What I Think About So-Called “Balanced” Dog Training. (Contains paid promo) ⭐ Use DISCOUNT CODE: ZAK at http://PupBox.com/zak to get 50% OFF your very first PupBox in a multi-month strategy! ⭐
Take a look at the amazing Diggs dog crate in this video HERE:
It seems to me that one of the fundamental mis-steps in communication between different types of dog training is the conflation of the 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 of a particular technique with the 𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘴 of that technique, and that conflation carries with it a personal emotional investment that can make critiques feel like either personal or systemic attacks. All four of the operant conditioning quadrants are effective, and this is simply an objective fact. That fact, however, doesn't address whether or not there is an ethical problem with some of them. “Balanced” training utilizes all four quadrants, while “positive” training only uses two (yes, the focus is on positive reinforcement, refusing access to a rewarding stimulus until the correct behavior is presented is negative punishment). Even if the two methodologies had identical rates of effective performance (they don't, methods that emphasize positive reinforcement as the primary tool showed both higher levels of learning speed and retention), the question still remains: If you can train a dog just as effectively 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 using aversives, is it morally a problem to do so? My personal answer to that is 'Yes', I don't think that it's ok to cause stress or discomfort to a dog without a compelling reason to do so. The dog training world has far, far too much ego attached directly to training method (as evidenced by the comment section of any dog training video that dares to critique a different method), and we should be spending more time looking at the data instead of doing things “because I've always done it this way, and it works fine.”Some of the science I mentioned:Arhant C, Bubna-Littitz H, Bartels A, Futschik A, Troxler J. Behaviour of smaller and larger dogs: Effects of training methods, inconsistency of owner behaviour and level of engagement in activities with the dog. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2010;123(3-4):131-142.Hiby EF, Rooney NJ, Bradshaw JWS. Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Anim Welf. 2004;13(1):63-69.Rooney NJ, Cowan S. Training methods and owner-dog interactions: Links with dog behaviour and learning ability. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2011;132(3-4):169-177.
Hi Zak, we've got a bit of a unique situation with our 5 month old miniature dachshund cross jack russell who has been experiencing some unwanted behaviors. Some aggression in the form of possession/just waking up seem to be the biggest triggers but sometimes it's hard to spot the triggers. We took her to the vet recently just to check if anything was wrong and to our shock it turns out she is a hermaphrodite dog born with full male and female bits. Just wondered if you had any experience with this at all from a training perspective and whether you could offer any advice?
why did you pick up the dog when other dog came her way?
Visuals work better than ONLY explaining. Although explaining is important the combination would help
So appreciative of your videos and your technique!!
Great job. Love your method!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
or a Rough Collie🐶😍🥰
Hi Zak, I just discovered your videos and even though I've raised and trained 4 dogs in my life, I am so glad to learn new, better ways of doing things. Your positive, very empathic and attuned approach to teaching and training dogs really resonates with me and makes so much sense. Thank you for getting your wonderful philosophy out there!
Zac George I need your help, Lucy is a Rottweiler pit bull mix who was rescued a little under a year ago we have been fostering her and she is the most amazing dog I have ever met but becuase I was the first person to ever be nice to her she took possession aggression over me and will snap at my other dog and attacked him 6 times this last time my brother got caught in it and if we can’t fix this she will have to be put down so please I need your help
How much exercise does inertia need daily hoping to get a bc but want to do research first and I know it will differ from dog to dog.
I tried to train my dog and idk what else to do don't want to get rid of her but I can't keep her if I can't keep her from barking over everything
CX Zac can you give some support for people in à wheelchair training a puppy? Thank you!
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”
Zak, you were my inspiration for training our Goldendoodle (Standard size 65 lbs so far) and I have to say he is at 10 months very well trained thanks to your videos. He was completely potty trained by 13 weeks with a total of 3 accidents since. He sits, he stays, he leaves it, he shakes, he hugs, he fetches, he sits for meals and does not go near his food until I say okay….now barking at people out our windows and in the backyard….lets just say we are working on it! 🙂
Use an older dog, of course you would use positive reinforcement with a puppy that young. I want to see you do it with an older dog, or a rescue with a history of negative behaviours.
Do you have a son that also does videos? you seem very very familiar. tnx
I live in Finland, and it is illegal to use e-collars. I have had difficult time to find shareable videos because so many use methods that are not good in my country.I agree with laws here. Dog is willing to learn, we have to learn how to communicate what we want from dog.I have had a german shepherd and five bullmastiff, and the basics have been the same: spend time with the dog and learn your bodylanquage, from the day one til the day's end.
Nice crate. Where does it come from?
Can I ask you were you live? The scenery is beautiful.
Can you add Turkish subtitles to your videos? I can't translate because I know little English. Thank you.
I'm watching your video tutorials carefully. My English is low. Could you add Turkish to the subtitles?
I am watching the training videos carefully. Can you add Turkish subtitles?
As a positive reinforcement trainer for more than twenty years, I can add that the use of aversive corrections is never as effective. Yes, positive methods may take longer, but letting the dog learn how to make good choices, then rewarding those choices, is much more effective long term. The problems are that people fail to understand that dogs are sentient beings, with individual personalities, not robots to obey “commands.” Keep educating people, Zak. You do a great job!
