Positive Partnership Training, LLC

02/22/2025

I couldn’t agree more!❤️❤️

“Positive trainers would rather see dogs be euthanized than be made uncomfortable.”

If you’ve been in the dog training world long enough, you’ve probably heard this claim, without evidence.

Insisting that aversive training is the only way to “save” dogs with severe behavioral issues is a go-to argument for those who justify using prong collars, shock collars, and harsh corrections.

But does this claim actually hold up under scrutiny? Or is it just another excuse to defend outdated, harmful methods?

Let’s look at what the research really says.

Aversive training methods, shock collars, prong collars, leash corrections, dominance-based techniques are consistently linked to increased aggression, stress, and behavioral problems.

Studies have found that punishment increases aggression. For example, in one study, at least 25% of dogs responded aggressively when subjected to confrontational training methods like leash jerks, hitting, or intimidation.

Dogs trained with aversive methods show more fear-based behaviors, higher cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and a more negative emotional state overall.

Dogs trained with positive reinforcement and related methodologies exhibit fewer behavioral problems and are at least as obedient as those trained with punishment-based techniques.

Behavioral issues are one of the leading reasons dogs are surrendered to shelters or euthanized.

If punishment truly “saved” dogs, we’d expect to see lower euthanasia rates among those trained with aversive methods. But the data shows otherwise.

Guardians who use punishment-based training methods are more likely to report increased behavioral problems in their dogs, which can contribute to considerations of rehoming or euthanasia.

Shelters that use force-free training see higher adoption and retention rates. When dogs learn in a positive, non-threatening way, they are more likely to stay in their new homes.

Aversive training doesn’t fix behavior problems, it makes them worse.

A dog that becomes more fearful, reactive, or aggressive due to punishment is at higher risk of being given up.

What About Aggression?

Aggression is not a training issue, it’s a behavioral issue that requires skilled intervention.

During an aggressive outburst, aversive handling may be necessary to manage the situation and maintain safety, but this is not the same as professionally modifying behavior.

Where amateur and so-called “balanced” trainers go wrong is intentionally provoking aggression just to correct it, or carelessly managing the environment.

Forcing a dog into a situation where they are likely to snap, snarl, or bite isn’t training. It’s reckless and unprofessional.

For example, we don’t need to witness a violent crime to rehabilitate a human offender, and we don’t need to provoke aggression to address behavioral issues in dogs.

When it comes to modifying aggressive behavior, evidence-based approaches such as desensitization and counter-conditioning involve gradually exposing dogs to triggers while pairing them with positive experiences.

Differential reinforcement means rewarding alternative behaviors instead of punishing aggression.

Functional assessments & neuro-affirming behavior therapy involves identifying and addressing the underlying causes rather than suppressing symptoms.

These methods have been scientifically validated as effective ways to reduce aggression without increasing fear or stress.

If we truly care about keeping dogs alive and in homes, we need to stop pretending that punishment is the solution.

The real solution is education, support, and evidence-based training that prevents these problems in the first place.

If a trainer tells you that you need to choose between using pain or losing your dog, they are not giving you the full picture.

You have better options, and the science backs that up.

So, is it really a choice between “death or discomfort”?

The research doesn’t support that claim.

What it does show is that aversive training increases the very problems that lead to euthanasia, while force-free training improves outcomes for dogs and their guardians.

