Kudos K9s Dog Training always operates under the ethos that a dog can only learn long lasting behaviour when he is consistently rewarded for good behaviour, or never rewarded for bad behaviour. I draw all my training methods from Classical and Operant Conditioning (link to Related Articles in left hand column-COMING SOON), meaning all my dogs learn through a series of Positive Reinforcers, i.e. food treats and play, and Negative Punishments. N.B. Negative punishment should not be confused with scolding your dog, instead you take something positive away from your dog, to make an unwanted behaviour stop, i.e. leaving a room when your dog jumps up is taking away the positive (you), so the dog will learn to stay calm in order to get your attention. By reprimanding your dog for jumping up, by shouting at him for example, you are only marking the behaviour with a reward, even if it’s not a conventional one.

These methods require consistency and dedication to work, but once they have been taught, your dog is much more likely to carry on behaving the way you have trained them. After all, don’t we all learn better through positive experiences, and wouldn’t anyone resent people who try to teach us by constantly telling us off? Your dog is no different, and deserves the same treatment if you want lasting results and a happy dog.