03/05/2025
A Response to a recent POST that MISREPRESENTS Balanced Dog Training
A recent letter contains a multitude of misleading statements about balanced training. While his passion for humane dog training is commendable, his claims distort the reality of balanced training and misrepresent the intentions and methods of professional trainers who incorporate both positive reinforcement and corrective feedback. Here’s a breakdown of why his argument is flawed.
1. Misrepresentation of Balanced Training
"HE" claims that balanced training “relies heavily on choking, shocking, and intimidating your dog into compliance.” This is not only false but also a gross oversimplification. Balanced training does not rely “heavily” on any particular method; rather, it is about using the most effective and fair approach for each individual dog.
Balanced trainers prioritize positive reinforcement but also recognize that learning occurs through both reinforcement and correction. Just as a parent teaches a child by praising good behavior while discouraging unsafe or inappropriate actions, balanced trainers ensure dogs understand both what is desired and what is not acceptable.
If balanced trainers truly relied only on punishment, as "HE" suggests, they would not achieve high levels of reliability, engagement, and off-leash freedom in various training disciplines, including competition obedience, agility, hunting, and service work.
2. Ethical and Effective Use of Tools
"HE" insists that balanced trainers use tools “designed specifically to inflict pain, fear, or discomfort.” This is a deliberate mischaracterization. Professional trainers use tools such as prong collars and e-collars as communication devices, not instruments of abuse.
A properly used e-collar does not deliver painful shocks but rather low-level muscle stimulation, similar to a TENS unit used in physical therapy. Many modern e-collars allow for incredibly subtle levels of stimulation, often lower than what dogs naturally experience in daily life (such as from a static charge on a carpet).
If these tools were inherently abusive, as "HE" suggests, they would not be used by respected professionals, search-and-rescue handlers, service dog trainers, and even veterinary behaviorists who specialize in modifying severe behavior problems.
Additionally, calling a prong collar a "choking device" is misleading. Prong collars apply pressure evenly around the neck, reducing the risk of injury compared to flat collars, which can cause tracheal damage when a dog pulls.
3. Misleading Interpretation of Scientific Evidence
"HE" references scientific studies to support his claims but selectively ignores research that contradicts his stance. While some studies suggest that excessive punishment can increase fear, stress, or aggression, the key factor is not the tool itself but the skill and technique of the trainer.
Scientific studies that examine proper balanced training methods show that when used correctly, corrections do not increase stress or aggression. In fact, a study by China et al. (2020) found that properly used e-collar training was more effective and less stressful than some purely positive methods when addressing certain behavior problems.
Moreover, overwhelming reliance on purely positive reinforcement has its own set of problems, particularly with behavior modification for aggression, reactivity, and off-leash reliability. Dogs, like all animals, learn through consequences—both positive and negative. Ignoring the role of corrections limits a trainer’s ability to shape a well-balanced, well-adjusted dog.
4. False Claims About “Instant Fixes” and Guarantees
"HE" implies that all balanced trainers promise unrealistic, instant results. This is a strawman argument. No reputable balanced trainer claims that behavior modification happens overnight. In fact, many balanced trainers spend weeks or months reinforcing positive behaviors before ever introducing corrections.
It is the purely positive trainers who often sell the false promise that all dogs can be trained using only rewards, ignoring the fact that some behaviors (such as predatory chasing, severe aggression, or refusal to recall) require more than just treats to be reliably controlled.
5. Aversive-Free Training is Not Always Humane
One of the most dangerous assumptions in "HE"’ letter is that avoiding all forms of correction is the most humane way to train. This is simply not true.
Allowing a dog to engage in dangerous behaviors (e.g., chasing cars, attacking other dogs, or ignoring a recall near a busy street) without using any form of consequence is irresponsible.
Many purely positive trainers rely on withholding reinforcement as their primary form of punishment, which can be just as frustrating to a dog as a momentary correction. In some cases, this method leads to more stress because the dog does not clearly understand what they are doing wrong.
Many balanced trainers work with severely reactive and aggressive dogs—the types of dogs that purely positive trainers often refuse to take on because their methods are insufficient.
6. The Reality of the Dog Training Industry
"HE" argues that dog training is unregulated and that balanced trainers take advantage of this. However, this applies to all trainers, including purely positive trainers. Many “force-free” trainers have little to no real-world experience handling difficult cases, yet they claim moral superiority over those who achieve real-world results.
The true issue is not which method a trainer uses, but whether they have the education, experience, and ethics to apply it properly.
Conclusion: Misleading Rhetoric vs. Practical Training
"HIS” letter is an emotional appeal that misrepresents balanced training and misleads the public by equating it with abuse. In reality, balanced training is about effective, ethical, and evidence-based techniques that combine positive reinforcement with fair, humane corrections when needed.
Rather than attacking professional trainers with false accusations, the conversation should be about trainer competence, education, and the ability to tailor training to each individual dog.
Dog training should be about results, reliability, and respect for the dog’s needs—not about pushing ideological purity at the expense of effectiveness.
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