Time to Spill the Beans- Force Free Dog Training, Aversive Training and Methods Explained
- Chloe Kinsella
- Dec 10, 2022
- 5 min read
This is a brief overview of force free dog training methods and their effectiveness, in contrast to aversive training methods, also with a brief overview of counter-conditioning and how it works- a jargon buster!
So, you've probably seen the online debates about "balanced" or "aversive" vs "purely positive" or "force free" dog trainers online, but what does it all mean?
How would it affect your relationship with your dog? Why does it matter?
Introduction:
Force free dog training is a modern and effective approach to dog training that focuses on reinforcing good behaviours and using counter conditioning and careful desensitisation to change the emotional root cause of unwanted behaviours- and by extension, the behaviours themselves.
BUT- force (to a very fine degree) is inescapable in a domestic dog's life, so if we're going to be pedantic about it, putting a collar or harness and leash on a dog are technically acceptable types of "force" (because they are required for safety and by law) but the gist of it, is this:
Force free training involves training dogs without causing physical or emotional pain, or the use of threats, intimidation, force, coercion or flooding, achieved without the use of choke chains, pinch/prong/shock/vibration collars, physical manipulation, pushing or pulling them by the leash or collar, or hitting or kicking them with anything, in any situation in an ill-informed attempt to gain compliance.
Many proponents of aversive/punishment based training often say that force free training means "ignoring the bad behaviours and just giving treats when they're good."
This is simply incorrect!
POSITIVE DOES NOT MEAN PERMISSIVE!
When changing unwanted behaviours which are NOT driven by strong emotions, such as counter-surfing, we would not use counter-conditioning (because there is no need, they already have a positive association with food or play, that's why they are doing it, it is intrinsically rewarding to them in some way).
Instead, we would use positive reinforcement to train the behaviours that we DO want in those contexts, such as:
Sitting and waiting at doorways
Relaxing on a mat/in bed
Playing with a toy independently
Fetching a toy for you when they get tempted by an undesirable behaviour
Teaching a solid "leave it" (although technically more of a management skill)
All while ensuring that food or other enticing items aren't available or accessible in the first place! You could also invest in a baby gate to prevent them from practising this behaviour until you have trained it properly!
This is called management.
The point of management is to prevent the dog from practising the behaviour.
The more that a dog is able to practice a behaviour with a desirable outcome, the more likely they are to do it again, and the longer it will take to undo it (obviously undoing it only applies if it's an undesirable or harmful behaviour!)
Unlike other training methods that mostly rely on punishment and an outdated misunderstanding of canine-human "hierarchies", force free training is based on minimising harm, coupled with a scientific understanding of how dogs learn and using the principles of operant and classical conditioning.
Classical conditioning is a type of learning that occurs when a dog associates a stimulus with a particular response. For example: if a dog is given a treat every time they hear a bell ring, they will start to associate the bell with the treat and will respond to the bell by expecting a treat.
Operant conditioning is a type of learning that happens when a dog learns to associate a specific behaviour with an outcome. For example: if a dog is rewarded with a treat every time they sit on cue, they will learn to associate sitting with the reward and will be more likely to do it again in the future.
Operant and classical conditioning are always working together, ALL behaviours have a reinforcer or a consequence and a resulting association, even if they don't come from you!
For example: Pulling on leash gets the dog faster access to valuable new smells, meaning the dog is reinforced the more that you continue to walk forward with them. This applies to every single walk!
Jerking on the leash or issuing a "correction" after the dog has already pulled and gotten reinforcement is setting them up to fail. You are metaphorically going one step forward, but three steps back. They were already reinforced by pulling, and you gave them the opportunity to practice the behaviour, so, your punishment is likely ineffective, possibly dangerous to your dog's health, and most certainly dangerous to your bond.
One of the main benefits of force free dog training is that it is kinder and more humane than other training methods.
Force free training uses rewards and positive reinforcement to motivate dogs and help them learn. This approach is less likely to cause fear, anxiety, or aggression in dogs, and can help build a strong bond between you and your dog.
Another benefit of force free dog training is that it is also more effective than punishment-based methods or a combination (often described as "balanced").
Research has shown that using aversive punishment based methods, such as yelling, hitting, kicking, shocking, leash jerking or otherwise "correcting" a dog, or using aversive tools, like choke chains, prong/pinch collars, shock or vibration collars for training (yes, even when used "correctly", by "professionals") is often ineffective at changing behaviour in a productive way. In fact, punishment used in this way can actually make behaviour problems worse, by causing dogs to become (more) fearful or aggressive.
Classical Counterconditioning
One of the key principles of force free dog training, when it comes to behaviour modification is classical counter-conditioning:
This involves changing an animal's (usually negative) emotional response to something by pairing it with something the animal enjoys.
For example, if a dog is afraid of loud noises, you can use counter conditioning to help the dog associate loud noises with something positive, such as a tasty treat.
Over time, if done correctly, the dog's fear of loud noises can be replaced with a positive association, making it less likely they will be scared or anxious in noisy situations.
This also applies to fear aggression, reactivity, resource guarding and more!
Fear and frustration are huge drivers of many undesirable domestic dog behaviours, (aside from genetic and pain-based factors) and if we work through classical counter-conditioning and desensitisation carefully, we will change the underlying emotional state causing the undesirable behaviour, much like helping a human with anxiety navigate their emotions in order to overcome their fears in a safe way, not by shouting at them or hurting them mid-panic attack!
In conclusion, force free dog training is a scientifically-proven and effective approach to dog training that offers numerous benefits. It is kinder and more humane than aversive punishment-based methods, it is more effective at changing behaviour, and it is safer for dogs and for you. In addition, we treat behaviour not as a sole problem to be fixed, but as part of the whole, many unwanted behaviours are a symptom of an underlying emotional problem or need not being met, no amount of punishment will help with this if you do not treat the root cause. By using force free methods, we can help dogs learn new behaviours and overcome unwanted behaviours, all while helping you build a strong bond with your canine companions.
I hope this blog post was helpful, or at least informative!
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