I believe that a dog may be induced to behave appropriately through the use of positive and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is the use of a reward to increase desired behavior; for example, giving the dog a treat for obeying a command. Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, involves the removal of something the dog wants in order to induce the desired behavior. For instance, not giving the dog the attention he craves when he is acting inappropriately. If these techniques are applied correctly and consistently, a dog may be conditioned to behave in a desired way.

Punishment used to be a commonly used technique in dog training. Fortunately, the paradigm has shifted and punishment is a tool that most trainers do not need to employ. Using positive and negative reinforcement can effectively modify a dog’s behavior while strengthening the human-dog bond. Punishment, on the other hand, can undermine and damage the trust between dog and human.

The point of having a dog, presumably, is to enjoy the company a canine provides. If a dog is misbehaved, however, the owner may become frustrated and unhappy. My goal is to show people how to correct their dog’s behavior so that the relationship between owner and dog is healthy and happy.