To eliminate bad behavior and Create the obedient, well-behaved pet of your dreams…
Electric shock. All I have to say is let’s try it on the human to see if they like it.
I have a question, my 1 year old pitbull loves to smell and i want her to be curious but she is so curious she wants to go into people's yards. Is it a control issue or a leash pulling issue?
I think we all just need to realize there are compulsion trainers that have to guise themselves as something else and Balanced is a term they like. I tell people I'm %98 positive reinforcement and reserve the %2 for saving a dog or a family within a tight time constraint. Even then I will NEVER use shock collar. All I need is a Gentle Leader or Herm Sprenger and my passion. You should know though, Zack, there are so many incompetent “Positive Only” trainers telling people to put their dogs down because they can't get a dog to behave like you do. They have so little experience with reactivity that when they figure out that anxiety kills most food motivation in a dog, they start thinking exit strategy. After I build a dog's confidence up and reactivity down, I tell my clients to watch your channel because now it's going to connect. I used to call myself a positive reinforcement trainer but I see the Positive Only crowd going down a path I can't follow. I don't want to associate myself with a crowd that teaches people to be a vending machine and then give up and euthanize if it doesn't work. If we just worked together first, we would all benefit and then all dogs would benefit. I'm really no different than you even though I label myself differently but most importantly, despite our differences, I'm a fan of yours as well.
I appreciate your approach to dog training. It’s been helping with our new puppy. I’m much less stressed and I think my new dog is too.
I tried my dog
I very much enjoy seeing your training videos! I've been watching for ayear in prep for getting a standard poodle pup. She was born a couple of days ago so now its getting more real. Yes, I have watched other trainers as I was learning techniques and settled into your process. I love hearing about what the latest info is from solid research. Adapting to increased research and knowledge in our lives is usually beneficial. In this case our dogs lives as well. I'm still working on come when called with my 11 yr cat……. lol
Thank you for your videos. I adopted a pup back in February a lot of people have tried giving me advice saying I need shock collars / unpleasant correction. I’ve been watching your videos for years and the positive reinforcement angle to the training has really benefited us and our relationship with our dog
You kidding right? 😅 I don’t like when people who don’t know how ecollars work talk about them and ASSUME how they work. Please if you want to talk about tools like this invite a real proffessional like Tom Davis, Larry Krohn or Will Atherton. They would be for sure willing to clear things up. And of course ecollars are not the one and only way how to train dogs. Every dog is different, But if someone is balanced it means they are still positive like 95 % of the time. You think that positive training is 100 % But it’s not.I really liked your videos But after looking at some other side of the training I can see how bad is your timing. Why did not you use leash on the pup when she started barking to remove her from the situation? So please stop demonizing training tools that help save lives 🙏🏻 if you don’t use them it’s fine, But then let the experts that understand the problematic to talk about this. Thanks to ecollar and Tom Davis videos my border collie mix has his freedom and I’m much calmer knowing he has great recall. One think is cute small pups and reactive dogs that want to kill you. Balanced trainers help hundreds dogs that would be killed, still don’t get why people think using tools is worse than your dog being hit by car
A well reviewed trainer came to my home for an “evaluation” of my brand new rescue dog, after I said I wanted some guidance with her leash reactivity so that I wouldn’t get any bad leash habits established. It felt less like an evaluation of the dog-owner relationship than an attempt by the trainer to establish dominance over a potential client. My friendly, cheerful, one-year-old dog, who had only been with me for ten days, was described as “hyper” (she was happily prancing around the room) “aggressive” (because I told him she had had a bad reaction to a friend’s dog entering our home – the two dogs became friends on the second visit) and was said to “ignore commands” that I had not yet attempted to teach her. He then put a chain collar on her, without a reassuring word to the dog, which scared her. He then told me that behaviors CANNOT be changed without “making a dog say ‘ouch.’” I’m ashamed to say that I almost let him do the demonstration of his technique, despite my having already learned that this little dog is highly responsive to praise and is incredibly eager to learn new things. I almost allowed myself to be intimidated into doing something I knew was wrong for this dog. The negative pressure was on me. And I’m a 67 year old, lifetime dog owner who has had dogs with perfect recall, only one of which was trained using leash corrections. (That was an exceptional situation, and I won’t attempt to justify it but will say I was desperate for solutions at the time.) I paid $100 for this bullying, patronizing evaluation session, and it was money well spent to be reminded that (a) results and Yelp reviews aren’t everything; (b) I need to trust myself before I trust a trainer who frightens my dog.Zak, I credit your videos with giving me the courage and the patience to stand up to a bully and look for a positive trainer.
