Positive Reinforcement vs. Punishment

Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati

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Positive Dog Training Techniques

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training in Cincinnati, OH

Research shows that focusing on positive reinforcement when a desired behavior occurs and not worrying about correcting bad behavior in dogs is more effective and has longer-lasting results than training that incorporates punishment for bad behavior.

Positive reinforcement dog training in Cincinnati, OH works because dogs are inherently eager to please. Rewarding your dog for good behavior helps create a deep, loving relationship with your dog built on trust, as opposed to one built on fear of punishment. The difference between a dog who has been trained to obey out of fear of being punished vs. a dog who learns to obey through a positive, loving bond with their owner is huge.

Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati trainers use treats as an initial reward for puppies and dogs learning commands. When the trainer is absent, or you’re in between obedience classes, you can continue to use treats as a reward for your dog when they exhibit a desired behavior. Dogs tend to be highly food-motivated, so this is an extremely useful tool. You can also reward your dog with a play session, take them to the dog park or anything else you know your dog enjoys. After all, you know your dog best!

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Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati

Your Questions Answered

Positive reinforcement training is a widely used and highly effective method for teaching dogs new behaviors while strengthening the bond between you and your pet. Below, we've answered some common questions about how this training approach works and why it's beneficial for all dog breeds.

Positive reinforcement training rewards dogs for good behavior with treats, praise, or play, encouraging them to repeat those behaviors. It focuses on creating a positive association with desired actions, making training enjoyable and effective for your dog.
Positive reinforcement builds trust and strengthens the bond between you and your dog. By rewarding desired behavior, your dog is more motivated to learn and respond willingly, whereas punishment can create fear and anxiety, hindering learning and damaging the relationship.
Yes, positive reinforcement training is effective for all dog breeds. Since it relies on rewarding good behavior, dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperaments can respond well, making it a flexible and universally beneficial training method.
A white poodle smiling at one of our Cincinnati positive reinforcement dog trainers.

Cincinnati Positive Reinforcement Dog Trainers

Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati

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As for not worrying about bad behavior – it may feel strange to act like everything is fine when your dog chews on your shoes, or goes to the bathroom inside your home. But focusing on rewarding good behavior and forgoing punishment for bad behavior is more successful in the long run.

Relying on punishment for errors and “low value” rewards, such as praise or petting are long held “traditional” methods for dog training. Punishments like flicking a dog’s nose, shocking them with a shock collar, or anything else that may cause a dog pain are unfortunately still in use today by many dog trainers.

Not only is it inhumane, but using punishment as a tool can actually backfire. For example: punishing a dog for going to the bathroom inside a house won’t teach them to go outside instead. Often, the dog only understands that the mess makes their owner mad. Instead of going outside, the dog is likely to continue to make messes indoors — where the owner can’t find them.

Punishment training also damages the relationship between dog and owner. Dogs do not understand right and wrong. Instead of associating punishment with a specific behavior they learn to avoid, as with the bathroom example, they instead learn to live in constant fear of punishment. This prevents owners from bonding with their dogs in a meaningful way.

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FAQs

One of our trainers will visit your home to meet you and your dog and discuss any issues you're facing. We will then demonstrate one of our model dogs so you can see what you can expect after hiring our trainers. From there, we will discuss the various packages we offer and which we feel best suit your (and your dog's) needs.
We provide full obedience training that covers all basic commands, both on and off-leash. Our in-home visits target specific issues like counter-surfing, digging, and more. Unlike some trainers, we work with all breeds, including those often considered challenging.
Yes. You (and anyone in your family who wants to be involved) are integral to your dog getting trained. We need you to practice 5-6 days a week, about 15-20 minutes a day for optimal results.
Once a week. We come to you (with the silver, gold and platinum packages) once a week to start your dog off, then you come to park sessions which are held once a week in Cincinnati.
We train dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperaments. Whether your dog is a tiny Chihuahua or a large Mastiff, we have the experience and expertise to work with them.
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The Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati Difference


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Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati uses modern training methods focused on positive dog training using reinforcement and bonding you and your dog. Our trainers in Cincinnati, OH never resort to punishment to help dogs unlearn behaviors. Through a combination of commands and an electronic collar, dogs learn to follow commands at once. The electronic collar is not a shock collar and never used to punish bad behavior. Instead, it produces a sensation like the gentle tug of a leash, and is used to help recapture the attention of a dog who gets distracted.

Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati’s method of focusing on positive behavior reinforcement nurtures a dog's loving and naturally obedient nature. The method is the same regardless of the situation, whether training a puppy, an older dog or a service dog. The positive reinforcement dog training in Cincinnati, OH ensures training is a success no matter what your dog’s behavior. If you have a brand new puppy who is stubborn and smart, or an older dog who has slipped into bad habits – or perhaps never learned – after proper conditioning and working with Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati, when you say “sit,” your dog will automatically sit without thinking about it.

Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati offers specialized in-home training services so your dog gets the attention and training he or she needs, and you learn alongside them so training continues when the trainer leaves. Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati, OH also offers group classes for dogs who are ready to take obedience training to the next level, and service training programs for a variety of needs.

If you’re looking to train a service dog, or just looking for a loyal four-legged companion, Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati, OH will help you get there with our positive dog training. You can get started today. Find a trainer near you and schedule a free in-home consultation!

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Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Sean Cox
    Oct. 24, 2024
    Our family’s dog learned so much in our sessions. My confidence as an owner increased and it has changed the relationship I have with my dog. I highly recommend this staff. Everyone involved is very professional.
  • Jim Swift
    Oct. 23, 2024
    Dog whisperers! Great in house training for our two terriers.
  • Lauren McRae
    Oct. 16, 2024
    My pup and I have had the best time working with everyone at Dog Training Elite Greater Cincinnati! Responses are always timely, at-home training and group training have been informative, and scheduling has been easy. They also go above and beyond ensuring that training, even at group class, works for me and my pup. We’re getting close to achieving a leash-less life in every scenario that we can. Pup pics included for fun
  • Shiann Massie
    Oct. 12, 2024
    The trainers were great! Worked with me for my crazy schedule and a payment plan! Very helpful. My dog is behaving and listening much better!
  • Holly Gooch
    Sep. 23, 2024
    Elite Cincinnati East was amazing! We had Alex as our trainer and he was wonderful! We bought our puppy for our daughter to eventually become a service dog for her. Alex was able to teach us the skills and work with us to train our puppy to perform the basic commands and have a strong foundation for further service dog training. Alex did more than show us how to work with our puppy; he taught us about how to read our puppy’s actions/body language and the best ways to communicate with our puppy what behavior we expect from her. Thanks to Alex we were able to figure out what was the best approach for training our puppy to get the best results. I would highly recommend Elite Cincinnati East and Alex!
  • Shelby Looper
    Sep. 11, 2024
    My partner and I recently moved in together. My dog and her dog did not get along very well with my dog being the main aggressor. We did 5 training sessions with Alex and couldn’t be happier. We can live in peace knowing that we have the tools in hand to keep our dogs living together happy and in peace. Great program to fit a lot of different needs that your dog might have.
  • Melissa Rees
    Sep. 3, 2024
    Scott & Jen was amazing!!! We learned as much as Murphy did. We did a board & train with another dog, but liked the fact that they come to us & train in his territory. Murphy loved these guys & looked forward to Friday!! Would highly recommend these guys!!
  • Peter Craig
    Aug. 26, 2024
    Our trainer Alex VanWeiden was fantastic. Our lab Nellie both loved and respected him. His knowlege of dog psychology is impressive and he was able to deliver great results improving Nellie's behavior. He did this by focusing not just on our dog's actions, but also on how we interacted with her. At the beginning of our training journey, we couldn't have imagined a better outcome. Thanks Alex, for exceeding our expectations.
  • Lora Brand
    Aug. 22, 2024
    Game changer! That’s the best way I can describe our experience with Alex at Dog Training Elite. In 5 short weeks, he has made such a positive impact on our mini-bernedoodle’s behavior and how we interact with him. From the basics, to behavioral challenges, Alex has equipped us with the tools we need to have a long, healthy and happy relationship with our crazy boy, Rocky! Would highly recommend them!