Sources

1. Duffy, D. L., Hsu, Y., & Serpell, J. A. (2008). “Breed differences in canine aggression.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 114(3-4), 441-460.https://www.csus.edu/indiv/m/merlinos/pdf/2008breeddifferences.pdf
2. Gunter, L. M., Feuerbacher, E. N., Gilchrist, R. J., & Wynne, C. D. L. (2018). “Evaluating the effects of a temporary fostering program on shelter dog welfare.” PeerJ, 6, e6620. https://peerj.com/articles/6620/
3. Herron, M. E., Shofer, F. S., & Reisner, I. R. (2009). “Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 117(1-2), 47-54. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159108003717
4. Hiby, E. F., Rooney, N. J., & Bradshaw, J. W. S. (2004). “Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare.” Animal Welfare, 13(1), 63-69. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261106650_Dog_training_methods_Their_use_effectiveness_and_interaction_with_behaviour_and_welfare
5. Marder, A., Shabelansky, A., Patronek, G., Dowling-Guyer, S., & D’Arpino, S. (2013). “Food-related aggression in shelter dogs: A comparison of behavior identified by a behavior evaluation in the shelter and owner reports after adoption.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 148(1-2), 150-156. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159113001810
6. Ziv, G. (2017). “The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs—A review.” Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 19, 50-60. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787817300357
7. Casey, R. A., Loftus, B., Bolster, C., Richards, G. J., & Blackwell, E. J. (2013). “Inter-dog aggression in a UK owner survey: prevalence, co-occurrence in different contexts and risk factors.” Veterinary Record, 172(5), 127. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233798832_Inter-dog_aggression_in_a_UK_owner_survey_Prevalence_co-occurrence_in_different_contexts_and_risk_factors
8. Rooney, N. J., & Cowan, S. (2011). “Training methods and owner-dog interactions: Links with dog behaviour and learning ability.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 132(3-4), 169-177. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159111000876

11/14/2024

I couldn’t agree with this more! You CAN keep your puppy safe from health risks, while still providing him or her with proper & vital early socialization.🐶❤️

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/c2CE2hv8uYkJXqcK/?

MYTH: "Don’t take your puppy anywhere until they're fully vaccinated."

FACT: "The primary and most important time for puppy socialization is the first three months of life. For this reason, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior believes that it should be the *standard of care* for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated. Behavioral issues, not infectious diseases, are the number one cause of death for dogs under three years of age." (AVSAB Position Statement on Puppy Socialization)

FACT: If you wait until your puppy is full vaccinated, you've missed their critical socialization period.

Vets, rescues and breeders who are clinging to the outdated belief that dogs should be prevented from socialization until fully vaccinated are not keeping up with the current research, literature and recommendations from behavior professionals.

10/02/2024

Sisters Bella (top)-& Bebe (bottom)-wait eagerly for their next way to earn a goodie, in our training session on a lovely Fall day!🍁☺️🐶❤️❤️

10/02/2024

Big brother, Orbit (top)-& little sister, Rosie (bottom)-show off their stellar focus, during our training session!☺️🐶❤️

09/26/2024

Bonny, the Bernardadoodle (St. Bernard/Poodle mix) puppy, contemplating whether she should chase the cat-or stay seated as requested, to get a yummy treat!😜🐶❤️

06/18/2024

Sweet, energetic Levi-the Husky/Pittie mix-is incredibly photogenic-as he rests after a very productive training session!🐶😎❤️

06/18/2024

Otis, the handsome goofball adolescent Great Dane, shows off his Settle cue in our training session:)🐶❤️🤩

06/09/2024

Sweet Ralphie, the English Cream Golden Retriever, is all done in-after using all of his brain cells in our training session!🐶❤️😝

04/30/2024

I agree with this 100%!

YOU CANNOT TRAIN A NEED OUT OF A DOG

I am a fan of training in general – which shouldn’t surprise anyone, because after all I am a “dog trainer”. In fact, I begin some sort of training with my dogs from the time they come home as little pups and I continue right into old age.

But perhaps that is because I view training as a way of building connection and providing enrichment, rather than a way of achieving control and “obedience”. Training is an activity that my dogs love and it is an opportunity to connect and do fun things together. Stopping training as they age, would be taking away an enrichment activity that they thrive on, so we keep going, simply adjusting to what they can cope with and what they particularly enjoy.

However, I am also a behaviour practitioner. I have been educated to view animals, not just as operant machines, but as creatures with rich emotional lives. I recognise the fact that behaviour is the expression of a need and the outpouring of an emotion. I believe that having this perspective and deeper knowledge of what drives behaviour makes me a better trainer, because I am aware that there is so much more than just observable behaviour to consider when working with any animal.

Unfortunately, people often use training as a way of making things look better, without actually making them any better on a deeper level – kind of like painting over the cracks in a house when its foundations are crumbling. It might look better for a while, but the entire structure is still unstable and at some point, it is bound to collapse.

