What Is Balanced Dog Training?

At Cult Of Dogs, we understand that every dog is different with their own needs and abilities. We do not believe there is a one-method fits all especially when owners themselves have their own goals, challenges and needs. We aim to set handlers up for success through education on clear communication, responsible handling and fun, effective training methods. We adjust our approach to suit every member and their dog. 

We don’t believe it’s fair to judge owners and their dogs on their chosen training method. All dogs are unique with their own individual needs and abilities. Some dogs need more guidance than others, and as long as their dog is happy and they are seeing positive progression on their training journey - who are we to judge!

However, the most common question we are asked is - What is Balanced Dog Training?

Balanced Training is 98% “R+”. The other 2% are fair, non-harmful corrections allowing us to clearly communicate the difference between yes and no. Followed by lots of praise, rewards and affection!

Dogs can be effectively taught healthy boundaries and manners while increasing reliability of commands through leash pressure, withholding rewards, verbal corrections like “ah ah” or a stern “No”. There are also legal tools that allow us to fairly, clearly and consistently guide our dogs through various scenarios, while applying the four quadrants of operant conditioning

What is Operant Conditioning?

Operant conditioning is a type of learning in behavioral psychology where behavior is modified by its consequences. The first and main quadrant is positive reinforcement. We apply this through play or treats whenever a command or behaviour is exhibited that is favourable. From simple eye contact to following through on a command. Negative Reinforcement involves removing something undesirable to increase the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated. Removing pressure on the leash when a dog is walking next to us or when they sit/down, reinforcing the behaviour - and then followed by positive reinforcement! The word punishment is not all that it seems, there are two types and neither are harmful or horrible! Positive Punishment can be a stern “no” or a low pitched “ah ah” when our dogs engage in undesirable behaviours like chewing things they shouldn’t! An example of Negative Punishment would be ignoring them when they are demand barking, removing the desired social interaction to reduce the barking behaviour or withholding treats when a dog doesn’t follow through on a command.

We advocate for balanced dog training, which primarily emphasises positive reinforcement, supplemented by fair corrections when necessary. Through education on clear communication and responsible handling, we empower handlers to effectively guide their dogs while fostering positive progression on their training journey. Our goal is to cultivate happy, well-behaved dogs and supportive, confident handlers, free from judgment and focused on achieving mutual success.