Dog Training Methods... Which One Is Right?

There's a saying among dog trainers to the effect that "the only thing two dog trainers can agree on is that the third trainer is wrong." That may seem a little perplexing, but it does sum up the situation. People and dogs have been working together doing many tasks for a long time. There are many different ways of training dogs, probably as many different ways to train a dog as there are dog trainers. That's actually a very good sign. Dogs are individuals, just as people are. There is no one-size-fits-all training method.

Dog trainers may love to argue about who is right and which training method is best but good trainers approach each dog as an individual. They try approaches and see what works with a particular dog. One dog may respond best to food motivation. Another may like it best when there is lots of play or baby talk. Another dog may need someone who is very firm with him.

Dogs were originally bred for different purposes. That means that they are still hardwired today to react in different ways when they are presented with the same situation. A Border Collie and a Pug will probably have different reactions when you first begin training them. A Border Collie comes from a background of herding and quick responses. A Pug has always been a small companion dog whose job was to comfort and amuse an owner. These two dogs will probably require different training. It would be foolish for a trainer to lock into one kind of training and try to apply it to every dog. Consider that there are over 400 breeds of dogs in the world, not to mention the countless mixes, and you can see that trainers have to be flexible.

Some dogs have very "soft" temperaments while others seem to be completely oblivious to corrections. A good trainer will try to figure out what makes a dog "tick" so they can make a connection with the dog. Finding a way to motivate the dog and helping the dog enjoy training is important. That's one of the things that makes training each dog a very individual experience.

Experienced trainers may have worked with many different kinds of dogs and with different individuals. They will be able to choose different techniques from different dog training theories to apply them to particular situations. They may use positive reinforcement, some ideas from dog whispering, and some basic common sense to train a dog. With another dog they may find that the dog responds best to clicker training, for example. There are many options available to trainers. The best trainers know their options and choose the best ones for each dog.

A good trainer will probably avoid spending much time arguing about methods. There isn't much point in arguing. It's better to spend time working with dogs and finding out what works. There is no one right way to train a dog. There are only ways that work and bring good results -- or not. Every dog is different. The goal is always to train the dog. If the method you're using isn't working you should explore other methods to find what does work. Keep working until you find the style of training that's right for you and the dog you're training.