Dominance is everything when dealing with dogs. Everything. Owners who are not the dominant force in the pack have unruly dogs that are spoiled rotten and misbehave.
Sure, but you do not have to be dominant and intimidating to be the leader of the pack. This is such a misconception that positive reinforcement spoils dogs, or that they only work for treats. I almost never treat my dog anymore due to her allergies, and she behaves wonderfully. She walks on leash with zero tension without the use of a prong collar, although she could easily overpower me with her muscle tone and size. She stays right in the yard, and knows all of the recall, self discipline, and voice commands that she should without ever using negative reinforcement.
Even Caesar Milan says he isn't a dog trainer, he rehabilitates dogs. You are getting a puppy, respect and praise will go much further with it than dominance. Tools like shock collars should not be used for training, and reserved only to restrict an aggressive dog, or a dog with a behavior problem that could cause harm to itself or others as a last case scenario. Not for casual training, especially that of a puppy which are eager to learn and please through positive reinforcement.
I think all to often people threat these devices like training tools, and is really detrimental to a dogs developement. Positive reinforcement is training that requires patience, and the utmost dedication, and is the best way to train a dog. Other methods are quick fixes, and should only be used as a last resort.
You do not understand the pack mentality, in the least. The pack leader is obeyed. Period. If not, they are run out of the pack. Look it up.
Correct. But you are implying that positive reinforcement training isn't conducive to being the pack leader. I have a pack including two German Shepherds, a Maltese, and a Dachshund mix. My German Shepherd being hyper intelligent, and as much work training as any dog. All of them listen on command without treats, and they all get along. If this is not understanding how the pack works, I'm not sure there is such a thing.
Lucky for my dog, he will not be trained to do any of these "parlor tricks" regardless of whether he learns to hunt or not. For all this talk of positive reinforcement and peace and harmony with the dog, it's pretty ridiculous seeing a dog prance and dance around, especially when compared to a well trained hunting dog retrieving game for the LOVE of the job. Or watching sled dogs race and haul for the LOVE of the job.
There is no question that a well trained working dog is a sight to see, it's the training methods used to enforce their behavior which is in question. I train my dog to do all sorts of tasks, the least of which is parlor tricks. It takes the same level of training to have a great Frisbee dog that will wait, lay down while the Frisbee is thrown, and retrieve it on command. But the training is done through positive association, and games that the dog enjoys. I love watching the AKC dog hunting championships, and agility competitions.
OR watching a seeing eye dog lead its master for the LOVE of the job. :shrugs:
D80
You will never see a reputable seeing eye dog trainer use anything other than positive reinforcement training. It is the highest level of training, and requires the fullest bond between dog and owner. That is why they use positive reinforcement, it is the best way to reliably train a dog that must assist a challenged person.
