3 Expert Dog Trainers on Their #1 Rule for Training That Actually Works

Positive reinforcement training means rewarding behavior you want your dog to continue. This includes doling out plenty of training treats during training sessions immediately after your dog performs a particular behavior. Note: This doesn’t mean bribing your dog to do something with a treat. Behavior first, treat second.

A 2019 study out of Portugal found this training method worked better than negative reinforcement or aversive-based training methods which involve punishment or withholding rewards if a dog displays bad behavior. In fact, aversive-based training caused more stress and fear in dogs. Ellis says the best thing dog parents can do is reward good behavior.

“By reinforcing desired behaviors it's more likely that those will occur again, and the not so desirable behaviors will occur less,” Ellis says.

She adds that mental enrichment should also be incorporated into dog training whenever possible. “Many dogs are simply bored and by providing some sort of mental enrichment daily, even if it's short, you can not only enrich their lives, but also prevent destruction and other naughty behaviors.”

Consistency offers a predictable routine for dogs. It’s like a behavior road map they can follow.  “Dogs are smart and opportunistic,” Hembree says. “This means that if a behavior results in a positive outcome once for a dog, in their brain it might work again.” To be effectively consistent, you must reward good behavior as soon as it happens. There’s also no room for “special occasions,” especially in early days of training.

For example, if you are crate training your dog or teaching her to sit on her dog bed instead of the couch, there’s no room for exceptions. As humans, we tend to think that breaking the rules can be a reward for a job well done. “I never let Ralphie sit on the couch, but she’s been such a good girl today, I’ll let her up just this once.” Wrong! “Just this once” is not a phrase dogs understand. To Ralphie, if you offer a spot on the couch once, it means sitting on the couch is totally fine forever. She’ll continue that behavior and grow confused if you scold her.

This rule goes back to our advice earlier: meet your dog where they are, not where you want them to be. “We all want our dogs to be good dogs,” Ramsay says. “A dog's GSL indicates what they can do reliably and consistently. Many owners regularly exceed their dog's GSL and get frustrated when the dog doesn't perform as expected. Asking a new excited puppy to sit when ten dinner guests arrive will likely be above the puppy's GSL.”

If you find your dog isn’t responding well to you, Ramsay recommends reducing the distraction level and the physical distance between you and your dog by half before trying again. “Repeat at these new reduced levels, and build the dog up slowly to the levels where they failed,” Ramsay says. “Reward the heck out of them every time.”

This takes a lot of patience and time. Ramsay advises waiting until your dog is super successful at each level before increasing difficulty. “Reducing the GSL when the dog fails and then getting successes repeatedly at lower GSLs will provide consistent results, lower failures, and build confidence,” he says. “Push the dog too fast, and your results will be inconsistent.”