We live in a world where everything seems to be or should be manufacturable. Preferably at a fast pace too, so that we humans can quickly move on to the next thing. With the arrival of many new dog owners, you also see the consequences of this. Many dogs that are reactive on the lead and where the owners want to learn quick methods to unlearn this unwanted behaviour.
But is it really unwanted behaviour? And is correction the method to address this behaviour? We caught up with Ann-Sophie, owner of Storm and dog ambassador for Cooper & Quint. Ann-Sophie has studied positive dog training in recent years and is now one of the ambassadors for this method of training dogs.

What is positive dog training?

Ann-Sophie: ‘When learning behaviour, there are 4 quadrants: positive punishment, negative punishment, positive reward and negative reward.
In positive dog training, you are going to focus on positive reward and negative reward and not positive punishment and negative punishment. Let's explain this a little further.
In positive punishment, you add something unpleasant to the dog (discomfort or pain stimulus) to unlearn unwanted behaviour. Think, for example, of a tug on the leash, electric shock or slip chain. With negative punishment, you remove this stimulus.
With positive reward, you focus on what the dog likes to work for. You add something, as it were, so that the dog will show this behaviour more. This means that you don't focus on the ‘undesired behaviour’ but instead teach alternative behaviour and reward this. With negative rewards, you actually take away what the dog really wants.
An example: Your dog attacks other dogs.

• Positive punishment: you add a pain stimulus as soon as the dog attacks (pulling on the lead/prick chain/slip line, giving an electric shock,...).
  
• Positive reward: you reward when your dog looks at the stimulus and then looks back at you (use of sweets, toy,...)
  

Note: This is not an easy process and takes time. Success depends on many factors but it is always important to find out well what triggered your dog's negative behaviour.
Therefore, always investigate first. What is the reason your dog shows unwanted behaviour? For example, why does he lunge at other dogs? Is he in pain? Is he anxious? After you find out the real reason, you can start training.’
Tips from Ann-Sophie:
Tip 1. Manage your environment.

Start in a low-stimulation environment and slowly increase the number of stimuli the further you get into the training.
For example: Is your dog very reactive? At 07.30 most dogs are let out, so leave home either earlier or later so your dog gets less stimuli from other dogs.
Tip 2. Find out what motivates your dog the most.

Most dogs can be motivated with food, but there are other ways to motivate your dog. This could be through games or maybe just your attention.

Why did you delve into positive dog training?

Ann-Sophie: ‘My journey into different parenting and training methods started with my second German Shepherd, Storm. Storm comes from a working line, his parents are explosive dogs. A very calm character, already evident in the litter but definitely with the parents' working genes and a strong will to please and great drive.
My idea when Storm was just with us was that dog pastures were the place to be for socialisation. We took Storm to our local dog pasture pretty much every week from an early age. Some dogs were very obtrusive, the dog owners didn't look after their dog or told us bluntly that their dog has a trauma due to a recent biting incident. I noticed from Storm that this was a difficult environment.

At the same time, we went to our dog school every week. Storm did great and in no time could do all the ‘tricks’. To get more of a challenge, we went to a circle group for German Shepherds. Unfortunately, this is where the real ‘problems’ started. Storm became more and more distracted by the other dogs on the training field. The trainer told me to ‘correct’ Storm with a pull on the leash when he lost focus on me. However, this did not help and the lashing out at other dogs only seemed to get worse. Both on and off the training field. I felt this was coming from fear and that correcting the behaviour wouldn't get us anywhere. After we also spoke to a private dog trainer, who essentially used corrections, I started looking further myself.
The main thing I noticed with both of them was that they were not looking at the cause of his behaviour. And so the ball started rolling. After a long process of months, I ended up with dog trainers like Laura Lefebvre, Laura Bangels, Annelies Nollet and American dog trainers like Michael Rogosin and Michael Ellis. I also immersed myself intensely in the theories of positive dog training. Since then, my relationship with Storm has improved so much and I have really learned to read and understand him. I truly believe that only when you learn to apply this way of parenting and training and make it your own can you really connect with your dog.’

What is the difference between positive dog training and corrective dog training?

Ann-Sophie: ‘In positive dog training, the emphasis is on reversing the behaviour and emotion in the face of the stimulus and teaching alternative behaviour. Through this method, you focus on the cause of the behaviour and start drawing up a ‘plan of action’ based on that. Cooperation and bonding with your dog are key. You support your dog when he or she is struggling and try to work towards a solution together through management, counterconditioning (changing feelings towards the trigger into something positive by means of reconditioning) and desensitisation (slowly becoming less sensitive to the trigger by systematically building up contact with the trigger and reward).
Corrective dog training focuses on unlearning unwanted behaviour through corrections (verbal or non-verbal) and the use of tools. This is also called a ‘quick fix’ because n here there is no investigation into the cause of the ‘unwanted behaviour’ and managing the environment. In this method, one is going to immediately subject the dog to the trigger or provoke the unwanted behaviour and then add a correction through which you unlearn your dog this particular behaviour. Unlearning unwanted behaviour goes faster this way, but the effect is less sustainable and it affects the bond with your dog negatively. This is because you will suppress the behaviour instead of redirecting the emotion facing the trigger. Adding stress in a stressful situation for the dog may also just cause the behaviour to escalate, or cause a breach of trust between dog and owner. The dog may also start linking the trigger with the correction, which will cause him to express even more avoidance behaviour or fear/aggression towards the specific trigger. In addition, it is also not always clear to the dog why and when he gets or will get a correction, this causes less initiative especially in the dog and an increase in the cortisol/stress hormone in certain (training) situations or when seeing the owner.
The effects of these methodologies have been scientifically proven. Modern trained dog behaviour therapists will focus entirely on positive behaviour training.’

How can someone get started with their dog and positive dog training themselves?

There is so much available, it is rather the choice of what you are looking for. There is literally something for everyone.

• Want to orientate online first and learn more about positive dog training?
  

Then take a look on Youtube. There are videos on positive dog training or force free training or take a look at the videos with BAT training for out-of-control dogs.

You can also search for videos by Michael Ellis, one of Ann-Sophie's inspirations.

• Want to sit back and relax with a book?
  

Ann-Sophie can recommend the following titles
Communicating better with your dog by Laura Lefebvre
Dogsitief by Ineke Vander Aa

• You can find a lot more online, here are a few more great tips from Ann-Sophie
  
• Online webinars by Knappie
  
• Podcast of Wablaf
  
• Information and free download at Dogs in Litters
  
• Behaviour centre for dogs and horses https://gedragscentrumvoorhonden.be/
  

There are lots of places where you can get training in addition to coaching, either privately or in small groups.
Want to see more from Storm & Ann-Sophie? Then follow them on Instagram.