My 5 month-old puppy barks as he wakes up (sometimes even at 4:30 or 5 in the morning)!!!!! I am getting quite anxious because neighbors might call the police! I am sure he is not hungry and neither wants to potty as he is well fed before sleeping and he has his potty pan in his crate. He is also tired from playing fetch, mats and other toys. The culprit I could think of is that he already wants to go out and play or he already hears noises outside. I tried looking for videos from Zak but couldn't seem to find one that has the same scenario. Help! 😭
Thanks zak for making this video. People need to know what is good training and what isn’t. No one who has any credentials or qualifications is “balanced”. That should say something…
Interesting… however, from watching this it seems you don't really have a full understanding of what GOOD balanced training ACTUALLY IS! All the cute little puppy training you have used as your examples are very cute but don't serve as great example for why, in your belief, PP/FF/+R only training is superior. As a balanced trainer, I do the same thing as you just showed in these cute videos! Any balanced trainer worth the title of trainer will always teach all new behaviours with a reward (treat, toy or praise) and I highly doubt we would correct a PUPPY for walking away from parachute!! Come on! I think if you want to add weight to your argument maybe use a dog that isn't a cute little puppy that isn't in the learning phase!! How about addressing what you would do if an adult 120 pound American Bulldog decided to do what Biscuit did with the people she barked and lunge at? Because it was a lunge, even though it was a small one! Seriously, I admire your work with puppies, however, I think you should make it clear that your methods are very much more suitable to puppies and dogs with no real behavioural problems! Because, if people try to use only these feel good ideological based methods with those dogs that have issues or are not sweet little compliant oodles than the consequences could be bad, very bad!! Perhaps, have a good conversation with a good balanced trainer and get a better understanding and insight into what it is we really do… including saving the lives of dogs that +R only training has failed!! 🤷♀️
I can’t wait to hear what kind of dog she is. She is a beautiful dog.
Hi Zak, I have a dog who is not that interested in praise or food. It works to a certain extent, but she's not that excited or interested. I have tried using tug games (she really enjoys that) to train recall. It has worked to a certain extent, but I can't use it in most training. (For example, I couldn't use it for the place and crate training you showed in your video.) When I couldn't get her to stop pulling on the lead, I tried the method of using a slip lead with directional changes and “pop” corrections (as you call them) and after one 20-minute training session the pulling almost completely stopped and now she hardly pulls at all. However, I would much rather make training fun for her and find positive ways to encourage good behaviour. Any advice would be much appreciated.
I agree with the majority of what you’ve said in this video Zac, however I do think you’re misrepresenting when a balanced trainer would and wouldn’t use corrections. A balanced trainer wouldn’t correct a puppy when they first see a paraglider, that makes no sense, they would do exactly the same as you did and use the positive reinforcement side of their training. You seem to be using comparisons of corrections all the time as if it’s either +R training or aversive, not balanced. Another example was the down outside, a balanced trainer wouldn’t correct the dog there because you clearly haven’t taught or proofed the down properly in that environment (be it on grass or with that many distractions) so you can’t correct for something they don’t know. It seems a little unfair to keep using examples of corrections in situations where a correction wouldn’t be used.
As a balanced dog trainer I agree with a lot of what you’re saying in this video. But good balanced trainers don’t use terms like alpha or dominance almost ever. That’s not that’s just bad outdated training. Good balanced trainers use PR 90 percent of the time. But there are times where corrections are appropriate. Life is stress. It’s not all flowers and rainbows so why are we trying to create this illusion for our dogs. If we don’t teach our dogs how to deal with stress, we are doing a huge disservice to them. That being said, I crate train cute little puppies almost exactly the same as you do. And rarely use the word NO because i make NO actually mean something. Balanced trainers are a lot like PR Only trainers. We are just not as limited in what cases we can work with. Im still looking forward to your video showing how you train a truly aggressive dog. or how you reliably off leash train a dog to recall off of any distraction. That’s life saving training that keeps dogs from being put under ground and keeps them out of shelters
Zak I love you! But you’ve never trained a dog with an E-collar so you have no idea what you’re talking about so it’s best not to speak on it. All love ❤️
This guys dog training skills would greatly improve if he took a class from a real dog trainer and got rid of this stupid positive only bs. which never trains dogs and is actually one of the cruelest forms of so-called training ever.
I like your videos but sometimes In certain situations you do need the dog to understand what he can't do certain behaviors. For those behaviors you do need to use more serious methods. Leash popping isn't bad. Just not something you always want to do. No like for example if your dog takes off when it sees something. Leash pops will teach him not at that moment. A leash pop isnt hurtful just gets the dogs attention. The 4 quadrants are required to train a dog. The idea behind being a handler is to be a leader. Put yourself in the dogs shoes.
Im a balanced trainer for 17 years now , and i have to say this guy is good in the positive side , this puppy is adorable and i think most of the balanced trainer will train this puppy the same way you do , thats not the problem i teach puppy's up to 6 mo with 99% positivity but he wont be able to solve about 50% of a dog trainer cases , i wanna see him with a dog so afraid that he will chew you up to get their way.Or an aggressive reactive dog.even the shelter dog he got was a nice medium german shepherd and he dragged the training for two weeks not knowing if he can finish the training in time because hes not allowed to tell the dog hes being a bad boy , most balanced trainers i know and me are doing the correction thing for a few times and thats it , you can focus on the positive side only.I wanna see you train a dog in 4 weeks to come to you off leash 100% of the time , when a cat runs in front of him , or inside a busy city place , did you ever see a handler walking in a very busy place on heel for a longer time then 1 minute that is positive only trainer?I dont think so.I wanna see you train a leash reactive dog for two old people who fell so many times and got injured and their dog risked their lives every time they went for a walk with their adopted dog , and time is not on our side , i solved it in one session , thats it problem done.. and everyone is happy , believe it or not even the dog , now he can be calm and not worrying about any dog that will pop up in any time during the walk.I'm sorry but some dogs you can get away from the negative side , and if you want to show your success most likely if you start training when hes a 2 month old puppy you will avoid the negative side alot of the times.But with most dogs with behavier problems this tricks wont work.
