Luring, clickers, shaping, and capturing. These are just a few of the many methods and techniques within positive reinforcement.
Within the umbrella of positive training, there is no one size fits all! There are many training methods that can be used to help dogs effectively learn using motivation and rewards, based on an understanding of how dogs learn. These methods include:
- Lure and reward training - A food reward is used to guide the dog into the desired position or behavior.
- Clicker training - A unique “click” sound, followed by a food reward, communicates to your dog that she did what you wanted.
- Shaping - The dog is taught a new action or behavior by rewarding him for small, distinct steps along the way toward the final behavior.
- Capturing behavior - The dog is rewarded for an action when she does it naturally, without being prompted.
Which one you use depends on many factors, such as your skill, your dog’s training background, the issue at hand, and even the environment in which you are training. Each one has their place in the world of positive training, and we encourage you to read about and explore each method.
Dog training methods to avoid
While we can recommend the above methods, there are dog training methods that we don’t recommend: those involving punishment, intimidation, force, pain, or fear. You might have heard the argument that a heavier hand is needed for some dogs and behaviors, or that positive training methods are too permissive and don’t work. These arguments are false and don’t hold up to scrutiny. Positive training has proven to be a more effective, safer, and more humane way of teaching dogs than punitive training methods.
