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Which way does your training style lean?

Golden Training Style Preference

5K views 57 replies 17 participants last post by  Popebendgoldens 
#1 ·
This is less about Goldens specifically and more about the preferences in training style that we, as owners, employ. I’ve added a poll to this post. Well, at least that is my intention but asca relatively new memver I haven’t even seen one on this forum, much less made one, but I’ll be positive and assume that it works.
But I would as you to consider doing the following if you wish to participate…
1- Take the poll
2- BEFORE reading any of the posts that (I hope) are made to this thread, make your own initial post with a summary if your thoughts on training styles, keeping in mind the choices you saw in the poll.
(Hopefully at least this will result in more calm and collected initial posts. 🙏)

I’m going to follow the same guidelines myself and not use this initial post to expound on my own views on dog training. This is a very subjective topuc where some people get rather zealous, which is fine, but at least make an initial effort to be civil and not be the first one to throw a stone.

Thanks in advance for participating.
 
#3 ·
Would you describe your basic approach?
 
#4 ·
MIlan/Beckman/Khron

Never heard of them.
 
#5 ·
MIlan/Beckman/Khron

Never heard of them.
(Just noticed I left out the ‘i’ in ‘Millan’ in the poll. Ditto with Krohn. Can’t correct them either.)

Milan - Cesar Milan from Dog Whisperer
Beckman -
Krohn -

The difference in styles is more a matter of the attitude toward correcting undesirable/unacceptable behavior.
 
#7 ·
It really depends.

And I honestly don't care how anyone else trains their dog. Nor do I care what they think of how I train my dog.

But I am aware that a lot of people on this forum like to think they have the perfect training method and that's awesome for them.
 
#9 ·
The only thing two trainers of field retrievers ever agree on about training is that another trainer is doing it wrong.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Neither. More balanced. E-collars have their place. I have nothing against them. You shouldn’t need them for basic obedience though. I’m training high level obedience and don’t us them. There’s even a place for a more positive approach. For example, there’s an Akita wwhete I train. Beautiful dog. Does everything at a snails pace. Zero energy. Owner is a bit frustrated about how slow he works. I almost never see owner truly praise. He’s very much old school, no treats kind of trainer. Only slightly praises perfection. I told him that the dog needs more praise. He needs happy, bouncy training. Of course, I was not to be believed, given the dog, and basically told to prove it. I had the dog bouncing along beside me play biting at me, working efficiently, and just having a blast. I did a master level rally course with him. He didn’t do everything right because I don’t know all his commands but we had a good time. Owner was shocked that he listened and did so well.

I never thought working an Akita would be so much fun.
 
#13 ·
There is no option for somewhere in between? I think most training tools (prong, e collars, etc) have their place and are beneficial when used correctly. I also think praise, treats and positivity bring joy and excitement into working for a dog.
Personally, I lean towards positive reinforcement training, but also give corrections when I feel appropriate. I also think relationship is key to successful training and different dogs benefit from slightly different approaches.
I agree with what others have said though- dog trainers rarely agree with each other lol. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed reading a variety of training topics on this forum to gather different ideas and techniques to try out myself. Different opinions give lots of opportunities for learning :)
 
#14 ·
Neither. Anyone who calls themselves a “purely positive” dog trainer doesn’t understand the four quadrants of learning. I’m a cookie pusher, but my dogs do have consequences if they’re being stupid.
 
#23 ·
One of the trainers I mentioned, Krohn, posted a clip of a discussion with Kroyer. In fact I asked one trainer that is assisting in training my dog and she knew of Kroyer and respected him.
 
#16 ·
I’ve learned a lot from R+ trainers and balanced trainers. I prefer a combination of the two. Logan engages well with positive input. I tend to be quiet/more soft spoken and my latest competition obedience class is helping me to be more animated like DevWind describes above. He’s really enjoying It. They suggest corrections for blatant disobedience (like if he took off across the room ignoring, for example), but otherwise say to make it as fun as possible so both handler and dog are enjoying it. I think it’s important to really get to know your dog and how he or she responds/is motivated.
 
#17 ·
This is less about Goldens specifically and more about the preferences in training style that we, as owners, employ. I’ve added a poll to this post. Well, at least that is my intention but asca relatively new memver I haven’t even seen one on this forum, much less made one, but I’ll be positive and assume that it works.
But I would as you to consider doing the following if you wish to participate…
1- Take the poll
2- BEFORE reading any of the posts that (I hope) are made to this thread, make your own initial post with a summary if your thoughts on training styles, keeping in mind the choices you saw in the poll.
(Hopefully at least this will result in more calm and collected initial posts. 🙏)

I’m going to follow the same guidelines myself and not use this initial post to expound on my own views on dog training. This is a very subjective topuc where some people get rather zealous, which is fine, but at least make an initial effort to be civil and not be the first one to throw a stone.

