Five Paw Dog Training

My approach to dog training is what I call Primarily Positive - I use life rewards such as food, affection, freedom, and interaction to motivate a dog to go along with our requests, and counter-conditioning to help change a dog’s emotional response to stimuli. Positive reinforcement is a powerful training tool, but it has its limits. When a dog is so aggressive or anxious that it becomes a danger to itself or others, or its humans are faced with re-homing or euthanasia, I believe that communicating with the dog in a stronger way is both appropriate and the most humane option. This can be as low-tech as gentle leash pressure or body blocking, and as high-tech as using a long-range collar to reinforce safe behavior.