The Hidden Challenges of Training Dogs with Only Positive Reinforcement and High-Value Rewards
Positive reinforcement training — rewarding a dog for doing something right rather than punishing it for doing something wrong — has become the gold standard in modern dog training. It’s humane, science-backed, and often highly effective. Trainers typically rely on treats, toys, praise, or play (often called “high-value rewards”) to motivate and shape behavior. But while this method has a lot going for it, training a dog using only positive reinforcement comes with real-world challenges that many dog owners aren’t prepared for.
Let’s break them down.
A Beagle hesitates between a treat and a darting squirrel — a real-world example of how distractions can overpower even high-value rewards.
1. Motivation Isn’t Always Consistent
Even the most food-driven dog won’t perform like a machine. One of the biggest challenges in using positive reinforcement exclusively is the assumption that high-value rewards will always “work.” In reality, motivation fluctuates — sometimes dramatically — and this inconsistency can derail progress.
🔹 Distractions Change the Game
Dogs are opportunistic learners. In a quiet living room, your dog might respond instantly to a treat cue. But take that same dog into a busy park or near another dog, and suddenly that once-magical piece of chicken holds no power. The brain is overwhelmed with input: new smells, sights, sounds, and movement. In those moments, the environment itself becomes more rewarding than the treat.
🔹 Not All Hunger Is Created Equal
Treats work best when a dog is a little hungry and alert. But if the dog is:
Just fed,
Stressed or anxious,
Tired,
Overstimulated,
then even top-shelf rewards like liver bites or cheese may be ignored. Hunger doesn’t automatically translate to training motivation.
🔹 Reward Fatigue Is Real
Using the same high-value reward too often can cause it to lose impact. If your dog gets cheese every time they sit, cheese stops feeling special. Dogs, like people, need variety. Just as we get tired of eating the same meal daily, dogs start tuning out when rewards are predictable or repetitive.
🔹 External Conditions Matter
Heat, cold, weather, noise, time of day, or your dog’s mood can influence how much effort they’re willing to give. On some days, they’re laser-focused. On others, they act like they’ve never heard the word “sit.”
🔹 Breed and Personality Differences
Motivation also depends on what drives the individual dog. Some breeds (like Border Collies or Malinois) are naturally task-oriented and thrive on work. Others (like Huskies or scent hounds) are more independent, making consistent motivation a tougher battle. And personality matters — some dogs live for praise, others for toys, and some just want freedom.
What to Do About It:
Rotate rewards: Mix up food types, use toys, praise, or access to something they want (like a walk).
Train before meals: Use hunger to your advantage.
Keep sessions short: Quit while your dog still wants more.
Change environments gradually: Don’t go from couch to dog park in one leap. Build up distractions slowly.
Know your dog’s currency: For some, a ball is worth more than a steak.
Bottom line: If your training hinges on a reward being effective 100% of the time, you're going to be disappointed. Motivation is a moving target — expect it, plan for it, and keep your strategy flexible.
Timing is everything — this trainer uses a clicker and treat to capture the exact moment her Border Collie gets it right. One second too late, and the lesson is lost.
2. The Timing Has to Be Impeccable
In positive reinforcement training, when you reward is just as important as what you reward. A treat delivered even two seconds too late can reinforce the wrong behavior — or nothing at all. Precision is critical, and that’s where many well-intentioned owners struggle.
🔹 Dogs Learn in Snapshots
Dogs don’t interpret long sequences of behavior like humans do. They associate consequences with what’s happening right now. If your dog sits, but you fumble for a treat and hand it over five seconds later — after the dog has stood up or barked — they might think they’re being rewarded for standing or barking, not sitting.
Timing connects behavior to outcome. If the timing is off, the lesson is lost.
🔹 Inconsistent Timing = Inconsistent Behavior
If your timing is sometimes early, sometimes late, and sometimes absent, your dog doesn’t know what exactly earned the reward. That confusion shows up as inconsistent performance. The dog might sit… or stare at you blankly… or spin in a circle. Because to them, any of those could have been the winning move.
🔹 Clickers Can Help — But Only If You Use Them Right
Clicker training exists specifically to solve the timing problem. A click marks the exact moment your dog does the right thing, and the treat follows. But again, if you click too late or click while the dog is doing something else (like breaking the position), the message gets muddled.
Clickers are great tools, but they don’t fix sloppy habits. The human still has to watch closely and act fast.
