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Positive Reinforcement vs. Punishment

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI

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Positive Dog Training Techniques

Green Bay / Appleton Positive Reinforcement Dog Trainers

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 Green Bay / Appleton, WI 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 Northeast Wisconsin 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 Northeast Wisconsin

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 Green Bay / Appleton positive reinforcement dog trainers.

Positive Dog Training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI

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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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The Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin Difference


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Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin uses modern training methods focused on positive dog training using reinforcement and bonding you and your dog. Our trainers in Green Bay / Appleton, WI 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 Northeast Wisconsin’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 Green Bay / Appleton, WI 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 Northeast Wisconsin, when you say “sit,” your dog will automatically sit without thinking about it.

Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin 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 Green Bay / Appleton, WI 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 Green Bay / Appleton, WI 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

  • Kyla Rankin
    Nov. 13, 2025
    We took our puppy here to learn basic manners and obedience and they exceeded our expectation! In just 1 month our puppy has not only learned the commands but knows to listen when we give commands. The team was so helpful through the whole process; answered all our questions and made us comfortable with everything that came with training. Absolutely recommend them for any dog training needs! Thank you Larissa and Marcy for all your hard work!
  • Angela Kowalewski
    Nov. 9, 2025
    Every dollar is well spent with Elite Northeast Dog Training. Everyone who knew my dog knew he was a sweetie, but he didn’t always show it to most people—everyone said he “needed training.” After searching for a while, I found Elite Northeast and never doubted they could help me and my reactive dog. Now, I get daily compliments on how “good” and “well-behaved” he is, and I truly feel the difference—both of us are so much less stressed and more confident.
  • Khayla Kanitz
    Nov. 6, 2025
    We had an amazing experience with Larissa! She worked with our sweet boy for boot camp as well as the home sessions after. Highly recommend!
  • Larry Dietz
    Oct. 30, 2025
    The process was clear and well communicated. Hannah was great to work with, and her passion was clear!
  • Terry Roberts
    Oct. 20, 2025
    Shiloh is a wonderful part of our family. He’s smart and trainable so we wanted him to get to be the best dog possible. We knew we needed help so we asked Dog Training Elite. Thanks to the great folks at their facility and Brianna we are pleased and proud of the progress Shiloh has made. Thank you Dog Training Elite and Brianna. Shiloh learned a lot and he loved the training he got.
  • Angela Bilbrey
    Oct. 17, 2025
    We have a mastiff/pit bull rescue dog who came with a lot of baggage. We had tried several other trainers without success. Brianna and Elite Dog Training are miracle workers and now after a short 8 weeks we have a dog that listens!!! I reached out to Elite Dog Training because I was afraid to bring my dog out in public but I can now bring him anywhere with confidence. Thank you Brianna and Elite Dog Training!!
  • Kayla Heiman
    Oct. 16, 2025
    I am incredibly grateful for Larissa and the exceptional training experience provided by Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin. Under Larissa’s guidance, I’ve learned the tools and techniques needed to bring my dog, Hank, to an elite level of obedience. He is now well on his way to becoming a therapy dog who will make a meaningful impact in the lives of others. Larissa’s professionalism, compassion, and depth of knowledge far exceeded my expectations. Her ability to tailor training to both handler and dog made the process effective and enjoyable. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin to anyone seeking quality, results-driven training. Thank you to Larissa and the entire DTE team for your dedication and expertise!
  • Whitney Healy
    Oct. 11, 2025
    Stephany was phenomenal and incredibly accommodating. She always met us where we were at in life with our family and our girl, Stevie!!
  • Ryan Van Asten
    Oct. 10, 2025
    Brianna was amazing! Incredible how much 8 sessions can change a dogs behavior! Our dog was a good dog but just needed some things trained out of him and Brianna was able to help us train him to be a well behaved boy. He even passed his K-9 good citizenship test a week early! Highly recommend! They may be a little more expensive, but it is well worth it! You get what you pay for and Dog Training Elite is a perfect example of that. We will be recommending them to anyone looking for help with training their dogs.