Although I don’t agree with your training philosophy, I admire how you still show in other videos your mistakes and explain what you could have done better. I like how in this video you respectfully disagreed without bashing. Because we can disagree and that’s okay! It’s more about how we do it. Thanks to balanced training, my dog is no longer living his life connected to a leash. Off leash for the win! 🐶
Hi Zac, I always enjoy watching your training videos. While I agree with positive training as much as possible, there are a couple of online “balanced” trainers that I feel are very effective as well as kind. One specifically does not advocate a “dominance” or “alpha” philosophy, but rather a leadership role. In training I use 99% positive but the one thing I use an e-collar for is off lease fun with my poodle. We work in a common area by my townhouse and he loves to full out run, as fast as he can. It brings him so much joy and he loves to smell every inch of the ground. We trained together using the “pager”, (which feels like a phone vibrating). He is almost 2 years old and at this point I can let him off leash to fetch, run and explore without worry. When I call him, he will turn on a dime and run to me, and if he hesitates, I just give him a quick page and he comes tearing to me, but not because he is afraid. There is so much excitement as he runs to me for the waiting treat and “Good, come.” Sometimes his hesitation is a good smell or a person or distracting noise but when he feels the reminder, he is like, “Oh yea, Momma's calling me.” I feel like you were exaggerating how the trainers I watch use “tools” to help people fix their own behaviours, in order to give themselves and their dogs a healthier, happier life. It goes back to how the owner is handling the dog. Unfortunately, we don't all have access to trainers like you. I took my dog to a trainer who said she used only positive training. We worked on loose leash training in a park and my miniature poodle could not contain himself and was uninterested in treats. The trainer took him from me and starting walking with him, and after a couple of minutes gave him a few good pops on the leash. I was not happy because she also will not allow the use of slip leashes in her class. A slip leash will not hurt him but a few good pops with a flat collar might. Anyway, I just wanted to say if positive only training worked for every owner, there would be no need for balanced training. Keep up the good work, I learn something new from you all the time, and for those of us who need to “correct” our pups sometimes, don't be too harsh. 🙂
My dog has a chewing problem… as in everything… she eats when left alone, even her steel crate she managed to eat (she’s a StagHound)
Sophia Yin approached dog training with the evidenced based behavioral context. Loved her.
Hey Zak, I love your videos and you helped me a lot so far to unterstand and train my dog. I have an 1 year old German Shepard. When I saw your episodes with Moira, I thought, oh, it’s exactly like my girl, which name is Ronja. My biggest problem is to get her attention on me while dogs walk by. How do you manage to keep off leash dogs away, when you train your dog on leash? I’m not able to pick her up anymore, cause she’s too heavy 😏. But often I have the problem, that people do not recall their off leash dogs and my dog is pulling towards the dog, but I do not want her to get in physical contact with other dogs while on leash. In your videos I didn’t see moments when other dogs just came to your dog while you are train them. Or the people asked nicely, if the can have contact to your dog, so you had the chance to deny it politely. But in the two last episodes with biscuits it happened, but you could pick her up😉. Do you have some advice for me, how I can handle this better with my 30 kilo heavy lady? 🤔😎 thanks in advance and thanks for all your great training advice.
I like watching and learning something from your video and I even tried using some of the advice in them on my 1st dog. She was doing good but didnt really advance much she figured out that if she didnt get a treat or reward for doing something she didnt have to do it and that was even with me slowly phasing it out. Some dogs are just to smart for that sometimes you dont have a tasty enough treat to get that dog to listen to you and who wants to constantly have treats on hand?Once i started looking into balanced training things started working. My dog listens to me cause she knows there is a consequence if she doesnt and it is not FEAR its respect. My dog loves me and listens to me without bribery. If i tell Dublin my girl to come and she doesnt listen i go get her ass and drag her back to where i called her from and when i get her she knows I am unpleased and i make her sit and stay there until i release her. If she does something that is wrong i let her know that. A dog has to know something is wrong in order to not do it 🤦. You cant just sugar coat life for them they are like children.I am not saying positive only is bad but i think it should be used accordingly and not for everything. 1st it sugar coats everything and isnt realistic and its time consuming and then its bribing your dog which some dogs are to smart for that.
I want to work with dogs in the USA
Question: why do you not let the other dog go to biscuit, when the small dog was Approach calmly to biscuit you picked her up very quickly? Why is that?
