Positive reinforcement dog training is the best way for developing the foundation of a well behaved, balanced and happy dog.
Positive reinforcement develops a strong bond between you and your dog; all this is based on trust, communication, the reinforcement of your dog's positive behavior while enjoying some quality time together.
In This article i will dive in details about positive reinforcement dog training, you will discover also 10 advantages in introducing it in your next training sessions, and also a lot of tips.
There are several ways and different dog training techniques through which an owner can instill and teach new behaviors to dogs or puppies; but the most effective one is without any doubt, positive reinforcement.
This because every training session would be an enjoyable and fun experience every time, for you and your best friend also.
Positive reinforcement is absolutely the best way to train a dog because once the dog has mastered and learned the desired behavior;
the human-animal relationship becomes less about learning and training but more about bonding, relating, sharing, and interacting.
What Is Positive Reinforcement?
The positive reinforcement method is part of the operant conditioning process, developed by the psychologist Burrhus Frederic Skinner.
It is a method of associative learning that consists in the development of new behaviors according to the consequences they cause and not through the stimulus-response association, as in the classical conditioning method.
Through the operant conditioning, dogs are most likely to repeats those behaviors that involve positive consequences;
while less likely to repeat those actions which, on the contrary, they have a negative effect.
Starting from this point, we can say that the key to positive reinforcement is that the dog learns to think instead of obeying only for fear of being punished.
Positive Reinforcement Tips
positive reinforcement.
Dogs talk all the time.
and use them to teach new behaviors.
and YOU are motivated.
to start the training session.
the attention of your dog.
what you ask him.
able to associate the reward with the behavior
you are rewarding.
Benefits and advantages of Positive Reinforcement
There are many benefits and advantages of positive reinforcement dog training.
Some of these are listed below:
It is scientifically proven
Positive reinforcement is scientifically proven. The most significant advantage of using positive reinforcement in dog training is that there are numerous studies and research that support the use of this method of training dogs.
A 2004 study showed that higher levels of obedience were shown in dogs trained with more rewards, praise, and treats.
A study conducted in 2008 by Emily Blackwell found that dogs trained with positive reinforcement were less likely to exhibit aggression.
Another 2008 study showed that all punishment-based training was associated with higher levels of aggression and fear.
A study of 2010 showed that there is a correlation between more frequent use of punishment and excitement/aggression.
Rewarding dogs for their proper behavior would have better results than scolding them. Guaranteed.
Positive reinforcement builds confidence and a stronger bond
Another benefit is that by reinforcing positive behaviors in your dog, your best will be more confident with himself, and with you also!
When you repeatedly punish your dog for misbehaving, that can result in a poor level of confidence and bond between you and your pet.
This can result in breaking the spirit of your dog.
Anyone can incorporate positive reinforcement in every dog training session
This is something that can be done by anyone in the family. It's very simple to reinforce positive behavior in your dog.
Anyone who sees your dog behaving correctly, can reward and praise him/her for that behavior.
This is also a bonus benefit because your dog will socialize with everyone in the family, and not only with you.
Also, it can help the children with learning that good behaviors are always beneficial, another extra bonus ;)
So make sure to let your family members know where the treats are and how to feed treats to your dog without losing pieces of fingers.
An adult should supervise this activity at first.
Positive reinforcement won't make dogs freeze of fear
If you are training your dog with a negative reinforcement or punishment method, it can lead your dog to freeze because of fear.
Dogs would not engage in exercises or activities, where they feel that they might be punished for it.
Therefore, using positive reinforcement would not have any negative impact on your dog.
You should be kind, and consider that pets, have feelings as well, and they are receptive to how we react to them.
Dogs enjoy the Training Sessions
If you want your dog to enjoy the training session, it is necessary that you always treat, reward, and praise your best friend for the positive behavior. Your dog will start loving training sessions.
All of this is possible through the positive reinforcement method.
You don't want your dog to get bored, frustrated, or discouraged during the training sessions, as that is not something beneficial for either of you.
So make the sessions short, enjoyable, and interesting for your dog, so that he would at the end, learn something from it, and waiting for the next one.
Fewer aggressivity problems
Owners that train their dogs using rewards and positive reinforcement report fewer aggressive behavioral problems.
positive reinforcement will improve the communication with your dog
It is essential to communicate clearly and in a positive way with our best friends, as this will make them understand when they do something right.
The more we talk correctly with our dogs, the more they will talk to us, to express their feelings, or to tell us when they need something.
positive reinforcement dog training can be used to fix several behavior issues
If in some cases, the dog is aggressive or fearful, punishing the dog may make the situation worse.
These (and many others) behavioral problems are more likely to be fixed with positive reinforcement dog training.
Stress Release and burn off of the energy
If your pet is bored and has a lot of energy pent up, then he is more likely to do something bad, like chewing the furniture or digging up the garden.
Positive dog training can help the release of stress while at the same time learning good behaviors.
training is fun with positive reinforcement.
If you approach every training session as the best moment of your day and as a "playtime;
I guarantee you that you will spend fantastic quality time with your dog.
Your best friend will look forward to the next training sessions.
Conclusion :
Positive reinforcement is better than punishing your dog.
These are just some of the benefits that are associated with the use of positive reinforcement; There are numerous other benefits as well.
If you want to learn more, read some of the articles related below.
Just decide which style of positive reinforcement you like the most and start training your dog right now.