Thanks in advance for participating.
Neither. I’m definitely not purely positive, and I do use an e-collar but really only for recall at this point, so that choice really doesn’t fit the bill either. And whoever those names are, idk. So I’m somewhere in the tremendous expanse between those two options, which is probably the case for 99% of people…
 
#21 ·
Sounds like you are similar to Beckman and Krohn. Both use a lot of positive reinforcement, one uses the e collar on almost all dogs, the other uses it rarely, relying on more physical corrections. My intention wasn’t to offer purely positive versus no praise, force the dog to submit at all turns. Rather the alternative option was a mix.
 
#22 ·
I think this is a very interesting topic and deserves discussion. I like the poll option because I know many here don’t always feel safe expressing their views on training for fear of being “attacked” for expressing a view that doesn’t align with someone else. That said, I agree that having a poll with only the two extreme options isn’t likely to solicit the kind of information that is helpful. I think it might give you more information to present the poll as a “where are you on the spectrum?” with, say, a ranking of 1-10) with 1 being all compulsion/correction or no food rewards, 5 being “balanced”, and 10 being “purely positive” (no corrections at all - not even saying no or giving some other “no reward marker”). It would also be interesting to have people comment not only where they are on the training spectrum, but also what they do with their dogs (field, OB, rally, agility, dock diving, therapy work, or just a family pet, etc.). I think the goals that people have with their dogs, as well as norms and pressures from their training peers, can have a big impact on the training techniques someone chooses.
 
#29 ·
I like the poll option because I know many here don’t always feel safe expressing their views on training for fear of being “attacked” for expressing a view that doesn’t align with someone else.
That is a huge drawback of this forum and why I encourage people to put various users on "ignore."
 
#38 ·
Yes, survey too black and white to reflect reality. Tools and corrections vary with the dog, as well. Case in point. I generally would not ever use a barking collar, but with 1 dog we found it necessary.

It worked. How do I know this (and it is a true story)? I had fallen off a ladder and badly dislocated an elbow. My arm was swollen and in a sling. I don't know what I was thinking when I did this, but didn't think the barking collar was working, so I barked at it while it was in my bum hand. The pain in my arm when I jumped and dropped it was undescribable. I never did THAT again.
 
#57 ·
This is less about Goldens specifically and more about the preferences in training style that we, as owners, employ. I’ve added a poll to this post. Well, at least that is my intention but asca relatively new memver I haven’t even seen one on this forum, much less made one, but I’ll be positive and assume that it works.
But I would as you to consider doing the following if you wish to participate…
1- Take the poll
2- BEFORE reading any of the posts that (I hope) are made to this thread, make your own initial post with a summary if your thoughts on training styles, keeping in mind the choices you saw in the poll.
(Hopefully at least this will result in more calm and collected initial posts. 🙏)

I’m going to follow the same guidelines myself and not use this initial post to expound on my own views on dog training. This is a very subjective topuc where some people get rather zealous, which is fine, but at least make an initial effort to be civil and not be the first one to throw a stone.

Thanks in advance for participating.
Really hard to vote for these options. We use corrections and an e-collar but most of how we train is based in engagement and connection. I use positive reinforcement a lot but I’m also not afraid to tell my dog “no”. She is 3 now so we don’t rely on treats unless she’s learning a new skill or gets sloppy/doesn’t understand what I want from her. I’ve watched a lot of trainers online, worked with a couple in person, and tried a lot of different techniques. Socialization when she was little laid a good foundation for her behavior and ability to learn and adapt moving forward. What works best for me is knowing my dog as an individual and figuring out what works for her. Took us 2+ years to get to where we really understood each other and could work together effectively.
 
#58 ·
I will say that I am neither of what you posted for the poll. I train according to the dog and the owner. I am huge on teaching the owner to recognize a dog’s body language. It is amazing that dogs learn to read body language from a newborn up. For a dog this applies to other dogs, other animals and of course human beings. The vast majority of humans have no idea what body language actually is. This stems from our own upbringing. Unless you sit and actually observe dogs and or people you are on the outside looking in. I also train people to control themselves with their dogs. It is amazing that a neurotic dog is usually that way due to the signals it gets from the owner.
 
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