Common Sense Approach To Dog Training
Balance Training, Positive Only training, E collar training, Negative Reinforcement, Positive Reinforcement, scare tactics, there’s so much information, misinformation, ideologies, theories that I feel more stupid now more than ever.
“You’re Tearing Me Apart!” - James Dean (Rebel Without A Cause)
If you asked me what training philosophy I adhere to, for the sake of argument I would say Balance Training because more than not people have heard the term. But really I take a common sense approach to dog training. Here’s why, is the dog doing what you asked it to do. Yes or no. If it’s a ‘sorta’, ‘little bit’, ‘hit or miss’ it’s a NO.
‘Do or do not, there is no try.’ - Yoda
So why do I for the sake of argument align with balance training vs anything else?
Balance training is a mix of all the goods. First of all, everything I or anyone else who would say ‘identifies’ as a balance trainer agrees that positivity is simple and essential.
Elliot Hulse called it- tender aggression.
We teach, we reward, we encourage, we motive, we support BUT we do not put up with bullshit. We correct fairly, you do what we ask that’s fair, that’s been taught, learned and repeated throughs reps and reps and more reps.
Meaning me or anyone else who associated with balance training, isn’t gonna clip a dog’s legs because the dog didn’t know what to do when we asked because we didn’t teach it that’s not fair.
So if I do say I associate with Balance Training where does Common Sense come into play?
Well in my mind, your dog must respect you. As you are the one to feed them, house them, pay for everything, play with them, take care of them, pay their expensive ass vet bills. Therefore they must respect you. Therefore they must conduct themselves in a manner that you as their owner allows. You are the authority in their life, act like it. I understand the connection isn’t fully the same but you got to treat your dog like 6 year old . You can not give your dog everything and you cannot bribe your dog.
This is all well and great but the question still isn’t answered.
If they are exhibiting a behavior that your are happy with, let be, encourage it even. ‘Good boy’ or ’ good girl’, give them a treat. If they aren’t giving you behavior you want. Then stop it. And think why that is. Usually if the dog is doing something you don’t want the opposite is needed to some degree. Your dog is in some ways a representation of you.
The result matters. So if you’ve been doing one thing or teaching something one particular way and you aren’t getting the result you want then you need to change the lure, the delivery system, the tone, any variable that your able to control. Cause by doing the same thing over and over again for little to no progress or change is insanity. Is what you doing working or not? It’s common sense. I guess it’s because I’m allows trying to learn. Always trying to get better. And open to other ideas and insights. Too often and too many people get stuck in their own way because they aren’t open to other ideas or insights. I’m harping on this because I want you to break this habit. I don’t care if you listen to me or not regarding the actual act of training your dog but listen to me on this point about life in general and watch what happens .
