Over the past several weeks, I have had the rather shocking experiencing of watching dog trainers from the force-free and positive-only ideologies attack, vilify, bully, ambush, and generally stomp on trainers in the balanced community. One YouTube influencer in particular has been driving this war, and it has reached a point where I now feel compelled to speak up. I won’t name the influencer, because I don’t want to risk people doing to them what they have been doing to those of us in the balanced community. What I will say is, it has to stop… and it’s why I feel it’s time for me to speak my piece.

Dog owners all over the world reach out to trainers because they need help. They don’t care about the eternal in-fighting between different ideologies; they just want to live in peace and harmony with their dogs, and they reach out to us because we’re the ones who can help them achieve that.

Many of my clients have shared the same experience with me: They’ve tried force-free and positive-only trainers, and they’ve had little to no success. Their dog was okay at first, but when push came to shove, the techniques they were taught failed them. They’re at the end of their rope and considering either re-homing their dog, or euthanizing it. 99.9% of the time, using a balanced approach has not only corrected and resolved the issues, it has also empowered the owners and helped them develop strong trust bonds with their dogs that prevent regression from occurring.

A balanced approach means:

• giving corrections when necessary

• telling the dog “no” when it practices an unwanted behavior

• teaching the owners how to build trust with their dog, how to advocate for their dog, how to build confidence in themselves to handle every situation that arises

• using tools the positive-only and force-free communities deem “abusive” and/or “harmful” [e.g. prong collars, e-collars, even slip leads]

• using positive reinforcement [food, toys, etc.] when the dog makes the right choices.

In essence, balanced trainers use common sense. We recognize and understand that every dog is different, that what works for one dog may not work for another. The idea that there is a one-size-fits-all method of training is both idealistic, and completely unrealistic.

To dog owners, trust your gut when seeking help. Whatever method works for you – positive only, force-free, or a balanced approach – go with it. And don’t let anyone try to shame you for your choice.

To the training community in general, stop attacking each other’s methods and get back to work helping owners with their dogs.

To the YouTube influencer who is continually stirring this pot and acting like some kind of god of the dog training industry, get off your high horse. You are not any kind of god, and you have no right to attempt to force or otherwise coerce the balanced communities into submitting to your demands.

Have a great day, and remember to stay calm and lead on.