What Owners Should Know about Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

Introduction

If you're a dog owner working on training, you know there's so much information out there. There are many different approaches, techniques, and opinions about the right way to train your dog. In this post, we'll cover everything you need to know about positive reinforcement dog training—what it is, practical examples, benefits, and helpful tips to make your training sessions impactful for you and your pup.

How Positive Reinforcement Dog Training Works

Positive reinforcement dog training teaches dogs by rewarding a positive behavior with something they value. It does not punish the unwanted behavior, but rather focuses on obtaining the desired behavior. This forms a positive association for the specific behavior for your dog, increasing the likelihood of them doing it again.

Examples of Positive Reinforcement

The key to success for positive reinforcement dog training is rewarding the positive behavior with something of value. Some examples of this are giving them a treat, verbal praise or a special toy. Take into consideration what is easiest for you and most exciting for your dog and start there.

Some behaviors you may want to use positive reinforcement dog training for include tricks, remaining calm when guests enter your home and house training.

Benefits of Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

There are many benefits of choosing positive reinforcement dog training over other methods. Here are just a few.

Builds Trust Between Dog and Owner

This method of training deepens the connection and builds trust between the dog and owner. Success in training is really a team effort, because it requires consistency and patience from both sides. Your dog will trust you even more as you progress in your training efforts because they know you'll reward them for their progress. They'll understand you aren't trying to punish them, but you want to celebrate them for achieving a specific goal.

Boosts Motivation

When you incorporate positive reinforcement into your training sessions, your dog's motivation will increase. They will be more likely to listen and appropriately respond- especially if they know a treat or praise is waiting for them on the other side!

Prioritizes Desired Behavior

A common question dog owners ask about this training method is, "What do you do about unwanted behaviors?" Another benefit of using positive reinforcement is that it prioritizes and puts the emphasis on the desired behavior instead of instilling fear in the dog from doing the "wrong" thing. They will be more focused on carrying out the desired behavior.

4 Tips for Effective Training

Positive reinforcement dog training is rather straightforward if you keep these tips in mind.

1. Choose an Enticing Reward

First, consider the reward you'll use. For food-motivated dogs, treats are the best choice (and likely will be the easiest for you to maintain too). We highly recommend stocking up on our single-ingredient bites for training since they're small and healthy. We have many different types including chicken (most popular), beef, and pork available.

Other reward options include a special toy that they may not usually have access to or praise.

2. Use a Marker

A marker is essentially a cue for your dog to understand they completed the desired behavior. Markers come in different forms, with the most common being a physical clicker or a verbal cue like "yes".

Here's the typical flow of using a marker in positive reinforcement training. You cue the dog to do the behavior if applicable (ex. say "sit"), the dog does the behavior, you use your marker, and then you give the dog their reward.

3. Reward Them Immediately

In order for the dog to understand the reward is tied to a specific behavior, be sure to reward them immediately. Don't have them sit, then run upstairs to find a bag of treats, only to give it to them 5 minutes later. Instead, have your rewards ready at the start of your training session.

4. Stay Consistent and Practice Daily

Just as with a new habit for humans, it's important to stay consistent with training sessions and practice every day. If you can, try to incorporate sessions into your daily lives. For example, you may choose to go for a walk together in the morning, practice "sit" and "stay" when you get home, and then go to your home office with your dog. Find a time slot and flow that works for you.

Why Our Single Ingredient Dog Treats are Perfect for Training

If you're looking for the best dog treats for training, we highly recommend browsing our single ingredient treats in our shop. They are compact, healthy and sourced in the U.S. so they're perfect for consistent training sessions.

We offer bite-sized treats made out of chicken, beef, pork, turkey, and more, which are perfect as a treat reward. Click here to browse our full online shop!

Frequently Asked Questions about Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

• What is an example of positive reinforcement dog training?

  Some examples of positive reinforcement dog training include offering a treat, praise, or special toy when your dog carries out a desired behavior.

• What are the best dog treats for training?

  When you're looking for training treats, keep in mind they should be low-calorie, healthy, and tasty! We highly recommend using our bites like chicken or beef as training rewards.

• How do you discipline a dog with positive reinforcement?

  With positive reinforcement dog training, you focus on the desired behavior—not the unwanted behavior. Therefore, discipline looks like ignoring or redirecting the dog to the desired behavior.

About the Author

Karley Parrish is a dog mom to her pug, Rico and pittie mix, Stryker. She’s a Maryland resident, passionate hobby collector, and the founder of Bud to Bloom Marketing, where she helps small businesses grow their communities and boost their sales through ethical strategies. Most days, you can find her sipping a coffee at a local spot or exploring a new hiking trail with her husband and pups.