I took her to puppy kindergarten where she promptly bit my arm while we were teaching our dogs to lie down by yanking the collar toward the ground. At the time I thought the worst: This dog was deranged and perhaps I couldn't keep her. I talked to my vet and he told me about "something for something," as he called it.
He told me that I should make her follow a command before I gave her anything, that nothing was for free. I told her to sit before I fed her, gave her a toy, bone or affection. I had no idea until more than 20 years later I was practicing positive, rewards-based training. The author in with her willful puppy Roxie, who turned out to be a great dog. Julie LeRoy. Roxie was also a leash puller. She was growing fast and growing big.
I went to the pet store and was advised to purchase a prong collar. It squeezed her throat every time she pulled, and to this day I don't even recall if it worked.
It looked like such a medieval contraption but I didn't even give it a second thought. It was all I knew. Again, I would find out more than 20 years later that this was a method of alpha training. What are the differences between positive reinforcement training and dominance-based also known as alpha dog training?
Positive reinforcement training is based on rewarding a dog for desirable behavior and withholding a reward for negative behavior. It can also involve clicker training. You essentially mark the dog by tapping the clicker and offering a treat at the time the good behavior is observed. The belief is, you are maintaining the dog's good spirit and trust by avoiding harsh reprimands or physical force.
