way they will understand what they are being rewarded for.

Confidence Building for the Dog

One of the main aims of any type of training is to build the confidence of your pet and make it comfortable in any situation. This is why it is something that can be found in both the methods of training we are discussing. Often when faced with something that bothers them a dog will focus on it, so basic obedience training and getting the dog to focus on you is great way to overcome any issues and build confidence.

Promoting Leadership for the Owner

Lack of proper leadership when training your dog can lead to a whole host of problems. This is why promoting leadership should be an important part of any type of training regime. There is no surprise then that this is included in both positive only and balanced training programmes. Dogs will always look for leadership from their owners and any sign of weakness will often lead to behavioural issues. This means that helping establish strong leadership is an important part of any programme.

Clear Instructions and communication to the Dog

When training any dog it is important to lay down a strong foundation, and a critical part of that is establishing clear communications. So no matter whether you are following a positive only training programme or a balanced training regime this will form a central part of it. When communicating with your dog it is vital that instructions are always clear and concise and delivered in the same way whatever your mood. Clear communication is essential to maintain enthusiasm and reliability in your pet.

Marking Behaviours so the Dog Understands what is Desired by the Handler

It is important that dogs understand that actions have consequences, positive actions should be rewarded whereas negative ones need to be corrected. Even in positive only training dogs need to understand when they have done something wrong, and it should be done immediately otherwise your pet will not understand why they are being corrected.

Repetition so the Dog Learns the Skill

One of the main keys in learning association is consistent repetition, and this is certainly true when it comes to training your dog. You should be prepared to repeat yourself as often as is needed. We all should be aware that just like humans, not all dogs learn at the same pace. This is why repetition is used regularly in both positive only and balanced training.

Relationship Building between Dog and Handler

Having a good and trusting relationship is paramount when you own a dog. In many cases a dog will be not only someone’s pet but also their best friend. So, one of the first things you need to do is to build trust, this can be done by making dog training both rewarding and fun while ensuring there are defined boundaries in place. Irrespective of whether you are following a positive only or balanced training programme building the relationship should feature prominently.

Hopefully, the points we have outlined above will help give you an understanding of how both positive only and balanced training, while they are different, they do have a number of similarities. For more information on our puppy training classes, get in touch with our expert dog trainer in Wigan today by calling 07926911825 or filling in our contact form.