What can I do if my puppy isn’t that receptive to treats/food? He loses interest extremely quickly
So, I do love this and agree that training should be fun and stress-free. I still however have the hang-up around dogs with serious issues relating to dog or people reactivity. It would be great if everyone had the time and resources to spend a very long, calm time training a dog over a long period of time. However there just don't seem to be enough trainers or owners to go around willing to do that. So when it comes to scenarios where a dog is going to be put down, and there is literally nobody around who can invest the proper time in them, I would hate to see the dog put down before trying the more aversive quick-correction methods. It could be what saves their life and leads them to finding an owner or trainer who does have time to invest in them later. Mainly, this feels like a very idealistic take–and I would love if animal shelters were more funded so that they could have trainers working with all their dogs properly. I wish there were more requirements for adopting a dog as well. That said, if it's death or aversive methods… I see why people feel the need to take a short cut.
Maybe you have covered this before. I only recently started watching your videos the past month. But,…. How many pairs of shoes do you own? Ive been noticing they are different in almost every video. 😂
hey! i am a first time dog owner to a staffy, he is 15 weeks old. he already knows the basics of sit, stay, laydown, he does not pee inside anymore, puppy biting is starting to get better, and overall he seems to learn and understand pretty quickly. however he is a nightmare to walk unless i have a 6 meter leash, he naturally just follows me around because he gets space to sniff around and walk somewhat freely, but as soon as i use a shorter leash he keeps pulling and sometimes even just sits down refusing to walk and his recall whenever there is people around is horrible. i am curious what i can expect from him at this age, when should he be able to not pull and have good recall when there are distractions nearby, assuming i do my job properly ofc. have been watching a lot of your videos and other youtubers and it have worked pretty good so far, a lot of really good advice out there!
This sounds so good in theory, it might even work for some dogs who are easy going but in practice, when we bring a Tibetan Mastiff, Rottweiler, Malinos etc. or have an aggression issues with the dog that is not caused by fear it doesn't work. Correcting a dog is not about being harsh or anything like that. It also shouldn't be done as a manifestation of frustration or any other emotions. Why when positive only trainers talk about corrections they bring up the worst possible examples of punishing the dog which are mainly used by uneducated people and often are not even a part of the training? And the concept of being alpha… Wtf? Doesn't matter how you want to call yourself, the dog needs you to provide food and guide it through life, you are the one who tells the dog what to do, so somehow you are higher in hierarchy even if it's not like in military or in other animals who live in groups. And science is not that clear and depending on whose research you read the answers might be very different.
I would encourage you to speak with a good balanced trainer, because you may actually be surprised by what they would say for some of the things you were showing in the video. One, for example, is a good balanced trainer does not correct a dog for backing away from something fearfully. Presenting one side of the argument based on your own perception does not do the dog training community any good, if anything it'll cause more division. However, it's not like people on the other end of the coin do the exact same thing to R+ trainers. I do believe that all behaviors can be taught using positive reinforcement, I definitely do not think stepping on the leash is a good way to teach how to lay down and a lot of balanced trainers would agree with that. For people curious about what actual balanced training looks like I'd recommend Upstate Canine Academy (he works mostly with reactivity so not basic obedience) and Will Atherton Canine Training (he lives and works in the UK, and has a lot of good basic obedience videos).
Your training methods always seem to come back to “good parenting” to me. You don’t want your dog to be scared, or stressed, or worried as they learn. You want your dog to be happy, and calm, and engaged, and excited to learn new things. The bond that’s created by engaging with your dog in such a positive way is remarkable. I found it hard not to say “no” in the beginning but truly found that finding a reason to say “yes” made my dogs learn faster. And they’re so much happier. My brother and sister-in-law thought they had a rather stupid dog, and one who was too obstinate to learn (their attitude pissed me off). I returned to them a very smart dog who loved “leave it, watch me, and wait” and her sister who had become far more engaged and less anxious through her own training sessions. They didn’t have a comment. I think this may be the crux of some of the frustration or anger towards positive training, are people who don’t understand it fully or who don’t want to listen or learn about it. My brother and sister-in-law’s dogs were objectively happier, less anxious, and better behaved. They also formed a much deeper bond with me which I loved. I hope more people can see that it’s not about trying to be right or wrong it’s genuinely about what’s best for you and your dogs.
Any dog owner who would complain about your methods are the same owners who's dog will jump up and bite you in the back of the knee and leave teeth marks and blood. This happened to my husband a couple weeks ago. Also, the same owners who let their ever so cute little fluff ball run on an extendable leash and jump into a golf cart where another owner is sitting with his tethered service dog, German Shepherd. The ever so cute little fluff ball attacks the GSD, tethered in the golf cart, so she protects her handler and owner by attacking back, as much as she could while attached to the steering wheel. What happened? Threat of law suit against the vicious GS service dog owners, bill to pay the vet bill for the bite on the cute little fluff ball, much stress on the GS owners by having to prove that the GS was a professionally trained service animal, which they did, threat to be banished from the retirement park for having a vicious dog. All because the owner of the fluff ball is an idiot and doesn't control HIS dog. So tired of these idiots.
