Canine Training Techniques

There are several techniques used during canine training, from traditional training where practically anything goes, to the most widely used one, focused on positive reinforcement.

Here at SoyUnPerro we want to show you what each of these training approaches involves and which gives the best results, along with the advice you need to properly train your dog.

Traditional Training Technique

You could say this technique has been the most widely used throughout human history, though that doesn't mean it's the most advisable one.

For hundreds of years, dogs have been trained through what's known as reward and punishment. Rewarding the dog when they do something right and punishing them when they do something wrong.

This way, our dog won't just learn to obey — they'll also notice we use violence and punishment with them, which will, in the long run, cause serious behavioural problems.

While using this dog training technique, it's common to use accessories such as the well-known choke collar, which literally chokes the dog when they pull on the lead.

Also the use of electric collars for dogs, so strongly advised against by the most prestigious trainers worldwide. Even the use of mistreatment, physical or psychological violence. Just because it's the best-known technique doesn't mean, not even remotely, that it's the most effective or advisable one.

If you want to put this technique into practice, we recommend never using violence or this kind of collar, and instead learning how to properly correct a dog.

Positive Training Technique

This is without doubt the most widely used training technique nowadays, thanks to its excellent, quick results. This is the one we personally recommend, since it doesn't punish the dog in any way — you could call it an advanced, effective training technique.

It involves rewarding the dog when they do something right, but ignoring them when they do something wrong, so that if we give them a command and they follow it, we'll give them a reward (a treat or a dog biscuit), and if they don't follow it, we'll simply ignore them.

Dogs are highly intelligent animals and will quickly learn to do the training exercises properly to get their well-earned reward.

Watch out, though — it's not just about giving them a bit of food as a reward and that's it — we need to show enthusiasm, praise them verbally, and even stroke them enthusiastically so they feel loved, so they feel good.

You can learn everything about positive training here: How to train my dog using positive reinforcement.

This technique also has its downsides, since dogs learn very quickly with it, owners think more lessons aren't necessary, so training usually ends up incomplete.

Even though it works properly and the dog learns quickly, we need to keep practising often so the commands stay perfectly ingrained in the dog, and so they follow them even when there are distractions around them.

Clicker Training Technique

The clicker is a small device that makes a very distinctive noise when pressed, a loud, clear "click". It's used for training dogs because it's highly effective, just like positive reinforcement.

It involves imitating the positive training technique, rewarding our dog with food when they properly follow a command, but also clicking the clicker once.

It needs to be clicked right at the moment the dog is rewarded, so they link the sound with something good, with food, when they do it right.

Gradually, the food is withdrawn while keeping the clicker sound, so that when the dog does something right, we simply click the clicker and they know they did it well.

You can find in-depth information on this training technique here: How to train my dog using a clicker.

Technique Based on Canine Ethology

This is a rarely used technique, actually questioned by plenty of professional trainers, since it doesn't involve directly teaching the dog the way the previous techniques do, but rather taking on the role of pack leader so the dog obeys us.

We could say that, more than a training technique, it's a complementary aid for the dog to understand their position in the pack and know to respect us as leaders.

Even so, we don't share the idea that this should be considered an acceptable practice for properly training a dog, since it doesn't even teach the dog to follow basic commands.

Tips for Proper Training

There's a series of pieces of advice every canine training manual should include, since they make dogs' learning far easier and, as a result, improve satisfaction for both.

If you attend a canine training centre for a course, you'll see how all this advice gets put into practice to help us with modifying our dog's behaviour.

By applying this advice along with new training techniques such as positive reinforcement, you'll get the best results without causing problems in the medium or long term.

• Before the training session, take your dog for a walk and play with them, so they release their energy and are calmer.
• Find a quiet spot to train with no distractions.
• Always use rewards as positive reinforcement when they do the exercise right.
• Don't train a puppy, an unwell dog, or a distracted dog — it's pointless.
• Don't do long training sessions — the norm is for them to last between twenty and thirty minutes at most.
• Once the dog learns the technique, you need to go over it often. It's not enough for them to memorise it one day — work on it consistently.