FAQS

Balanced dog training is the proper use of all dog training methods. We approach training and modifying behavior by utilizing basic learning theory. The 4 quadrants of training; positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, negative punishment. This means when a dog does something good, it is rewarded by having something positive given or something negative removed, but when a dog does something undesirable, something negative is added or something positive removed. My dog training mentor liked to say "it is the red light scenario". If you are going to work everyday and you stop at the red light, someone comes over and gives you a cup of coffee and a donut, you are more likely to stop in the future. One day you are late for work and you run the red light. Purely positive dog training can't do anything to discourage that behavior because it only rewards correct behavior and no punishment for incorrect behavior. Whereas with balanced training, I am the cop and I will pull you over. So there is a healthy and clear understanding of what is right and what is wrong. What actions have consequences and the right choices equal good things. The only way they will properly learn to resist real world temptations is by understanding that their behaviors cause positive or negative results.

This is a great question to talk through with your trainer. You can contact us to talk on the phone or our preferred method is to schedule a consultation/tour.

You can teach an old dog new tricks, it just takes longer! While age does play a factor in training, as does personality, we will not let it limit your dogs quality of life.

The biggest benefit of training is you can now communicate with your dog. If you live with a dog that you haven't trained, it is like living with someone who doesn't speak your language. You can make signs and noises at each other but you can't talk. It gives you an avenue to communicate, to stimulate their mind through structured games and play, and can be a life saver. If your dog bolts out the door towards the road, you can now stop the dog and have them return to you.

Something that decreases the likelihood of a behavior. Pain doesn't make a dog smarter. Although, we do have to communicate with your dog by corrections in the same way you tell your child "no, don't do that". We communicate by training equipment such as a slip lead (used to teach and lightest correction), Starmark collar (intermediate correction), prong collar (highest correction) and electronic collar (added freedom for the dog and control for the owner). The dog ALWAYS chooses the correction. Once your dog understands the behavior and has been taught what a correction is, we start corrections at the lightest level and only move up to the other collars if the dog is not responding to a lighter correction. If you have ever watched 2 dogs communicate with each other it can be scary and often people mistake it as aggression. When a dog wants to communicate to another dog to stop a behavior you might see growling, pinning on the ground, barking, biting, and lunging. The way to get the best training results with a dog, is to communicate in a way they understand. Good behavior results in a reward and bad behavior results in a correction.

A dog should never stop receiving treats or rewards of some kind. When a dog is learning a behavior they will be rewarded every time, but once they get to a point that they understand the behavior we start rewarding less often. We don't want the dog to get used to being paid every time it does something because then it will start to expect a reward for everything it does and will actually perform poorly in the absence of a reward. So they play the lottery, in their mind they will think if I work hard enough and long enough I will be rewarded. So now because they are working for the promise of a reward you get a dog that works hard with a good attitude and is motivated because the reward hasn't come yet but it will.