🔹 Chaining the Wrong Behaviors
Mistimed rewards can unintentionally “chain” behaviors together. For example:
You say “down.”
Your dog lies down.
Then pops up excitedly.
You hand over the treat.
Now you’ve reinforced the “down-then-pop-up” behavior instead of a calm, sustained down. Without realizing it, you’ve trained your dog to do the opposite of what you wanted.
🔹 Your Dog Is Always Learning — Whether You Like It or Not
Even outside of formal training, your timing matters. If you give attention right after a dog jumps up on you, you just reinforced jumping. If you open the door when they bark, you’ve rewarded barking. You may not be intentionally training, but your timing still teaches.
What to Do About It:
Practice your delivery: Get comfortable holding treats, using clickers, or marking behaviors with a “yes!” right as it happens.
Break tasks into smaller pieces: Instead of expecting a perfect behavior all at once, reward the steps that build it.
Use video: Record your sessions to see exactly when you’re rewarding and how your dog is responding.
Train your reflexes: React quickly and consistently to the right behavior — not half a second after it's over.
Training with positive reinforcement is like playing a rhythm game — miss a beat, and your message falls flat. When you nail the timing, your dog learns faster, stays engaged, and develops a much clearer understanding of what you want.
A treat in hand, but tension in the leash — positive reinforcement alone can fall short in stopping reactive or potentially dangerous behavior in the moment.
3. Doesn’t Always Deter Dangerous Behavior
Positive reinforcement is powerful for building good behavior, but it often falls short when it comes to stopping dangerous or undesirable actions in the moment. That’s one of its biggest limitations — especially if you're using it exclusively.
Reward-based training teaches dogs what to do. But when your dog is chasing a car, lunging at another dog, or running toward traffic, you don’t have time to wait for calm behavior and then reward it. You need a way to interrupt and redirect immediately — and in those split seconds, a piece of cheese isn’t going to save you.
🔹 Some Behaviors Are Self-Reinforcing
Chasing, barking, digging, jumping — these behaviors feel good to the dog. They release energy, satisfy instincts, and provide excitement or relief. If a behavior is inherently rewarding, your treat has to compete with the rush of dopamine the dog is already getting from doing the “wrong” thing.
Chasing a squirrel? That’s the jackpot for a herding or hunting dog.
Barking at strangers? That might make the “threat” go away.
Jumping on guests? It gets attention fast.
Trying to “out-reward” these kinds of behaviors with food alone isn’t always realistic.
🔹 You Can’t Reward What You Can’t Reach
If a dog is fully reactive — barking, lunging, or in full flight mode — they often won’t even notice the reward. The brain goes into survival or excitement overdrive, and treats become irrelevant. This is known as “over threshold” — and once a dog crosses it, you’ve lost the ability to shape behavior with food until they come back down.
🔹 Timing Gets Impossible in Dangerous Situations
Let’s say your dog bolts after a jogger. You eventually catch them and reward them when they return. But from the dog’s point of view, they were just rewarded for running off. The dangerous behavior was reinforced, not corrected. The same problem applies to:
Nipping at kids,
Jumping on elderly people,
Darting out open doors,
Aggressive behavior on leash.
Without a way to interrupt or mark those behaviors clearly and immediately, they often escalate or become habitual.
🔹 Owners Feel Trapped Without a “No”
Some trainers and dog owners believe in a “positive-only” philosophy that avoids any use of correction or consequence. But that often leaves people asking, “What do I do when things go wrong?”
When a behavior is unsafe or harmful, positive reinforcement doesn't provide a reliable way to stop it in real-time. That doesn’t mean you need to yell, yank, or punish — but it does mean you might need to use neutral interrupters, leash pressure, time-outs, or structured boundaries in addition to rewards.
🔹 Real Life Isn’t a Training Session
In a training session, you’re in control. In real life, things happen fast. You don’t always have a treat pouch on. You don’t always have time to wait for your dog to offer a better behavior. When a toddler is walking by or a skateboarder zooms past, your dog’s decision-making needs to be solid — and you need tools that work in the moment, not after.
What to Do About It:
Teach an emergency recall: A cue that means “come to me instantly” — trained with very high value rewards — can be life-saving.
Use interrupters: A sharp clap, “uh-uh,” or leash check can safely interrupt behavior without punishment.