Except it is far worse than a crumbling house, because dogs are sentient beings that deserve better than having their underlying emotions ignored. Trying to cover up signs of anxiety, frustration or deprivation by teaching polite behaviours is incredibly cruel and selfish.

Too often I see posts in positive reinforcement-based training groups where people are seeking advice to address a “problem” behaviour and, despite the very obvious signs that the dog in the post is struggling because a fundamental need is not being met, the advice given always focuses purely on training away the behaviour, rather than addressing the underlying need.

I find it incredibly sad and actually quite distressing, that so many dogs are desperately trying to communicate what they need and all supposedly knowledgeable people can focus on is how to stop them expressing that need – even if it is in a “nice” way.

Let me be clear, no amount of “training” is going to stop a dog from showing some signs of extreme boredom or distress, if you leave them alone daily for 8 – 10 hours. Dogs are social animals and you cannot train this out of them. A dog getting overexcited when they interact with you, if they spend hours separated from you outdoors or stuck in a crate, is NOT a training issue – it is a welfare issue. Long periods of confinement and isolation are detrimental to dogs – they were not built for this and trying to train them to accept it is fundamentally unfair. You also cannot expect a dog that never has any freedom of movement when out and about to walk “to heel” all the time. Dogs need to move, to run and to explore and expecting them to spend every walk on a 1 metre leash at your side with no tension on that lead as a means of exercise is completely absurd.

Dogs have fundamental needs for companionship, security, freedom of movement and exploration, among other things. You cannot train these needs out of them and trying to do so is incredibly unfair. Meeting your dogs’ emotional needs is how you go about building a strong foundation for their emotional and behavioural wellbeing, as well as your relationship with them. Training should be a means of enhancing and making that well-built foundation shine – not a way of covering up its cracks.

03/07/2024

The handsome Collie, Kashmir, giving me a great photo op-while he rocks his Sit/Stay!🐶❤️

02/15/2024

This is so spot on! Please take the time to find out if the dog you are interested in purchasing or adopting will fit in with your lifestyle & physical abilities. This will make for happier and safer dogs & humans!🐶❤️

I’m a dog trainer.
I teach people how to teach their dogs.
But I also - just as much or maybe even more - am a “dog manager”.
Teaching people how to manage their dogs.
Management is faster, and for many owners more accessible and realistic than training.
Sometimes this management is short-term, and sometimes it is a long-term solution.
The balance between training and management is individual to each family.
You know what makes management really hard?
Dogs that are stronger than their owners.
I am starting to see this more and more, and it worries me.
Dog owners are reaching out because they are small-framed (I am, too!) and their 80 lbs adolescent Doberman is pulling them over on every walk.
They tell me their dog got in a fight because he got loose when they couldn’t hang on to the leash.
When they try to wrestle their dog away from the opening front door, the dog easily wins and darts out and gets in trouble …
This is not good.
If owners acquire powerful working breeds, they need to be able to keep them under control (through training and/or management) or this quickly gets out of hand.
I want to be clear that I am not making this about body types.
There are a lot of amazing dog trainers out there who have a small frame, who are not physically strong or who have a medical condition or disability and their large dogs are *fantastically* trained.
It's a joy to watch. I highly respect them.
I am by no means a strong person either.
BUT let’s be realistic: If you get a dog that is stronger than you, your training game needs to be on point.
Because if a dog’s behavior is neither regulated by management nor training we have a problem.
In my in-person training I have seen many situations in which the training ability & physical strength of the dog owner was grossly mismatched with the dog’s level of drive and power.
There is so much frustration on both the human and canine sides of these teams.
Those cases are really difficult for a trainer to resolve - and they quickly become sketchy for others around, too (such as the dogs that are charged when the strong dog gets loose).
If you love training fast, driven & strong dogs - fantastic. I love that, too.
If you are looking for a companion and don’t have a huge interest in training - choose a dog that does not overpower you. You and your dog will be MUCH happier with this arrangement.

01/17/2024

Sweet, smart Macy-an mini Aussie Shepherd/Poodle mix-is super focused on the treat she is about to receive in our training session!😜😋🐶❤️