  • W. F.
    Oct. 9, 2025
    OUTSTANDING! I haven't personally used their training service however the women who answers the phone (sorry I forgot her name) was very kind in listening to the issue my dog is going through and was able to give me some helpful advice. Thank you
  • samantha dainty
    Oct. 7, 2025
    Everyone at Dog Training Elite Northeast was knowledgeable, friendly, and so helpful! We looked for training because our new rescue rottweiler mix puppy was showing signs of aggression towards our 3 y/o lab as well as new people and dogs. We were so worried we wouldn't be able to solve the problem, and had never used any e-collar training before. We were initially nervous but Brianna made the entire experience comfortable, loved our dogs, and moved totally at our pace. It's like night and day! Now our girls are confident, well-trained, and we feel confident having our friends come into the house and taking them out and about. Thank you to everyone at Dog Training Elite for changing our lives!
  • Selena Despins
    Oct. 4, 2025
    We are so happy we went with Elite after reaching out to multiple trainers in the area. We were given different options for how to go about training; in public, at their facility, or in our own home. It made it very convenient and helpful to train in different environments with our dog. Ramiro was a great trainer, not just for our skeptical dog, but also as worrisome owners. He explained each step and helped us and our dog work together to help us be more confident in public and having visitors over. Being a rescue, our dog has a tendency to be on high alert but training has helped him trust us and relax.
  • Zachary Potter
    Oct. 4, 2025
    Awesome experience with Ramiro! Completely transformed our dogs. Had issues with them being aggressive towards each other and with a baby on the way, we had to find a fix. Ramiro solved all of our issues. Highly recommend
  • Tracy Wrobel
    Sep. 27, 2025
    Dog: Hazel, 2-year-old Shelter Lab Mix Program: Platinum Package Issue addressed: Severe leash reactivity (lunging, barking toward other dogs,motorcycles, bicycles and joggers. Dog training Elite Northeast Wisconsin is a great investment in Hazels future. For shelter dogs with unknown baggage and deep-rooted anxiety or guarding issues.This program provided a safe, effective, and transformative solution that allowed Hazel to finally relax and be a confident family member. From our very first session, Hannah Randal demonstrated incredible patience, professionalism, and a genuine love for dogs. Instead of just drilling commands, they focused on why Hazel was behaving the way she was and taught me how to communicate effectively using positive reinforcement.
  • Ryan Miller
    Sep. 25, 2025
    We couldn’t happier with how Ramiro helped us transform our insanely hyper pup. We knew Rambo was a smart boy, but we struggled with showing him direction. Ramiro helped us mold Rambo into a focused and eager to learn good boy! Give Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin a call today and your relationship with your dog will be so much better!
  • Dustin
    Sep. 24, 2025
    Ramiro was extremely professional throughout all of our sessions and a superb teacher with the whole process. Our Mini Aussie went from a non stop barking dog to a very well mannered companion. I would without question recommend this training to anyone who is looking for dog training.
  • Bud Kaufmann
    Sep. 23, 2025
    We worked with my dog that was reactive and hard to control. They understand recuse dogs and how to work with them. I am impressed with the results and he passed his K9 test.
  • Jessica Grabig
    Sep. 19, 2025
    We cannot say enough wonderful things about Dog Training Elite and more specifically our amazing trainer Brianna! From the very first session, her warmth and kindness made both us and our pup feel completely at ease. She’s incredibly flexible, always willing to adjust her schedule or approach to meet our needs, and her deep knowledge of dog behavior and training techniques is truly impressive. What sets her apart is how she blends professionalism with genuine care. She didn’t just help us train our dog; she built trust, confidence, and a meaningful bond between us and our pup, Brewer. Our dog has learned so much and has truly made amazing progress, and we’ve also learned so much from her along the way. We absolutely love her and feel so lucky and grateful to have found someone so talented and compassionate. Brianna truly understands dogs and treats every family with respect and heart! We highly recommend Dog Training Elite to anyone looking to train their dog.
  • Bob Orfield
    Sep. 18, 2025
    Duke and I learned a lot. Thank you Brianna!!
  • Paige Anderson
    Sep. 18, 2025
    We took our Labrador to Dog Training Elite and we had a fantastic experience. Our boy was already pretty well-behaved and tempered, but we wanted to ensure he was a good listener, knew important commands, and get him used to distractions, new people, new places, etc so that we could count on him to operate well in all kinds of circumstances. Ramiro was so great to work with, Chubbs learned so much and is such an incredible companion thanks to Elite’s help. Would definitely recommend working with them!