Pair positive with structure: Leash manners, place commands, and impulse control are your foundation.
Use management: Prevent access to triggers until your dog has the skills to handle them. Gates, leashes, crates, and barriers aren’t a crutch — they’re smart tools.
Train under threshold: Work on problem behaviors in a controlled environment before they show up in the real world.
Positive reinforcement builds behavior. But sometimes, the most responsible thing you can do is stop dangerous behavior before it happens again — and that requires more than just treats.
Frustration sets in as the dog keeps pawing for a treat — a reminder that breaking habits through extinction takes consistency, repetition, and serious patience.
4. Extinction Takes Time and Patience
When using only positive reinforcement, one of the main strategies for eliminating unwanted behavior is extinction. That means: stop reinforcing the behavior, and it will eventually fade away. In theory, it’s clean and logical. In reality, it’s slow, messy, and emotionally taxing — both for you and your dog.
Extinction works, but it’s not magic. It’s a grind.
🔹 What Extinction Really Means
Let’s say your dog barks at you during dinner because you used to toss them scraps. Now you stop. You withhold the reward. You're doing everything right — but your dog doesn’t just stop barking. They bark more. They paw at you. They whine. They escalate.
This is called an extinction burst — a spike in the intensity, frequency, or variety of the behavior right before it dies out. It’s not a setback. It’s the dog testing the system: “Hey, this used to work. What gives?”
The trouble is, most people give in during the burst. And when you give in after the escalation, you teach the dog that being more obnoxious pays off — reinforcing exactly what you wanted to stop.
🔹 Why It’s So Hard to Stick With
It gets worse before it gets better
It’s exhausting to ignore
There’s no immediate feedback loop
It feels like it’s not working
Your dog gets frustrated — and so do you
You might see no improvement for days or even weeks. Meanwhile, your dog might seem more anxious, pushy, or confused. That’s emotionally hard to watch — and unless you know what’s happening, it’s easy to assume you're doing something wrong.
🔹 Some Behaviors Die Hard
The more reinforcement history a behavior has, the longer it takes to extinguish. If your dog has jumped on people for two years and gotten affection, praise, or even just eye contact for it, that behavior is deeply ingrained.
Trying to stop that with extinction alone — no correction, no management, no redirection — is like trying to stop a train with your hands.
🔹 Extinction Doesn’t Teach What To Do
Another critical limitation: extinction only teaches the dog that the old behavior doesn’t work. It doesn’t give them a better option.
Barking for food doesn’t work? Okay, now what?
Jumping for attention gets ignored? What’s the alternative?
If you don’t reinforce a replacement behavior, you create a vacuum. That leads to confusion, frustration, or the development of a new (and possibly worse) behavior.
What to Do About It:
Expect the extinction burst: Know it’s coming and don’t cave.
Be consistent: One slip-up recharges the bad behavior.
Reinforce an alternative: Reward quiet, calm, polite behavior before the dog defaults to the unwanted one.
Use management: Prevent the dog from practicing the old behavior in the first place (use leashes, crates, physical distance).
Track progress: Log behavior frequency to see slow improvements over time.
Train yourself to wait: Your dog isn’t the only one building impulse control.
Extinction works best with clarity, consistency, and a clear replacement behavior. It’s not passive. It’s a strategy — and like any strategy, it needs commitment.
Bottom line: You can't expect years of reinforced behavior to vanish overnight just because the treats stopped. Extinction is a test of patience — but if you see it through, it works.
The same “sit” command that works at home suddenly feels foreign in a new park — proof that dogs need practice in different environments to truly understand.
5. Generalization Is Harder Than You Think
A dog doesn’t truly “know” a behavior just because they can do it in your living room. That’s a common misunderstanding — and it’s one of the main reasons training falls apart in real-world situations. In dog training, generalization means the dog can perform a behavior reliably anywhere, with anyone, and under any condition. And for dogs, that’s not automatic — it’s a process.
🔹 Dogs Learn in Context, Not Concepts
When you teach a dog to “down” in the kitchen, they associate that behavior with a very specific setting: the flooring, the smells, your posture, your tone, the direction you’re facing, the lighting — even what you’re wearing. They don’t translate “down means lie on the ground” across every situation like we would. To them, “down” in the kitchen is not the same thing as “down” at the park or at the vet’s office.
You’ve taught them a situation, not a skill — until you help them bridge the gap.
