Positive reinforcement training, why it is the obvious choice!

Reward the good stuff

Everyone is an expert on training, dog and horse owners alike all have an opinion on how we should train our animals. It is super easy to become a dog trainer, there are plenty courses that lack accreditation and severely lack any evidence.  

Lets talk about evidence, not opinion. What actually works for our animals? And what makes them feel good? Lets start with thinking about people and what works for us.

Do you ever do things you don’t want to, but feel you have to? Assuming you have to go to work every day, because you need to pay the mortgage and feed the kids. If you didn’t have to do that, would you bother? What do you really like doing, and how do you feel when you do it? Mammals choose behaviours that are rewarding, because it felt good. They avoid behaviours that have unpleasant consequences, because they don’t feel good.

What about punishment? Of course it can work, its scary. It shuts down behaviour. Unfortunately evidence shows because this creates stress, it causes unwanted behaviours elsewhere. If we spend time creating a good bond with our animals, we naturally get better behaviour from them because they feel safe. Another scientific fact is that when we get rewarded we get a dopamine release, meaning we learn quicker as well as feel good.

Rewards can be food, toys, and for horses scratching works well. And yes, horses do work for food, when taught properly they learn their manners and become incredibly polite around food, because that what pays!