*RANT ALERT* Balanced training: Why it’s time to say goodbye to outdated methods. An open letter.

By | December 13, 2022

Join the dog training discussion in the comments! Thank you BARK for sponsoring this video! Get a FREE EXTRA MONTH of BarkBox: https://barkbox.com/dogtraining AND Super Chewer: https://superchewer.com/dogtraining

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to see all of our videos (it’s totally free!): https://tinyurl.com/subzakgeorge

🔬 For more information on the latest scientific guidelines for modern dog training methods WATCH THIS VIDEO! https://youtu.be/bkulCnZpQMU

For more daily dog training tips and videos FOLLOW US!
➡️ @zakgeorge on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ZakGeorge
➡️ I’m on TikTok too! http://vm.tiktok.com/fFxPbh/
➡️ Like me on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/TheZakGeorge
😍 @breejustine is on instagram too: http://www.instagram.com/breejustine

Is there another social network you’d like to see us on? Tell us in the comments! ⬇️

👇 STUDIES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO: 👇

“Training dogs with help of the shock collar: short and long term behavioural effects” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016815910300248X

“Does training method matter? Evidence for the negative impact of aversive-based methods on companion dog welfare” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7743949/

“The welfare consequences and efficacy of training pet dogs with remote electronic training collars in comparison to reward based training” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25184218/

“Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors” https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.applanim.2008.12.011

🥰 THANK YOU to our Patrons who help us keep this content TOTALLY FREE 🥰 You can help support our videos by making a contribution here: http://www.patreon.com/zakgeorge

📖 If you have a NEW PUPPY or you’re PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE, my FIRST book (broad overview of choosing, raising and training a dog) is the one for you!!! Get it here: https://amzn.to/1PXH568

📖 Order my NEW BOOK here (💥this one is a deeper dive into troubleshooting the most common training issues💥) https://amzn.to/2XiER6f

☝️👀👂 If you prefer to LISTEN instead of read… I narrated both of my audiobooks for you guys myself!!! If you listen to the audio versions be sure to let me know what you think! 🎙😜 You can find audio (and Kindle) versions at the links above as well.

🌈🎨 Do you love the ART in this video?! Get AMAZING CUSTOM PET PORTRAITS from our awesome friend Lee HERE: https://dawgart.com

Thank you so much for watching this video! If you have any feedback, requests for future content, or just want to tell us about your dog… We’ll see you in the comments!! 🤗 – Zak and Bree (and Inertia… and Veronica! 🐾)


In this video we're going to be Exploring the benefits of positive Reinforcement training for dogs in a way That we've never done before if only Someone would make a bomb of positive Reinforcement training That was a memorable way for these boxes To show me what their contents were Sparks highly imaginative and original Themes are going to make your dog's life More fun prickly sound Squeaky sound they do a great job of Making products that appeal to a massive Variety of dogs grunty sound with Crinkly sound you get the marshmallow You get the cup at first glance you Might think this is a BarkBox toy but no Bark also has their super chewer line Which is for dogs who are extra tough on Toys if there's any gingerbread people Out there you may want to look away for This it's not even the easiest to cut And look they are engineering the heck Out of these toys all of these grippers So your dog can easily get it maybe It'll Bounce Around in different Directions these products are Exceptional quality look at this you can Put treats inside there and their treats Are just some of the best available as You can see even at family holiday Gatherings every single person can agree That BarkBox and super chewer are the Best gifts for your dogs maybe you don't

Give the explosive ones to your Uncle Jerry though get a free extra month of BarkBox or super tour box at my special Link barkbox.com dog training or Superchewer.com dog training link below Many viewers of my channel already know That I am a huge proponent of positive Reinforcement training for dogs this Isn't just because of my personal Beliefs it's because modern science Supports this approach I know some of You might be thinking Zach why do you Care so much about this it's just dog Training this isn't just about dogs this Is about the almighty algorithm there's So much pseudo scientific nonsense out There on the internet so I think and let Me know if you're with me we need to Retrain the algorithm starting now have You ever thought about how the Principles of training dogs and raising Kids are very similar both require a Competent understanding of behavior and Emotions and those are the two things That I really want to zoom in on today Behavior and emotions keep that in your Head by recognizing the similarities Between humans and dogs we can tap into Our Natural Born empathy and make Training more intuitive and effective so We all understand that rewarding dogs With toys treats play a desired Environment or anything else that they Love is a way to implement positive

