Join us today as Kathy discusses the impact of reward-based obedience training on the relationship with our dogs. She explains how a transactional approach can damage trust and make cooperation difficult.
The transactional dynamic of reward-based training can lead to power imbalances, erode trust, and cause stress and anxiety for dogs. On the other hand, building a partnership based on trust and love creates a natural and fluid dynamic where dogs are motivated to cooperate without being rewarded for performing specific behaviors.
Embrace a new way of living with your dog that prioritizes trust and love over obedience and rewards.
- The problems with reward-based obedience training and the transactional dynamic it creates.
- The power imbalances that arise in a relationship that is focused on transactions.
- The benefits of a partnership-based approach that is built on love, connection, and trust.
- The negative effects of compliance and obedience-based training include increased stress and anxiety levels, and decreased confidence and cooperation.
Quotes:
“A reward-based transactional approach can erode the trust that forms the foundation of a positive relationship between a dog mom and her dog.”
“Trust and mutual respect can reduce stress and anxiety levels in both the dog and the human.”
“A partnership-based relationship allows the dog mom and their dog to work together as a team, rather than relying on traditional obedience training methods to encourage cooperation.”
“We are culturally conditioned to believe that dogs aren’t capable of choosing to be loving, playful, well-behaved partners without being paid to be so. That is simply not true.”
~KATHY KAWALEC
LOVE TO LEARN MORE?
Become a calm and confident Dog Mom with a cooperative, happy dog … without obedience training, or relying on treats or arousing games, or corrections of any type.
Here are some next steps:
- GET STARTED – Work with Kathy:
https://dancinghearts.link/foundation - SUBSCRIBE to Kathy’s YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DancingHeartsDogAcademy/videos - LISTEN or READ Kathy’s Podcast and Blog on her Website:
https://dancingheartsdogacademy.com/ - LET’S CONNECT on the socials for more partnership tips:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dancinghearts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathykawalec/ - LISTEN TO PODCASTS:
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5 Responses
Thank you for this episode and it really makes sense and inspires me . we have a rescue mini schnauzer who was rejected because of his constant barking and general naughtiness. we have had him for nearly 2 years now and I love him dearly but he is still fearful/anxious/excited if outside the house and sees a person even across the road and will bark ferociously. I ensure a distance and try distraction with treats and changing direction but he only stops when out of sight. we are able to sometimes go to a secure field where very few people go and let him off lead and he is soo happy. he remains in fairly close proximity and enjoys sniffing around and has a brilliant recall. if there are dogs around he will interact playfully and appropriately with them but barks and lunges at an owner if they come near.
I don’t know how to help him and also gradually reduce the reward treats. Reggie also does not like house visitors so family members do not want to visit. I love him and will not give up but need help in moving forward.
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It all makes sense, but not a single word did you mention HOW to get there, HOW to build that relationship of trust with the dog….
Hi Karmela! Thanks for listening to this episode, which wasn’t about diving deeply into the how to, but meant to inspire a new perspective. The idea that I was communicating in this short message is to focus our choices on ensuring our dog feels safe. Instead of focusing on training our dog to feel the way we think they should. Kathy xo
Just listened to the podcast, and I found it very interesting, however, I heard lots of “don’t do’s” but what would be helpful would be the “do this”. How do we inspire this trust in our relationship? I love my dogs more than life and am currently doing canine behaviour studies where we focus on positive reinforcement, desensitization and counter-conditioning for behavioural problems and training methods. I would love to hear more about how to do this without the need for rewards.
Hi Tracy! Thanks for listening to this episode. I love that you’re interested in exploring other options! This episode wasn’t about diving deeply into the how to, but meant to inspire a new perspective. The idea that I was communicating in this short message is to focus our choices on ensuring our dog feels safe. Instead of focusing on training our dog to feel the way we think they should. There are many episodes that you might like to listen to for more details on how we do things! Kathy xo