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[quote=Anonymous]I will admit that I was skeptical of positive training as the dogs we had growing up were all trained with aversive methods/ negative reinforcement. When we got a giant breed puppy at 8 weeks all of the breed-specific literature as well as the vet recommended only positive/rewards based training as this breed is known for being sensitive and can be fearful and anxious if not trained right. The more research I did the more sense it made that you should teach a dog what to do instead of what not to do. I wasn't sure about turning your back/ignoring when a dog jumped, but after about 2 weeks of being consistent I have a dog that doesn't jump on people. I didn't know how I was going to train a dog to walk on a leash without corrections but with lots of loose-leash walking and treats it all came together. I was concerned about how to address unwanted behaviors (like counter-surfing or picking up a chicken bone off the sidewalk) but learned that giving a dog an alternative cue like "go to mat" or "leave it" can be just as effective as yelling "no". Did I ever have to scold my dog with "no"? Of course, but the training really made me rethink how I interact with my dog. As a bonus, it is also mentally exhausting for them to try to figure out what behavior they have to do to get the reward.

I'm not going to lie - it was a ton of work and took time. It was a little challenging to be consistent across the household and DH was a lot more inclined to yell at the dog and was not really into the classes or training sessions. We did a combination of private training and classes so it wasn't cheap but in the end it was totally worth it because now I have a confident, happy, (mostly) well-behaved 125-pound pup who is great with kids, adults and other dogs and who follows the house rules. We also got lucky in finding a great trainer who has Karen Pryor certification and was able to individualize the training even in a group setting. I'm sure there are some dogs out there who need a heavier hand but I'd put in the time with the positive training before trying something with aversive methods like a shock collar. Remember that the training is just as much for the human as for the dog. [/quote]

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