Reinforcement dog training this not only Encourages the behavior we want to see With our dogs but it builds trust and That's a key component even in addition To trust it strengthens the bond between A person and a dog or a parent and a Child let's be clear about what we mean When we talk about positive Reinforcement training versus punish or Physically correcting positive Reinforcement training involves Rewarding a desired Behavior so that We're more likely to see that behavior In the future while punishment involves Using negative consequences to make an Undesired Behavior occur Less in the Future let's look at a really common Example we've all been through this About how we might address teaching a Child not to interrupt the conversation On one hand a parent might stop and Explain to the child hey let's be quiet For a minute and if you're real good Maybe I'll give you a candy bar on the Way home or at the end of the day this Approach is probably likely to be more Effective than simply tapping a child on The arm and saying and that's because You're actually providing an incentive For the child to change their behavior What else is similar between dog Training and raising kids well in both Cases you have to be very consistent Consistency in your methods and your

Rules creates a sense of predictability And stability and of course patience is Crucial for both dogs and kids for their Overall development with both its idea Deal to take the time to help them learn And provide a positive and supportive Environment and you can see how that Helps build a strong bond and Trust Let's get real though as a positive Reinforcement dog trainer I do face a Fair amount of criticism from the Balanced dog training Community one Criticism I can hear right now is people Saying that I'm anthropomorphizing dogs That is assigning human characteristics To dogs after all they're completely Different species however I think it is Clear to every single one of us that Dogs are both intelligent creatures and Emotional creatures that deserve to be Treated with care and respect just like Young children right I think this is Something that at least 99 percent of us Agree on intuitively and the growing Body of scientific evidence supports This idea as well and don't worry as we Continue we'll get into some of the Science and I'll explain how positive Reinforcement training can help us Better care for and understand our dogs By now many of us are aware that Studies Have shown that dogs have the cognitive Ability that Rivals out of a Two-year-old human and that includes the

Ability to use and understand language Solve problems and remember past events In fact and this is not a small point This is mind-blowing these brain Structures and chemicals involved with The cognition in dogs like oxytocin and Dopamine and more are nearly identical To those found in humans and this would Suggest that dogs are capable of Experiencing emotions in a very similar Way to humans including fear happiness Anxiety and love both species form Strong bonds with their caregivers and They both can experience anxiety when They're away from each other and she's Having a bit of a puppy anxiety attack Here every one of us has seen both a Young child and a puppy become Distressed when their caregiver leaves All of these factors point to the fact That dogs are emotional and intelligent Creatures and they deserve a thoughtful And compassionate approach to learning If you agree with this idea we're all on The same page so far now let's get into The good stuff fear and anxiety can lead To negative behaviors in both dogs and People such as aggression withdrawal and Other self-destructive behaviors the Reason I'm bringing up fear and anxiety Specifically is because many of the Tactics used by balanced dog trainers Even though well-intentioned seem to be Correlated with increased rates of fear

And anxiety that's right the very Methods may actually cause these Behaviors or cause them to get worse That's a key point in keeping with our Theme many aggressive behaviors in dogs And humans do stem from fear and anxiety But not all of them it's important to Recognize these emotions and provide the Necessary support and care to manage Them this can help prevent aggressive Behavior and promote overall well-being Some examples of negative behavior in Humans that stem from fear and anxiety Are withdrawal that's not participating In social activities or avoiding just Interacting with others because you feel Anxious or afraid fear and anxiety in Humans can cause them to behave Aggressively as a way to protect Themselves or assert themselves over Others and selfish destructive Behavior Like in severe cases substance abuse Eating disorders and other harmful Behaviors in dogs fear and anxiety can Manifest in similar ways such as barking Or growling dogs might growl when they Feel nervous or afraid destructive Behaviors like chewing up your furniture Or trying to bite their way out of a Crate and avoidance that's where a dog Might try to avoid a situation that Causes them to feel unpleasant she just Put herself in her crate this is what She does when I say take a bath they

