No consequence, no obedience — what about positive reinforcement?
Thirty years of using positive reinforcement, and why it alone still isn't enough: without some discomfort attached to disobedience, a dog has no real reason to obey.
I've used positive reinforcement for 30 years, and I don't dismiss it. I use it each time I ask a dog to obey.
Training a dog with positive reinforcement only is a beautiful idea — and I'd rely on it exclusively if it were beneficial to a dog's wellbeing and genuinely effective for obedience.
But out in the field, that beautiful idea falls apart.
Without some form of discomfort when your dog disobeys, you have no grounds to expect obedience in the first place. If your dog would rather do something else, and disobeying costs him nothing, why would he ever choose to listen to you?
I don't dismiss "positive reinforcement only" training out of choice, but out of necessity.
Stephan MairesseProfessional dog trainer & canine behaviorist, 30 years of experience across 16 countries. Certificat de capacité N°750108. Read his full background →
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