If your home dog training is only with positive influences it can raise the level of your dogs character to the point where he is uncontrollable. Dog training methods only in this manner can be very weak in responding reliably to your commands, particularly in the presence of distracting situations. A dog trained only in the manner may develop such a dominate, inflated opinion of himself that later attempts at controlling his behavior may bring on aggressive and defensive tendencies.
The Effects of Positive & Negative Influencing
Positive influences can be:
- Your Verbal Praise.
- Your Encouraging or Playful Actions.
- Food Toys.
- and Other Reward Based Materials.
If you’re trying to correct dog behavior only with negative influences it can produce a dog that is extremely subdued or intimidated. A dog trained in the manner can exhibit obvious signs of stress and can exhibit lack of interest or resistance in performing. A dog trained in this manner may develop such a fear and resentment that attempts at controlling his behavior may bring on aggressive and defensive tendencies.
Negative influences can be:
- Your Verbal Corrections.
- Your Leash or Collar Corrections.
- Threatening or Intimidating Actions (Including Swatting or Hitting).
- Withdrawal of Positive Influences.
Avoid Extremes From Either End
So as you can see, either extreme of these dog training methods can create an aggressive and defensive dog. The dog might be directing this aggression at the person who is giving those influences or to everyone. This is where BALANCE plays a huge role. There is a middle ground where training your dog is most effective. However, even when we do apply negative influences we never go to the extreme of swatting or hitting.