When it comes to dog training, truly balanced trainers believe in keeping the lines of communication open. This means they don’t limit how they communicate with dogs, nor do they rely solely on one method of training—whether it’s reward based or escape based. A balanced trainer's goal is to help your dog navigate real life stress, understand which behaviors are acceptable, and which ones are not.
Balanced trainers use a combination of techniques. They teach new behaviors using reward based methods, while also incorporating pressure based techniques to discourage unwanted behaviors. Think of it like this: Imagine you're driving across the country, but the only feedback you get is when you make the correct turn. You’d likely get frustrated, confused, and stressed about what to do when you make a wrong turn. But what if you also received guidance when you made a mistake? You’d know how to course correct and get back on track much faster.
What is Pressure in Training?
Pressure is a tool that dogs naturally understand because it's part of how they communicate with each other. Pressure can be as simple as taking a step toward your dog or even away from your dog. It's not about punishment—it's about guiding your dog. You're probably already using pressure in your everyday life without realizing it!
For example, have you ever:
Told your dog “no” when they’re doing something wrong?
Leaned over your dog when they’re tearing up your shoes?
Pulled back on the leash when your dog lunges?
Stepped toward your dog to keep them away from something (like something dropped on the kitchen floor)?
If you’ve done any of these, congratulations—you’ve already been using corrections! The difference is that we want to use them properly, strategically and in a way that helps your dog learn how to make better decisions, rather than just reacting to their mistakes.
Why Use Balanced Training?
Correcting a dog's behavior is not about punishing their emotions. It's important to understand that emotions themselves are not the issue—it’s how the dog reacts to those emotions that we aim to change. Let’s use the example of a teenage boy who, when feeling angry, hits, slams, or breaks things. The anger itself isn’t the problem; it’s the destructive behavior that needs addressing. Similarly, balanced trainers focus on correcting behaviors, not emotions. Have you heard the term "reactive dog"? It simply means the dog is having an undesired reaction to an emotion....triggered by something in the environment....but we can dive further into that when we're training together.
Helping your dog understand what's expected by you quickly and concisely decreases stress and anxiety which, in turn, allows the dog to learn better. Think about a time when you were anxious or stressed out...do you think you could have learned something new in that time? Probably not. That's exactly what happens when dogs are stressed or anxious; their ability to learn greatly diminishes which can cause prolonged stress which means training takes much longer. Balanced training helps to get the big reactions out of the way in order to begin training the wanted behaviors.
Reward only methods tend to ignore undesirable behavior, which often leaves the dog feeling confused and frustrated. This can extend the stress a dog feels because they don’t understand what they’re doing wrong. Balanced trainers incorporate corrections to shorten the learning curve, offering clarity by using concise communication, helping dogs adapt to real world situations without excessive stress or fear.
The key takeaway is that balanced training is not about pain or fear. It’s about clear communication. Balanced trainers offer feedback—both rewards and corrections—so dogs can fully understand what’s expected of them. This results in less confusion, a stronger relationship between dog and owner, and a well adjusted pet.
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