Corrective Training vs. Positive Reinforcement Training – Which is Better?

There is a lot of heated debate about this subject.  Trainers from both camps feel very passionately that their school of thought is the ONLY acceptable way.  In a nutshell trainers in the “Corrective Training” camp believe positive reinforcement training is not effective.  Specifically, they believe once the food is taken away the dog will not perform the task OR even if the food is given every single time the dog will become less stimulated and the response will be inconsistent at best.  On the other hand, the “Positive Reinforcement” camp argues corrective training is archaic while using fear, pain, and force to achieve compliance.

                                                        WHERE DO I STAND?

Personally, I don’t have a one size fits all outlook on dog training.  I believe there are lots of effective and humane techniques to train animals.  With all of these great tools, I think it would be silly to limit yourself to only half the tools in the tool box.  No two dogs are the same, so a method that works great with one dog might not work well with another.  Also, owners are different.  We all have different training goals, timelines, and comfort levels.  I am firm believer in doing what works best for you and what you are comfortable with.  I will always try to provide several methods for achieving the desired behavior.  With respect to “corrective” training methods, I will only recommend the methods I am comfortable with.  None of the corrective training techniques I recommend involve pain, force or fear.

WHAT TRAINING METHOD SHOULD I USE?

If you are dealing with an abused or an aggressive dog you should consult personally with a trainer before implementing any training program.
 

Positive Reinforcement (PR)  When training puppies and teaching new behaviors (old or young dogs) you should only use PR techniques.  PR is the fastest and most fun way to teach your pup (or old dog) new skills.  Many trainers use PR techniques exclusively and achieve wonderful consistent results.  If your dog is able to reach a satisfactorily level of consistency just using PR, then I recommend you stick with PR training approaches.  Lucky you! Corrections are not necessary.  If you aren’t getting the type of results you want but are NOT comfortable with correction training then you should also stick to PR training.  It takes longer, but usually with hard work and consistency you can achieve the same results as corrective training.

Corrective Training (CT)  When dealing with confident, rambunctious, and often times young dogs, PR might not be enough.  One common reason for this is the payoff of the undesired behavior is greater than the reinforcer (i.e. chasing the neighbors cat is more appealing than a piece of chicken).  I find CT techniques very useful in achieving consistent obedience skills, as well as, an effective means to stopping undesired behaviors.  There are many humane corrections that act as a guide to the dog for acceptable behavior.   
To me it is very clear when it is time to give a correction.  Here is how to tell:  There is a point where you know with certainty that your dog understands the command (i.e. you have already used PR techniques to successfully teach the command).  You give the command, you see the command register with your dog, and your dog chooses to disregard the command.  You can almost see the gears moving in your dogs head…”Do I really want to stop barking at the door?” “Do I really want to sit?”  What is going on is your dog is weighing whether the payoff of the undesired behavior is greater than the potential of getting a reinforcer (affection or treat).  This process happens in a flash, and as you know, if you don’t have a treat handy often times the continued barking or the other undesired behavior will win out over compliance with the command.  CT is a great tool for these types of situations.  For me, this is when I might set up the training a little bit with a CT technique.

**The bottom line is both ways can work.  At the end of the day, you should pick what works best for you and your pooch.