What is Balanced Training?
When you google the definition of balanced dog training, you’ll get all sorts of results such as “using rewards and aversive methods such as physical punishment.” For a lot of owners doing their own research, reading information like this can be scary and completely steer you away from balanced training altogether. While there are absolutely people out there who “train” in a forceful style, K9 Summit does not subscribe to those methods.
For K9 Summit, balanced training is simply the use of rewards and corrections. We use a lot of praise, treats, and play in our training, while also incorporating properly-conditioned training tools used to better communicate and correct for a behavior that does not need to continue. Similar to parents of human children, we have lots of fun with our dogs, but also have to correct and teach them when they are doing the wrong thing.
You may be wondering what a correction looks like. When people hear the word “correction” or “punishment,” their minds may immediately think of yelling at or spanking a dog. When in reality, a correction can (and should!) actually be gentler than you think. At K9 Summit, we believe in the proper use of training tools such as: Slip-leads, E-collars, Prong collars, and FOOD! A correction can absolutely be uncomfortable for a dog, but should not cause them pain. Oftentimes, a single moment of being uncomfortable can clearly communicate to a dog that a behavior is unacceptable far more than using a hundred treats to teach an alternative behavior.
What kind of tools do we use?
Let’s talk about the prong collar! The prong collar can seem like a “scary” tool to use, when in reality, it’s one of the SAFEST! When fitted properly, this collar applies pressure around the entire neck, compared to a regular flat collar which applies all pressure to the dog’s throat. A correction is only felt when the dog pulls against the collar. The BEST thing about the prong collar is that it mimics a mother dog’s correction, providing an instinctual correction. The dog immediately understands the feeling and quickly catches onto the idea of “pressure and release”. Your walks will be TRANSFORMED when properly using a prong collar.
Now for the E-collar - this is our FAVORITE tool for almost any dog, especially timid or fearful dogs who need a very gentle touch. The E-collar is NOT a shock collar. Instead, it functions exactly like a tens unit used in physical therapy and at the chiropractor.
The brand of E-collar you use is VERY important. There are only a few we would recommend. The Dogtra 200C is one of the most popular systems we love and use. It is simple, reliable and easy to learn. It is so important to use a system that has at least 100 levels. Most “E collars” with only 10-20 levels use more of a “shock” rather than a mild “stimulation”.
The E-collar is an INCREDIBLE way to communicate with your dog in a way you’ve never been able to before. We teach dogs to understand the E-collar before ever using it for corrections. When used properly, your dog will be excited when they see their E-collar come out! We also use the E-collar to teach reliable, off-leash communication. The E-collar is used like a seatbelt, there when you need it, but you’re not relying on it.
“I wish I knew about this YEARS ago!!!” This is a very frequent statement we hear from our owners who are new to the “magic” of the E-collar.
Trainer Kayla began her career on the positive only side of the training spectrum. With this form of training, the dogs she worked with were able to do some insanely impressive behaviors, but were still offering all the unwanted behaviors such as jumping, barking, and pulling on the leash. She later discovered balanced training and loved how it was able to help her communicate with dogs much more effectively.
A word from Kayla: “I think that balanced training can benefit training (pet dog or service dog) in that you have the opportunity to tell the dog both yes and no. With positive reinforcement only, you are limiting yourself to one quadrant of learning. Positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment can all be misused, but they can all be appropriately used as well to round out the dog’s perception of what direction they need to go in.”
While balanced training can absolutely benefit any dog, it can especially benefit dogs with severe behaviors such as reactivity and aggression. Trainers who are positive reinforcement only will rarely take on these cases because they have limited the tools that they work with.
A great point that Kayla mentioned is that any form of training can be misused. When looking for a trainer, it’s important to do your research and ask questions so that you can do what’s best for you and your dog!
If you want to learn more about balanced training and the proper use of training tools, follow us on Instagram, @k9summit_training where we share all sorts of educational videos and posts!
