Often times you will come across businesses marketing themselves as "positive reinforcement only", "force-free" or "science-based" trainers.
These terms are manufactured to sound appealing and ethical, and while there's nothing inherently wrong with that, I worry that sometimes an appealing front is used in place of actually educating clients on what these terms mean.
As the owner and founder of Sitty Dogs, I'm dedicated to being crystal clear about what I do with clients' dogs, and to make things easier I've compiled some useful definitions, educational articles and other helpful information that can be accessed by anyone, at any time.
Okay, but are you a force free trainer?
No. And if you stick around, I'll tell you why.
I understand that the intention behind 'force free' is to have a heavy focus on animal welfare, which I am all for! Ultimately, I disagree with the amount of ambiguity behind the name, since part of being a responsible dog parent inherently involves forcing your dog to do things. Sometimes you'll need to give your dog medicine, or a bath, or take them to the vet, or yank them back from a dangerous situation. Your dog may not enjoy these experiences, but they aren't supposed to be fun, they're supposed to keep them safe and healthy.
These same principles apply in high-level dog training too: Aversives and force are often part of building reliable working dogs to guide the blind or detect explosives. Just as we pull our pet dogs back from a busy road, a sense of force or urgency is a tool for the greater good. Applied correctly, it can save countless human and canine lives.
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As a dog trainer and enthusiast, I also feel the need to acknowledge every dog as an individual, and for this reason, I don't limit my toolset to just positive reinforcement. So no, I am not a positive reinforcement-only trainer either. Of course, I love positive reinforcement because it makes training fun for me and my dogs, but ultimately it is not always the best tool for the job. If you only carry a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. If you carry a full toolbox, you'll find that choosing the right tool for each job will yield better, cleaner results.
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My methods could be considered 'science-based' as they function off of the principles of canine psychology. I could also be considered a 'holistic' or 'balanced' dog trainer, but ultimately I don't care for labels, I'm just listing these terms here in case you want to do your own research. I do what I do because I love dogs, I love problem-solving, and I simply can't imagine a better way to combine these two joys.