🔹 New Environments Are Full of Competing Stimuli
The further you get from your original training location, the more your dog’s attention is pulled in every direction:
Smells of other animals
Movement from cars, kids, dogs
Strange textures (gravel, grass, slick floors)
New people with unfamiliar energy
In these settings, you’re suddenly competing with a hundred sensory inputs — and unless the behavior is deeply reinforced across different contexts, your dog will likely “forget” it.
🔹 You May Have to Re-Teach Behaviors from Scratch
And that’s not a sign your dog is stubborn or defiant — it’s a sign they haven’t generalized the behavior yet.
Example:
At home: “Sit” gets an instant response.
At the park: You say “Sit” and your dog sniffs a bush.
What’s happening? The behavior isn’t strong enough yet to hold up against distractions. You may need to go back to basics — lure the sit, mark and reward, repeat — just like you did at home.
🔹 It Takes Repetition in Multiple Settings
For a behavior to become reliable, your dog needs to perform it:
Around different people
In new places (inside and outside)
At various distances from you
With distractions
On different surfaces
At different times of day
That means actively planning to train the same behavior in 5, 10, 15 different environments. Dogs don’t generalize — we have to teach them how.
🔹 It’s Easy to Assume the Dog Is Being “Stubborn”
When a dog fails to follow a cue in a new setting, it’s tempting to think they’re ignoring you. But in most cases, they aren’t being willful — they’re just overwhelmed or confused.
Generalization failure is a learning gap, not a personality flaw.
What to Do About It:
Change locations often: Don’t just train in one room. Practice in every room, then in the yard, then on the sidewalk, then the park.
Use the same cues consistently: Don’t switch from “Down” to “Lay down” or “Lie” — pick one and stick with it.
Start easy in new places: Lower your expectations when you move to a new environment. Increase reward value. Shorten sessions.
Add controlled distractions: Start with small distractions and build up (e.g. someone walking by, then another dog nearby).
Celebrate the wins: If your dog nails a behavior in a busy environment, that’s a huge step forward.
Dogs don’t generalize behavior — they memorize conditions. If you want your dog to behave reliably everywhere, you have to put in the reps everywhere. That means more than just teaching the behavior once — it means reinforcing it until it becomes second nature, no matter the location, distraction, or energy level.
If your dog “forgets” what to do in a new setting, they’re not being difficult. They’re showing you where the training still needs work.
Locked in on the treat, this dog won’t move until the snack shows up — a clear sign of reward dependency when reinforcement turns into expectation.
6. You Can Create a Reward Junkie
One of the unintended consequences of using only positive reinforcement — especially if it’s always food-based — is that your dog may become what trainers call a “reward junkie.” This is the dog that won’t do anything unless they see a treat first. No visible treat? No effort. No game.
This happens more often than people realize. And once it sets in, it becomes a frustrating cycle: you have to keep producing the cookie, or the dog checks out completely.
🔹 Bribery vs. Reinforcement
Here’s the key distinction:
Reinforcement happens after the desired behavior. The dog performs the task, and then you reward them.
Bribery happens before. You show the treat, then ask for the behavior. The dog performs only because they saw the payoff first.
Reward junkies are usually the result of repeated bribery — not reinforcement.
🔹 Signs You’ve Created a Reward Junkie
Your dog only responds when you have a visible treat or toy.
They hesitate or ignore cues when they don’t see the reward.
They check your hands or treat pouch before deciding to cooperate.
They stop mid-session if you pause the reward flow.
It’s like they’re saying, “No cookie? No deal.”
🔹 Why It Happens
Dogs are smart and pragmatic. If they learn that a cue is only followed by a treat when the treat is visible, they learn to ignore the cue unless the reward is guaranteed. This is especially true if you:
Use the treat as a lure for too long (instead of fading it quickly),
Only train in one context,
Don’t vary your reinforcement schedule.
🔹 It’s Not the Dog’s Fault
Reward dependency isn’t laziness or stubbornness. It’s simply a result of how the behavior was shaped and reinforced. If a dog learns that sitting gets a treat only when a treat is shown, then sitting becomes a conditional behavior, not a reliable one.
🔹 The Problem with Always Paying
If you always pay — every time, with the same thing — the dog starts expecting a reward every single time. That creates two problems:
You become a vending machine, not a leader.
