Why we're force free

The dog training industry is completed unregulated.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer.

No qualifications, no experience, no accountability.

As a dog guardian, I found the dog training world so confusing. How can you know who to trust? What is the difference between 'force-free' and 'balanced'?

I knew when I studied to become a trainer that I only ever wanted to treat dogs with kindness. The obvious reason behind this is that I truly love dogs and I couldn't imagine hurting them, whether that be physically or psychologically. But, on a deeper level, the science is clear, the best way for a dog to learn is through reward based training.

So what does this mean?

Well, as a force-free trainer, this doesn't mean that we don't have boundaries or that we don't tell our dog's 'no'. We absolutely have rules and we teach these to our dogs.

What we DON'T do is use fear, intimidation or pain.

There is a common misconception that all we do is dish out treats, food is THE most powerful reinforcer but to minimise our expertise to 'just giving treats' couldn't be further from the truth.

When faced with a behaviour challenge, we look at everything from gut health, pain factors, background, breed, previous trauma, current lifestyle and enrichment and piece this altogether to understand the root cause of the behaviour. This means that our modification plans are often complex and take time, effort and patience on the part of the guardian.

This is because we are truly altering the underlying emotional response and just as in human therapy, this is not a quick process.

We do give management advice in the meantime whilst we are working together to address these issues.

A 'balanced' trainer uses a mixture of techniques. They are supposed to follow the LIMA principles (least intrusive minimally aversive) and they claim to only use their most aversive tools if all other techniques have failed.

So what's wrong with this?

Firstly, this is not the truth in practice from my experience. I often mop up after balanced trainers and more often than not an aversive tool was their FIRST attempt at modifying behaviour.

Secondly, if they truly follow the LIMA principles (see above point) then their most aversive techniques are surely reserved for the most complex cases. Why is this such a problem? Well, those complex cases are often the ones that need the most gentle and kind approach of all. A dog with a traumatic background who already struggles to trust, does not need further pain inflicting on it.

Now don't get me wrong. Aversive techniques work. And they work fast. Often much faster than reward based training. If I was being repeatedly intimidated and bullied, sometimes physically by the only person who can provide me with food and shelter, I'd do what I was told too. And quickly. But would I be happy? I doubt it. Would I trust this person? Unlikely.

If given the chance to run away or fight back in the future, would I? Yes. Probably.

And that brings me to my final point. Aversive techniques often only work short term. Either because the dog gets used to the pain and it stops affecting them, or because the dog just shuts down and does what they have to do for the pain to stop short term but as soon as that equipment is removed their behaviour comes back (often much worse).

Because their emotional response to that trigger hasn't changed. They're still terrified of it, they just daren't show it whilst under threat.

There is lots of noise in the dog training industry at the moment. Balanced trainers claim that force-free trainers don't understand aversive equipment and that if it is used correctly it doesn't hurt the dog. But, if used correctly, by very definition aversive equipment is SUPPOSED to hurt.

I feel confident and proud to call myself a force-free trainer. I often wonder why so called balanced trainers feel so strongly that they need to 'butter up' their techniques. If they are so sure that they are not causing harm by using fear, intimidation and punishment to train dogs, then why do they hide behind descriptions that suggest otherwise?

Something to think about.

By choosing The Poochie People, you can be sure we will never harm your dog emotionally or physically. I am a Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog trainer, a Certified Separation Anxiety trainer, a member of the Pet Professionals Guild and a member of The UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter.

Written by: Nicola Cook (VSPDT, CSAT)