I love your method for building communication and multiple different obedience reasons and like the way your way gives the dog a chance to think for itself I think that's very crucial imo granted I'm only 16 and I haven't had a dog of my own yet but I've spent many hours watching many different channels and listening to all different types of people and why the way they teach works for them and how it benefits the dog.. On that note that's why I prefer Beckmans method to establish boundaries with the dog I also really like his method but i always tell people when mentioning either of you is that your both respectable in what you do and how you do it.. it's all in how the dog responds and how well you're able to communicate that way of teaching… atleast that's the opinion I've gathered so far from what I've figured out…. Also if any of you made it to this point Than you you're amazing, and have a wonderful night,evening,morning
Hey I have a 1 year old dog that does not love treats or food. He barks at people. How do I fix this?
Zak!! I can’t thank you enough. Because of you I have a fairly well trained dog. Redirection. Positive reinforcement. Clicker training. Sit spin shake. Touch. I seriously can’t thank you enough. Your book helped me so much to raise a puppy and your videos are so good it’s almost like having you with me each step of the way. I’m so thankful for your ways of teaching. The way you explain things make so much sense it bewilders me that some people aren’t following your dog training revolution. If I ever get the chance to meet you, a big hand shake and a very grateful smile will be given to you. Thank you again for everything. I’m happy and proud to tell people about you when they ask what have I done yo get my puppy to spin. Again. Thank you thank you. You are truly a special person.
Would you take Shield K9's 20000$ offer to see who's dog is better trained?
We have a rescue dog and she is the cutest sweetest dog ever when there is just her myslef and my partner but she doesn't accept other people especially inside the house. She barks and lunges at them quite aggressively and I really don't know how to stop this. Is this an aggression because she was born on the streets or because we do you have many visitors and she simply haven't been socialised enough (we got her in lockdown) please help
Love your videos and that you talk about these topics! I am curious though, what you would say the difference is between a mother dog correcting a pup and a human doing so in a similar manner?
My dog attacks my kid when he tries to hug me in front of him. How do you stop a dog from attacking kids? He is a 6month old Corgi and I'm mentally and physically done at this point. 😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫 I have watched so many of your videos but none for this specific issue and I love your training methods. He knows sit, look at me, bed, lay down and I also redirect him with toys but when he wants to attack my son nothing works
negative reinforcement isn't a method of training, it's a method of reinforcing, it's literally in the name, it is used to remind the dog what it has already been taught by using positive reinforcement, it is a form of communication, to help with sharpening up cues that could be lifesaving, like stay or recall.
Look I will admit that I have disagreed with a few of your approaches. However, I think you are a great dog trainer overall and I have the utmost respect for you. Especially after this video. Keep up the great work!
I don’t know who you go to for ideas on how balanced trainers train, because every single one of your balanced trainer examples are completely wrong. Those examples are absurd. Go talk to Ivan Balabanov (2 time World Champion, 14 time National Champion) to see how balanced trainers train. I suggest all your followers check him out.
So Zak. Are you going to take up the $20,000 bet with Haz at Shield K9? Can’t wait to see who wins!
I've had dogs before, they were misbehaved, not for a lack of love, but a lack of knowledge on my behalf. I decided that with my new rescue, things would go differently. In other words, I've only been actively been an amateur trainer for the past month and a half. In other words, my experience is limited. That being said, I've learned a lot from a lot of trainers on YouTube, including Zak George, but also others who use the leash pops and whatnot. Without being mean to the dog, I think that there is a lot to learn from everyone.
Really interesting video. I like learning from all sorts of trainers. A lot of interesting stuff here, just as other trainers also manage to teach me a lot. One of my favorites is Will Atherton. He has a good mix of using some corrective measures, but also uses a lot of praise and treats and whatnot.Only one trainer on YouTube has made me uncomfortable. It was a video about how to teach your dog to walk on a leash. He used a prong collar (which, for the record, I think can be a useful tool for some dogs when used properly), but he had the dog yelp. Made me very uncomfortable. I can't remember his name, an Alpha type from the US south somewhere. I made sure to never watch him again
I appreciate using scientific studies to analyse techniques, but not all scientific studies are equal.I had someone from a dog food company claim that their company had funded a scientific study that euka extract reduced flatulence in dogs, and that’s why they include it in their dog food.Except, their “scientific study” involved 13 dogs of different breeds, ages, and sexes. 13 dogs, does not, a scientific study make.Which makes it hard to sift through the chaff to find the scientific studies that are worthwhile.
I use what works. 75% positive 25% reactive discipline. He pulls, he gets zipped (we use a regular collar.) He barks out the window, he gets kicked out of the room with the window for awhile. He takes the toothbrushing, he doesn't have to be put under. He lets us bathe him, he doesn't have to go to a groomer (he has separation anxiety.)