You lose leverage when the reward isn’t exciting enough, especially in high-distraction environments.
Eventually, the dog gets bored or waits you out for something better.
🔹 You Can Still Use Food — Just Use It Smarter
Positive reinforcement isn’t the problem. The delivery is. You need to teach your dog that:
Rewards come after behavior,
Rewards aren’t always predictable,
Listening to you has value, even when the treat isn’t visible.
This builds internal motivation and trust in the training process — not just a dependency on bribes.
What to Do About It:
Fade the lure early: Use food to shape the behavior, then move it out of sight. Give the cue, then reward after compliance.
Use variable reinforcement: Don’t treat every time. Sometimes reward with food, sometimes praise, sometimes play — mix it up.
Build in “work time”: Teach your dog that some sessions are about effort and engagement, not instant gratification.
Reward the best efforts, not every effort: Raise your standards over time. Only reward fast, crisp responses — not half-hearted ones.
Surprise your dog: Deliver high-value rewards randomly. Keep them guessing, and motivation stays high.
Bottom line: if you train like a vending machine, you’ll raise a customer — not a partner.
Reward junkies aren’t untrainable — they just need structure, unpredictability, and a smarter reinforcement strategy. You’re not removing joy from training — you’re actually increasing it by making your dog work for the win and love the process.
Some dogs just aren’t food-focused — this pup shows zero interest in the treat, proving that finding the right motivator isn’t always as simple as a snack.
7. Not All Dogs Are Food-Driven
Positive reinforcement is often equated with food — especially treats. But not every dog cares about food, and even the ones that usually do can lose interest under certain conditions. If your whole training strategy is built on the assumption that your dog will work for snacks, you might hit a wall fast.
The truth is: not all dogs are food-driven, and relying solely on treats can backfire if you don’t adapt.
🔹 Why Some Dogs Ignore Treats
There are several reasons why a dog may show little to no interest in food during training:
Stress or anxiety: A nervous or fearful dog might completely shut down appetite, even for high-value food.
Overstimulation: In busy or unfamiliar environments, the dog’s brain may be flooded with adrenaline, and food becomes secondary.
Full stomach: If your dog just ate or has been training for too long, they may be physically uninterested in more treats.
Breed tendencies: Some breeds (like sight hounds or guardian dogs) are less food-obsessed than others (like Labs or Beagles).
Personal preference: Just like people, some dogs are picky eaters. They may simply not like what you’re offering — or not care about food as much as you'd expect.
🔹 The Myth That “All Dogs Have a Price”
Many trainers will say every dog has a reward — you just haven’t found it yet. That’s true in theory. But for some dogs, the process of finding that motivator takes time, experimentation, and a willingness to move beyond the food bowl.
You’re not just looking for any reward — you’re looking for currency. What lights them up? What makes their eyes sparkle?
🔹 Other High-Value Reinforcers
For dogs that aren’t food-driven, try tapping into other forms of reinforcement:
Toys: Some dogs will do backflips for a tug rope, squeaky toy, or ball.
Play: A quick game of chase or tug can be more valuable than any biscuit.
Praise: Some dogs genuinely respond to a happy tone and verbal encouragement.
Freedom: Opening a door, unclipping a leash, or letting them explore can be used as a powerful reward.
Touch: Petting, belly rubs, or gentle scratches can reinforce behavior for tactile-loving dogs.
🔹 Use Environmental Rewards
This is huge for dogs that don’t respond well to food in public settings. Instead of giving a treat, use access to something the dog wants in that moment:
Want to sniff a tree? First, sit.
Want to greet that dog? First, stay calm.
Want to chase the toy? First, come when called.
This teaches the dog that cooperation earns real-world privileges — and those “privileges” often matter more than snacks.
🔹 Don’t Force the Food
Trying to shove treats at a disinterested dog can actually add stress. It can teach them to turn away from training altogether. If they’re not into it, don’t panic — just switch strategies.
🔹 How to Find Your Dog’s Motivation
Test different rewards at home in low-distraction settings. Use a variety: cheese, meat, toys, praise, etc.
Keep a motivation journal: Track what your dog responds to, when, and where.
Use a reward ladder: What works in quiet environments might not cut it in the park — you’ll need stronger motivators in tougher situations.
What to Do About It:
Observe what your dog naturally loves: Do they zoom when they hear the leash? Linger at a tree? Perk up when you toss a ball? Use that.
