Training models in use today cover a broad spectrum and it is very important that Owners know how to distinguish the methodologies before hiring. The industry uses consumer-friendly jargon to sell services, making it more difficult to have insight into actual practices, and the costs are transparency, trust and the relationship you cultivate with your dog and each dog’s behavioural trajectory. The parents of companion animals must have the advantage of choosing services with insight and the ability to recognize those who work to best practices.

The spectrum includes Alpha trainers, Balanced trainers, Positive Reinforcement (R+) trainers and Force-Free trainers. Within the Balanced model, there is an important distinction as well.

CDWA endorses the following models, as they represent the industry’s best practices. This is central to canine well being and our core values.
> Positive Reinforcement (R+)
> Force/Fear-Free (FF)

In order to become certified, Trainers educate themselves in LIMA (least Invasive, Minimally Aversive) techniques, Positive Reinforcement and Force or Fear-Free at an advanced level. When hiring a Trainer, prefer the Certified credential over any other.

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A Snapshot of Training Models – Philosophies

The simplest way we can explain a very complex discipline: all training involves rewarding good decisions. If the Trainer you hired focuses on bad behaviour or consequences for it, find a new Trainer. The major differences between the training methodologies are each one’s use of interpreting behaviour, corrective technique and tactics. With predominant use of punishment-based corrections as a training method, pain is more often used as a consequence. With predominant use of motivation and reward, dogs are effectively steered to good behaviours and rewarded for them. Pain and punishment are rejected as corrective tactics today. This is a gross over-simplification of how training is applied from dog-to-dog and behaviour-to-behaviour, but for the sake of a reference, it is a reasonable starting point.

Not Endorsed: The Alpha model* is corrections-based (negative reinforcement) and trains strict obedience through a dominance-based relationship. It uses aversive pain tools and punishments to attain it. Aversives are force, fear, pain, physical punishment and pain tools. It is based on a theory that humans should dominate dogs. This theory was debunked and redacted by its original author. Within this model, human aggression, aversive (pain) tools and canine punishment and oppression are used, which are inhumane, by definition, and proved to generate undesirable side effects in dogs, like fear, and fear-based aggression toward people and animals. The modern training community views this model as abusive and inappropriate for any animal, much less companion animals. Pain (aversive) punishment, as a training tool, is counter-productive and not required, given that more psychologically-preserving training exists today that generates low/no behavioural side effects. Additionally, animal welfare agencies across Canada, including SPCAs and the Humane Societies, agree that this system is inhumane and does not lead dogs to become good canine citizens.

Not endorsed: Balanced training also pursues obedience. This model is  corrections-based (negative), though uses praise to reward good behaviours (positive). It does employ pain punishment and tools to address unwanted behaviours. The punishments vary, as the trainer’s toolkit and personal defaults dictate. There are fewer rules governing ethical tactics. There is more emphasis on seeing behaviours as punishable, rather than as changeable with proper, humanely-based motivation, and this approach lies at the heart of industry contention. When pain and force are used, a dog will learn how to avoid the pain, but he/she will also learn fear. Fearful dogs are reported to have between 2.2-3.8 greater chance for aggression (Casey et al., 2014, 2013, survey of 3,897 dog guardians).

Not endorsed: The LIMA-based Balanced Training model is a more attractive variant within the Balanced Training universe because it has some rules concerning punishment. It blends positive reinforcement to stimulate voluntary compliance by rewarding good choices and behaviours, while limiting aversive punishments to Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive (LIMA) options that exist. However, it still involves corrections-based tactics, and tempts the handler to pull from a punishment-based toolkit.  As tools may still include pain/punishment (prong, choke, electric shock, physically delivered pain), this model is deemed too subjective and open to interpretation. Pain and punishment are inhumane, at any level. It is not as beneficial for dogs as training can be, as demonstrated by the Positive Reinforcement and Fear/Force-Free methodologies.

ENDORSED: Positive Reinforcement (R+) training takes a radically different view of training, rooting itself in a cooperative, relationship-building dynamic with animals. It does not seek to dominate the animal. R+ has been studied academically, using a multi-disciplinary approach, and demonstrates informed and effective results that are empirically-based. Positive Reinforcement motivates voluntary compliance of good behaviours and choices through a reward system (treats, praise/love, celebration) and does not use aversive tools or pain-punishment to train. Pain and physical force is a last resort in training, in extreme circumstances, and not a default go-to—creating stress or a jeopardized relationship is counter-productive to training goals. This training model is widely accepted and in use as the most humane with the best outcomes. It is the reigning methodology to which Trainers obtain Certification. Positive Reinforcement is successful and negative psychological side effects have not been observed from its use. Positive Reinforcement is broadly recognized as the gold standard.

ENDORSED: Force/Fear-Free training pursues voluntary compliance only and involves no pain/pain tools, intimidation, threats, force, luring or coercion. Dogs are trained through a high value reward system (fun, food, toys). This, together with a non-aversive approach to consequences, develops acceptable behaviours. Consequences are delivered in a similar way to R+. Bad choices are assessed/evaluated and not reacted to, or something the dog wants is removed (treat, toy, attention), or the pup is redirected to a better behaviour. Force-free training takes a 360° view of a pup to assess behaviours (health, diet, history, environment, genetics) and upholds a core value to preserve the dignity of the learner, whether human or canine. As a training model, it is difficult to apply wholly, as even a leash is considered aversive. However, as an ideal that can be practiced successfully to a greater degree, it is very successful and also recognized as a gold standard.