It seems like people who are anti-balanced training often have a stereotype and/or generalization of it mostly using overly harsh methods when that is inaccurate of good balanced trainers (in my experience at least). And, when they do use aversives, they aren’t heartless drill sergeant types who light their dogs up using an e-collar on the highest possible setting. I understand those people do exist, but I am not okay with it and certainly wouldn’t call them a good trainer. I’m not a pro trainer, but I have trained all of my dogs myself. My current dog is a doodle girl who is 1.5 yrs old and knows basic obedience and lots of fun tricks. I taught every command she knows using clicker training and we have a blast. It’s only once I’m confident she truly knows the command and then chooses to ignore me that I use aversives. And, remember that aversives don’t have to mean an intense, painful correction. Speaking to your dog in a stern voice is an aversive. When I call my dog and she looks back at me then chooses to continue doing whatever she wants to do, I am going to go grab her by her collar with a stern “feel” then maybe take her back to where I originally was and make her do a sit-stay for 10-20 seconds then tell her “free” and let her go on about her business. Of course, context is important too. I wouldn’t use an aversive if they unwanted behavior was due to fear, for example. Deciding which technique is best depends on the situation and the dog. Another example: We stayed with my dad who lives out in the country for a couple months last summer. He doesn’t have a fence and his dogs are country dogs that have free run of his property. Because of an incident where my dog decided it was great fun to chase the neighbor’s cows which is very dangerous for numerous reasons and it took us a good half hour to catch her, I started using an e-collar. I tried it on myself first and couldn’t feel it until it was at a level 3. It started to get uncomfortable at a level 5, but not painful at all. I only used levels 2-4 on her except for one time when she was completely ignoring me and at a dead sprint back at the cows again. In that situation, I gradually turned it higher until she stopped and started coming back. I’m sure it didn’t feel great, but she didn’t yelp or anything and was her normal, happy, goofy self when she got back to me. I am very confident that that one moment of a potentially not-so-good feeling was worth being able to run freely with the other dogs instead of having to be on leash the whole time we were there. Also, the fact that she gets more excited when the e-collar comes out than anything else because she knows it means we’re going to go do something extra fun is pretty good evidence for me.I see e-collars more as a communication device than a punishment. Kinda like a leash except they don’t have to be tethered to you with an e-collar. Another thing is dogs are dogs and have dog brains. In my experience, most dogs don’t care one bit if you have the tastiest treats in the world when you’re recalling them if they’re hyper focused on chasing a squirrel or whatever it is. That chase is hard wired into a lot of their brains. And, as much as I never want to be in that situation, having an e-collar as a backup in a life or death situation does make me let loose enough so that my dog gets to have more off leash adventures.Sorry for the novel. 😁 My point is, back and white thinking usually isn’t the best. Every situation and dog is different and I think it’s detrimental to dogs to take away options that can be used effectively and humanely. Imo putting effort into training people how to use them properly is better for everyone than trying to get rid of them because some people use them improperly.
Hey Zak, I'm a balanced trainer myself, and I think that you are making some very good points here: “Adressing the underlying emotional state” indeed is super-important. If not done, frustration can build up in the dog, and then be released elsewhere. This is an issue many people struggle with. And we want to always establish a trusting relationship first with the dog, to avoid this. You're such a cool guy, I think, Zak, always upbeat, positive and open for discussion, and learning from one another. Much appreciated!
I think you have the best attitude. Your respect of the animal and the patience it takes is not fror everyone of course. You are a wonderful dog trainer and I learn so much from you. Thank you.
I follow you because you train with kindness and love
You are incorrect that trainers use an e-collar to teach the dog the place command. What should be done is to layer the stimulus over existing obedience only after the dog clearly already knows the command. All reputable balanced trainers will train Place (or any brand new behaviour) with positive reinforcement. An e-collar used correctly should never be used to TEACH something new – layering over existing obedience means the dog understands what the stim means and how they can control it. This is why it's a misconception that it's a tool for lazy dog training – you have to have solid obedience in place before being ready to use the e-collar. This is also why the studies on positive reinforcement versus e-collars are not trustworthy – they were trying to teach dogs new commands with the 2 methods in the highly-cited studies, which is an inappropriate use of the e-collar and not reflective of their real-world usage. As a dog trainer and PhD student in animal psychology, I have read those studies for myself and most show mixed results, the others have serious methodological flaws.
Zack, I think this is an awesome way to train your dog. Never stop taping!
I had an invisible fence. I accidently grabbed the collar. Got the shit shocked out of me. That fence got turned off collar thrown away. We used to stop our dog from jumping fence. We just got angle fence
First of all I like your videos and approach, however Balance dog trainers are needed and I see many misconceptions in your comments.For example regarding “electric collars” they are not supposed to be use to train any behaviours, the dog must know the behaviour and the e collar is only there for safety, no matter how good your recall is if your dog is half a mile away from you and sees a trigger and doesn't respond to your voice commands, you must have a way of getting their attention, the e collar is just that like a touch in their shoulder from distance, no a torture device. Also e collars bought for $20 are crap and will shock a dog. People should buy good quality top of the spec ones and always learn how to actually work with an e collar.Same goes for any tool, prong collars are brilliant tools for big pulling dogs, no they don't hurt if use correctly quite the opposite as it distributes the pressure and don't sit in the middle of the neck, hurting their traquea but high up behind the ears. Again blame the users who don't know how to instead of the tool.Also it will be nice to see you dealing with a dog that is aggressive to humans, dogs, motorbikes anything, I am not talking mere reactivity here but dogs that will go for the bite and how would you deal with them with positive reinforcement only?I am talking from experience here, my dog due to his past, was reactive to everything and everyone but not your typical reactivity where the dog react, he will go for the bite.I had 4 trainers which all fail him, lots of $$$$$, (one of them wouldn't even come closer to my dog, who always wears his muzzle when meeting people or out and about)Finally found a brilliant balance trainer who help us enormously to the point where he could start walking with other dogs, be around people (as long as people actually listened to my instructions). He now can be off leash playing ball in a park and the minute I see another dog I can recall with 100% and he is not putting me in hospital with broken bones anymore due to his pulling either.Anyways my point is that probably for the majority of the dogs a totally positive approach might work, but there are some cases were it doesn't, and there have to be solutions for them too other than euthanasia.Keep up your good work with your training videos
This video isn't positive only Vs balanced, it's positive only vs negative only. I've never seen a balanced trainer use aversive techniques to teach a dog something new. Until you actually post videos of you dealing with dangerous and aggressive dogs using positive only you can't be critical of other training techniques and state that positive only should be used by everyone all the time.