Build drive: For less motivated dogs, you may need to warm them up with play or movement before training begins.
Rotate rewards: Keep things fresh. If food gets boring, switch it up. If toys lose value, bring out a new one.
Don’t treat your dog like a robot: Read their body language. Motivation is dynamic and deeply tied to emotional state.
Bottom line: not every dog will work for treats — and that’s okay.
The key is to stop thinking “food = reward” and start asking, “What does my dog actually value right now?” Positive reinforcement still works — but the positive needs to mean something to your dog.
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Training isn’t about taking sides — it’s about building trust, setting boundaries, and doing what’s right for your dog in the real world.
Final Thought: It’s Not About Choosing Sides
Positive reinforcement is powerful — and in many cases, it's the best starting point. But relying only on it without understanding its limitations can stall your progress or even lead to unsafe situations. Many experienced trainers blend reward-based training with firm boundaries, clear structure, and sometimes mild, humane corrections when needed.
Training a dog is about building a relationship based on trust, communication, and clarity. That means knowing not just what methods to use, but when, why, and how to use them.
Positive reinforcement is a tool. Not a religion. Use it wisely — and don’t be afraid to learn beyond the treat pouch.
Dog training often feels like a battleground of philosophies — “positive-only” versus “balanced,” treat trainers versus correction advocates, clickers versus e-collars. The internet is full of absolutes. But here’s the truth that gets lost in the noise: good training isn’t about loyalty to a method — it’s about results, relationship, and responsibility.
It’s not a matter of choosing sides. It’s a matter of choosing what works for your dog, in your real life, safely and humanely.
🔹 Positive Reinforcement Is Powerful — But It’s Not a Cure-All
There’s no question that positive reinforcement builds trust, engagement, and motivation. It’s a smart, ethical foundation — and it should be the first language you teach your dog.
But it’s not bulletproof.
It doesn’t always stop dangerous behavior in the moment.
It doesn’t work if your timing is off or if motivation is missing.
It doesn’t mean your dog will instantly understand boundaries, safety, or manners under pressure.
Just as you wouldn't raise a child using only praise and stickers, dogs sometimes need structure, limits, and calm, fair corrections — not punishment, but clarity.
🔹 “Purely Positive” Is a Misleading Ideal
No one lives in a bubble where every situation can be trained with a click and a cookie. You’re going to encounter:
Reactive dogs,
Unexpected triggers,
Emergency situations,
Disobedience that puts your dog (or others) at risk.
In those moments, having more than one tool in your toolbox doesn’t make you cruel — it makes you prepared.
🔹 Your Dog Deserves a Balanced Educator, Not a Zealot
Sticking blindly to one method — whether it’s “never say no” or “correct first, ask questions later” — ignores the dog in front of you.
Some dogs thrive on food, some thrive on structure. Some need confidence-building, others need impulse control. A truly skilled trainer reads the dog and adjusts accordingly — not according to ideology.
🔹 Dog Training Is Not a Moral Contest
This isn’t about proving you’re a better owner because you only use treats, or because you don’t “spoil” your dog. It’s not about Instagram optics or fitting into a training label. It’s about communication, consistency, and clarity — in whatever form your dog needs to succeed.
If a tug toy gets your dog to recall off a squirrel, great. If a leash pop calmly prevents a bite, great. If a crate helps your anxious dog feel safe, great. There’s room for all of that.
🔹 Clarity Over Kindness Alone
The kindest thing you can give your dog isn’t just love — it’s clarity. What’s allowed. What’s not. What earns rewards. What ends the game. Dogs thrive in systems where they understand how the world works.
Confused dogs don’t feel safe. And sometimes, the most compassionate thing you can do is say “no,” set a limit, or withhold a reward until the right behavior is offered.
So What Does a Realistic, Responsible Approach Look Like?
Use positive reinforcement to teach and build behavior.
Use structure, rules, and boundaries to create a stable environment.
Use fair consequences (not fear, not pain) to stop dangerous or disruptive behavior.
Use your brain. Watch your dog. Adjust as needed.
At the end of the day, your job isn’t to follow a method — it’s to raise a dog who understands, trusts, and respects you.
Positive reinforcement is a fantastic place to start. But real-world training means being flexible, informed, and honest about what your dog needs — even when that means stepping outside your comfort zone.
Don’t choose sides. Choose your dog.