Might avoid eye contact or hide from Their Guardians modern approaches to Helping dogs improve often utilize Clever management techniques to address The very same problems that traditional Aversive trainers aim to solve Fortunately there are many known Effective ways to manage fear and Anxiety some examples include to create A safe and supportive environment it's Important to provide a reliable and Stable routine and offer a safe and Comfortable place where our dogs can Feel secure engaging in activities that Promote relaxation and stress reduction Like exercise can help reduce anxiety Rewarding a dog with treats play a Desired environment or anything else Your dog absolutely loves and helps Solidify and reinforce positive Behaviors and build confidence it's a Great idea if you've made the decision That you need to bring in professional Help sorry but you do in my strong Opinion want to avoid trainers that use Choke chains prawn collars electric Collars or any other device that is Designed to be unpleasant to a dog I Want to emphasize that my opposition to Chochain's prong collars electric Collars or shock collars whatever you Want to call them are not just some Light-hearted opinion at this point There have been a pretty fair amount of

Scientific studies that have shown the Negative effects of using these tools I Just want to go over a few that we can Do more in the future if you want one Study published in the applied animal Behavior science journal found that the Use of electric and shock collars were Associated with additional aggressive Behavior in dogs as well as increased Physiological indicators that are Associated with Stress and Anxiety Another study published in plus one Found that dogs trained with Punishment-based methods like electric Or shock collars had increased risk of Chronic stress and long-term welfare Concerns that's kind of at the heart of A lot of this dogs trained with aversive Methods were much more likely to show Signs of fear and anxiety and stress Even when they weren't being trained That is compared to dogs who were Trained with positive reinforcement Methods another study published in plus One also found that the use of shock Collars was associated with increased Physiological signs associated with fear Anxiety and stress like cortisol in Their saliva even when these shocks Occurred at very low levels a lot of People have been persuaded into using These tools because at low levels They're more Humane but another study From applied animal behavior science

Suggests that aversives such as shocks And even less aversive things just like Yelling come with a risk of increasing Behavior problems like aggression these Findings and that of many other studies Put a spotlight on the long-term welfare Concerns that we have when we use these Methods in contrast positive Reinforcement training hasn't been shown To have these issues but it has been Shown to be a Humane and effective Approach without all of those long-term Welfare concerns supporters of balance Training methods often are very quick to Diminish scientific studies this was Only a handful of studies we can produce Many more it's becoming more and more Difficult by the day to ignore the fact That positive reinforcement dog training Is likely to be more successful and Certainly more Humane and objectively Just looking at the science available to Us all it is likely the best method Available to us today in contrast a Corrections-based approach even when Combined with positive reinforcement is Less likely to produce the results that We want if you have the ability to raise And teach a child through kindness and Avoiding punishment you likely have it In you to be an amazing dog trainer by Implementing and understanding the Principles of positive reinforcement Like consistency patience lots of love

You can help both dogs and children Learn grow and flourish whenever I make A video like this people will often say Zach positive reinforcement is great for Those companion dogs that you work with So much what about those dogs who are Really energetic or even behave Aggressively and attack sometimes that's When we need to consider using a more Balanced approach or code for a more Physical approach or aversive approach We can get well into that topic if you Guys would like but you'll have to tell Me in the comments below I mean think About it is there a one of us who would Prefer to be taught with a Punishment-based approach versus a Positive reinforcement approach if so Please tell me give me an example as a Matter of fact in the comments below as To why you think you would learn more Effectively if you were punished instead Of rewarded for something good if you Like this video give it a thumbs up and If you didn't like it give it a thumbs Down subscribe to my channel too and Don't forget to check out BarkBox or Super tour box which are essentially a Bomb of positive reinforcement dog Training that lasts an entire month Hopefully I've made my case tell me what You disagree with in the comments or Tell me what you agree with I'm always Open to learning and learning something

New we'll see you in the next video


Invalid category.