And studies used to say smoking was healthy for you. Fabricated studies prove nothing.
Balanced training is unnecessary and confusing for the dog. I don’t want to threaten my dog to get them to work for me. I want them to want to work for me. -r is a subtle threat. Do this thing or this bad sensation will continue. Or do this thing or this bad sensation will get worse
i think the real disconnect when it comes to balanced dog training is people go overboard really bad with it, the way i have balance trained my gsd is 95% positive and 5% punishment, and punishment should only ever be used to gain the dogs attention again, i use an e colar when we go out just to have that extra safety incase anything goes extremely wrong, but at the end zak is right, positive with training and knowing your dog is what works best, and tools are to be used to train not as collar and positive replacements. my goal with using the prong collar isnt training him to walk with it, its to train him not to walk with it, the ecollar isnt for pain, its to let him know i want him to pay attention(more like a poke as it should be), and when he does he gets his toys and treats. you want your dog to enjoy listening to you and love pleasing. not being afraid of what happens when they dont.
Your book and training methods were okay for some things. Cesar Milan's book was far better and his methods worked better for me. Understand this is one person and one dog, but I'm 100% sure I'm not the only one.
I have two dogs. I feed them in the same room and have since I got them about a year ago. One is a border collie, the other is a pit bull type mix, we think. We have never seen resource guarding or aggression over food. Though the pitty would finish first and slowly go over and try to eat the BC's food and we would stop it. One day, I left the room and others were in the room so I felt if there was an issue, they would interject. However, this time the BC went after the pitty when he tried to weasel his way in. We stopped it immediately and there were no injuries. Now when the pitty finishes his food, he turns around and leaves the room. He doesn't even give the other dish a glance. This is of course one instance, and dog -dog communication and not dog-person communication, but it was a literal 1 and done. It was unpleasant and their relationship has not changed at all since the incident other than the pitty doesn't try to eat the BC's food. They still share other toys and play keep away with each other, all the same. Just my experience.
All well and good saying this works but how would you deal with a 2 year old German shepherd that wants to attack you? Because saying do u want a treat you will loose your hand 🤣. they get corrected in the wild and I'm sure your parents corrected you if you did wrong and training a puppy is a lot easier than an older dog with BAD habits.. POSITIVE ONLY TRAINING DOES NOT WORK
When my dog gets scared or nervous when walking she goes right behind me and pushes me with her nose as if to say, your the mum you go and see what it is
Stonnie Dennis is the best most common sense trainer here on YT.
I love that you opened up this conversation, but I especially love how respectfully, thoughtfully, logically, and openly you've done so. You've been careful to not attack anyone and avoid hurt feelings (which is one of the first places where conversation on this topic can break down – people feeling they're being attacked for their choices and understanding in dog training, which stops them from hearing what is being said). I also adore that you're not going by anecdote, but by what our current best scientific understanding says (it's so easy for us as humans to completely reject current scientific, procedural conclusions for anecdote), and warning that intuition isn't always right, or doesn't always manage to correctly identify what's going on (eg, the “alpha” approach – feels intuitive maybe to some people: the idea that our world works by people (and by extension our dogs or other pets, or maybe our children) just wanting to “be in charge” or “test us,” so we have to establish authority, when the reality is that we need to establish trust and boundaries – misbehaving isn't a dog trying to “be in charge,” it's just the dog doing something that seems stimulating or rewarding, and not knowing our reasoning for wanting it to do something else). So. Good. I love objective, thoughtful, logical approaches to understanding our world, and (beyond your helpful insights, demonstrations, advice, and knowledge) that's what ultimately keeps me coming back to your channel.
I love your style of training, to me, this is the only way to build a strong bond with your dog while teaching them to become the best dog they can be. I'm getting a puppy soon and I cannot wait to use your methods x
I don't understand why we're allowed to punish children or even adults with whom we have a lot of communication tools, but we can't do the same with dogs.I understand Zak's point that some stimuli will have adverse affects to our training outcomes, but we understand that happens with people too – take a look at the recidicism rates of people who have been incacerated – so I don't understand what the moral or ethical objection is to training methods for dogs that use positive punishment.I'm not saying I want to punish my dog, but I am saying I don't understand arguments that are made for purely positive on ethical or moral grounds.