  • Mike Donahue
    Aug. 6, 2024
    Our 2 year old Pitbull Waylon struggled with behavioral issues and basic commands we reach out to Scott and Jen and it was one of the best decisions we ever made, we just finished up our one on one home sessions and the difference is night and day Thank you, Scott and Jen !
  • Caitlyn Henehan
    Aug. 2, 2024
    The trainer was very knowledgable and did a great job helping us integrate our puppy into our existing dog pack. He also did a fantastic job addressing and stoping our older dog's resource guarding and excessive barking. We highly recommend Dog Training Elite!
  • Abby Walz
    Jul. 31, 2024
    We have had the best experience with Dog Training Elite so far! We did the Gold package, and have completed all of our in home sessions, and the difference in my dog is amazing. Alex was an absolutely wonderful trainer, and he customized each lesson to help with our specific concerns about our dog. Dog Training Elite was great with scheduling and keeping me informed about what was going on, as well as provided everything we needed to be successful. I was originally worried this would not be worth the money, but I am happy to say I feel that it was completely worth what we paid and we haven't even started our group classes yet! I look forward to continuing to work with Dog Training Elite and seeing our dog improve in her training even more.
  • Danielle Seymore
    Jul. 27, 2024
    Alex at Dog Training Elite Cincinnati East did an amazing job training our Colorado mountain dog. Alex was knowledgeable in training different breeds and worked with our family to train the behaviors we struggled to do on our own. I am go glad we worked with the Elite dog trainers. I also highly recommend the group classes as this helped our pup learn to follow directions not only at home but also out in the community. This was a great experience I would highly recommend them. Thank you for training us and our pup and stop the behaviors we didn’t want to see. Yay, we still have a couch!!!
  • Alison Liddic
    Jul. 17, 2024
    We are so thankful for Scott & Jen! We were at a loss about where to even begin with training our 3 mini aussies, but they broke it down into very simple tasks each week. Having them come to our house was so helpful and also served as accountability for us (the humans) to work on the training before the next session. They have given us a strong foundation with our dogs and have helped improve our daily lives more than I can even explain. The group sessions are also so helpful for our dogs and for us. We are forever grateful! Thank you!
  • Liz Burley
    Jul. 16, 2024
    Jen and Scott are phenomenal to work with! Jen has a great calm and firm demeanor for training and Scott is playful but also firm as well! They are a great team to help for great obedience training! We are now working onto more task training for Service Dog work and they are incredibly knowledgeable and trustworthy to help individual needs for specific service work! Additionally, Michelle is very responsive with calls, texts and emails for communication and scheduling! Highly recommend working with DTE!
  • Dante Zompetti
    Jul. 6, 2024
    Loved working with Alex. Feel like this company and trainer excelled at working with our dogs and helping teach us to be better trainers as well.
  • Cora Merrow
    Jul. 3, 2024
    Alex was a great trainer! He really took the time to show me the steps to train my dog at home. My dog (11 months) is so much calmer now and I love to go on walks with him now.
  • Rebekah Manis
    Jun. 30, 2024
    Alex exceeded our expectations with training our two golden doodles. He was very knowledgeable, and patient throughout the process. We would highly recommend him to anyone given the progress we’ve seen with Sammy and Roxy.
  • Betty Coutant
    Jun. 30, 2024
    Wonderful experience with Alex and Diane! Our dog is very well behaved thanks to Alex training us. Bunny learned a lot too! 😊
  • Emma
    Jun. 30, 2024
    Thank you to our trainer, Alex for changing our lives for the better! We moved to Cincinnati back in December, and it was quite an adjustment for our two dogs (3yr & 1yr) to live in a busy apartment community. The dogs were reactive when they saw other dogs, jumped each time we had guests over, and high-stress on walks (lots of leash pulling and inattention issues). From day 1, Alex taught us unique skills to combat these issues. Alex always went above & beyond for training classes, ensuring we never felt rushed and throughly understood the materials from class. There is no one we trust more with our dogs than Alex! I cannot say enough good things about our experience. We can now enjoy walks without being pulled & have guests over with minimal jumping. Thank you Alex & Dog Training Elite.