Building a Relationship with Your Dog
…with training your dog will look forward to
Your dog’s success in training lies in the relationship they build with their trainer. We want that relationship to be a positive one so we take a gentle approach to dog training and use positive reinforcement training methods.
There are 3 useful motivators for dogs: praise, food, and toys. Positive reinforcement training uses rewards to encourage desired behaviors and has its foundation in the science of animal learning. When a dog is rewarded for a behavior, they are more likely to repeat that behavior in the future. This makes positive reinforcement one of the most effective tools for shaping or changing a dog's behavior.
Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive (LIMA)
As a CPDT-KA Trainer, The Polite Dog adheres to the LIMA methods for behavior modification and training.
Per the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT):
LIMA requires that trainers and behavior consultants use the “least intrusive, minimally aversive technique likely to succeed in achieving a training (or behavior change) objective with minimal risk of producing aversive side affects.” It is also a competence criterion, requiring that trainers and behavior consultants be adequately trained and skilled in order to ensure that the least intrusive and aversive procedure is used."
More about this training technique:
Dogs are continuously monitored for distress signals and/or allowed to opt-out
If a dog is showing signs of distress the trainer re-evaluates the training plan and makes appropriate changes - ex. if a dog began to find a specific tool as aversive, such as simply putting on a collar, a LIMA trainer could modify the equipment or use counter-conditioning to change the dog’s emotional response to the equipment
The APDT believes that efficacy is not sufficient to justify training equipment and methodology. Ethical and humane techniques are paramount