What is positive reinforcement?

Positive reinforcement is rewarding all desirable behaviours presented by your companion. When we reward these behaviours your pet will start to practice them and choose to perform them regularly. It’s all about providing our pets with choice and encouraging them to choose the desired behaviours.

Why do we use positive reinforcement over punishment?

Pets trained and raised with positive reinforcement have less anxiety, show less fear and have a stronger bond with their owner. Those trained with punishment techniques can become more fearful, anxious and potentially aggressive. We never want to train our pets through fearful intimidation techniques as this is “old school” and “alpha” based training and can cause further frustration and an increase in unwanted behaviours. You will be amazed at the profound difference in your pet after changing to reward based training.

Is my dog trying to be the alpha?

The alpha dominance theory is a myth, new studies have proven that wolves hunt and support each other as a family. There is a hierarchy but it is a family hierarchy, we are here to support our pets and help shape them into confident companions. Many people believe that when a dog jumps or humps it is displaying dominance, this is actually the dog communicating and expressing states of high arousal or frustration. Through an assessment I can work out why these behaviours are occurring and teach you how to manage and create different alternatives.

Can you teach an old dog new tricks?

Of course you can, any animal can learn new things especially when there is a powerful motivator involved such as food or toys. Many things can affect a senior animal’s ability to learn so a full vet health check is always recommended before training can commence.