03/24/2025
Wonderful explanation
BALANCED DOG TRAINING ~ GOOD THING OR NOT?
Balanced training sounds like a good thing, right? I mean, when you hear the word, "balanced," things like a balanced diet, work-life balanced, balanced tires come to mind, right?
Well, balanced training is not a good thing. Balanced training is a disguise for training that uses force and aversive tools and methods as well as some form of positive reinforcement.
"Balanced" dog training is a type of training that has been well established to cause stress, anxiety, and even aggression. Let me be clear, there is no such thing as "purely positive" (training), a term coined by opponents of force-free positive reinforcement training to describe the way those of us who are opposed to compulsion and aversives train.
Trainers who ascribe to fear-free, force-free training methods DO use "punishment," but it is a form of punishment that most people do not understand as punishment. In behavioral terms, a consequence that stops behavior from reoccurring is called punishment in behavior science.
For example, if a dog jumps on me or a puppy bites me and I withdraw my attention, my withdrawal of attention is called negative punishment. In behavioral terms, negative punishment refers to removing something the dog wants, e.g., attention, to stop a behavior.
We rarely, if ever, use what is called positive punishment, the application of something aversive to stop a behavior. That's because it's rarely, if ever, needed or appropriate. This kind of punishment is often ineffective with negative consequences, and most, if not all of the time, there are better ways to train and modify behavior.
Force-free, or positive reinforcement trainers understand the Humane Hierarchy, LIMA (least intrusive, minimally aversive), LIFE (least inhibitive, functionally effective) and as of March 19, the new FREE (functional, reinforcing, enriching, and effective) models of training and behavior modification.
They understand the scientific principles of applied behavior analysis, and what to use when. They don't have a one size fits all mentality. They have a large tool bag, are generally eager learners, willing to try something new, and care as much about the process of training as they do the end result.
Beware and be wise!
Cindy Ludwig, M.A., B.S., R.N., KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA
Owner, Canine Connection LLC
Voted Best Springfield, Missouri Dog Trainer
