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Positive Reinforcement vs. Punishment

Dog Training Elite Upstate SC

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Positive Dog Training Techniques

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training in Greenville / Spartanburg, SC

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 Greenville / Spartanburg, SC 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 Upstate SC 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 Upstate SC

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 Greenville / Spartanburg positive reinforcement dog trainers.

Greenville / Spartanburg Positive Reinforcement Dog Trainers

Dog Training Elite Upstate SC

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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 Upstate SC Difference


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Dog Training Elite Upstate SC uses modern training methods focused on positive dog training using reinforcement and bonding you and your dog. Our trainers in Greenville / Spartanburg, SC 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 Upstate SC’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 Greenville / Spartanburg, SC 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 Upstate SC, when you say “sit,” your dog will automatically sit without thinking about it.

Dog Training Elite Upstate SC 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 Greenville / Spartanburg, SC 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 Greenville / Spartanburg, SC 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

  • Lilly Catherine
    Dec. 20, 2024
    My Golden Retriever went to Elite Camp and has learned commands such as sit, place, come and heel. Prior to camp, she struggled with these commands and had great difficulty walking with a leash. Today, we had a session with Danny at Conestee Park and my pup practiced heeling with distractions such as children playing, car horns honking and other dogs in the vicinity. With Danny’s guidance, she overcame her fears and could heel nicely. She also was able to “place” and sit on an uneven rock and later a bench. Danny was extremely patient and helpful. We will continue practicing what we learned at group lessons. The owner and all the trainers are excellent. I would highly recommend Elite to anyone who would like a well behaved companion.
  • Wayne Turner
    Dec. 2, 2024
    I was blow away with the love they give to every dog and time working with them. I know after the week in training. She had what it takes, but they worked with me to understand what part I needed too
  • Kate Murphy
    Nov. 29, 2024
    This was my first time seeking professional training for a dog. I was uneasy at first as it was all new to me, but all the trainers took the time to explain everything to me as much as I needed and it made me feel comfortable making this commitment of time and money. I’ve seen the most amazing results from training far beyond what I imagined!! My bond with my dog has been strengthened and she has found so much enjoyment learning her tasks. All the trainers we’ve worked with have been so friendly, helpful, and smart. I’d recommend them to anyone considering to invest in training.
  • Heather Hayden
    Nov. 23, 2024
    Absolutely amazing results!! We can’t recommend DTE enough. All the trainers we have encountered have been so sweet, knowledgeable, and patient; you can tell they love what they do. Before training, our 1.5 year old Boykin Spaniel walked, or should I say drug, us around on our walks and the only command she did somewhat consistently was sit and come (but you could forget it with any distractions). Today, Duchess can walk by our side WITHOUT a leash and can hold a sit for 5+ minutes with distractions! I could go on and on. If you are hesitant or debating if training is worth it or not, just do it! We are so pleased with our investment in our pup and we are a better family for it. Thank you DTE for teaching us the best and most effective ways to communicate with our sweet pup!
  • Heather Hayden
    Nov. 23, 2024
    Absolutely amazing results!! We can’t recommend DTE enough. All the trainers we have encountered have been so sweet, knowledgeable, and patient; you can tell they love what they do. Before training, our 1.5 year old Boykin Spaniel walked, or should I say drug, us around on our walks and the only command she did somewhat consistently was sit and come (but you could forget it with any distractions). Today, Duchess can walk by our side WITHOUT a leash and can hold a sit for 5+ minutes with distractions! I could go on and on. If you are hesitant or debating if training is worth it or not, just do it! We are so pleased with our investment in our pup and we are a better family for it. Thank you DTE for teaching us the best and most effective ways to communicate with our sweet pup!
  • J Lauren Villano
    Nov. 18, 2024
    I am blown away!!! Billie is a 1 year old Plott Hound. Before coming to Dog Training Elite, she was chaotic. We just finished her week of training camp last week and she's a different dog! I was able to train her on my own to a certain point but I didn't know how to make it stick. DTE helped me just as much if not more than Billie. I now know how to communicate to her what her job is during certain instances. I'm now able to actually play with my nieces and nephew when they're at my house. I can take Billie on walks and actually enjoy the walk myself. I still have a 1:1 session and 6 months of group classes to continue our training, but I can already confidently say that this training is worth every penny. If your dog is food aggressive, gets overly excited by visitors, or needs an outlet for pent up puppy energy... This is the training for you and your doggo!
  • Alison Jones
    Nov. 14, 2024
    We adopted a dog with some serious anxiety that manifested as leash aggression. We’d tried another training program previously and were told that she’d never be able to go anywhere with us. Then we went to a baseball game and saw Dog Training Elite in action. I called and scheduled a free eval. I was honest and told them that my husband was likely going to say no (we’d already spent a good deal of $ on training that didn’t help our main issue). We met with our evaluator and even my husband was sold!! We haven’t looked back. The training had been so incredibly beneficial. One on one sessions in your neighborhood with different trainers is so helpful. Our last session was at Falls Park(lots of people and lots of dogs with ZERO problems). We’ve been able to take our girl camping with is. We are no longer scared to take her on outings where there might be other dogs. She so much better behaved! Not gonna lie, she’s not perfect but she’s getting there. Thank you,DTE!
  • Emese Simon
    Nov. 7, 2024
    We have been struggling with our 2 year old puppy with significant dog reactivity, to the point of being afraid to take her for a walk as she would bark uncontrollably, jump, pull. We tried multiple methods and classes, including a camp where she stayed for a month to try to get control of her behaviors, without any improvement. Once we started working with dog elite training, she was transformed. I can't believe how well she is doing now. We can walk in our neighborhood without any fear of her lunging at another puppy. She is more confident, happy dog and responds well. We are learning how to work with her and she is listening very well. We found everyone extremely helpful, knowledgeable, friendly and understanding of our challenges with our puppy. We are looking forward to attending the group lessons and continue to watch Millie's progress. Thank you Casey for your patience, guidance and help with our challenging puppy.
  • Cole O'Connor
    Nov. 6, 2024
    I cannot recommend Dog Training Elite enough! Their obedience program is truly outstanding. From our very first session, the trainers demonstrated a deep understanding of canine behavior and used positive reinforcement techniques with the e-collar that made learning enjoyable for my dog. The curriculum is well-structured, addressing everything from basic commands to more advanced skills, ensuring we stayed engaged and motivated. What impressed me the most was the personalized approach; the trainers took the time to understand my dog's unique personality and tailored their methods accordingly. The results have been incredible. My dog is more obedient, confident, and well-behaved in various situations. Furthermore, the offered support is fantastic, with resources and guidance provided to reinforce what we have learned in class. We are looking forward to the 6 months of free group sessions that was part of our package, to continue to work through our tollgate checklist so we can move on to therapy training. If you're looking for a top notch obedience program that truly makes a difference, Dog Training Elite is the way to go!
  • Laura Lee Kearns Taylor
    Nov. 3, 2024
    Our 2 pups began training at 4 months old and we are so glad we enrolled them with Elite Dog Training! It’s been 6 weeks since they completed their week of training and they have been excellent at recall and obedience. Even after the hurricane and we had no power and couldn’t use their collars, they retained their training the majority of the time. We highly recommend the competent, professional trainers that really love what they do and love the dogs too!
  • Tom Hafft
    Oct. 30, 2024
    This organization is truly "Elite". My dog was (yes, "was") very reactive to people and dogs. It became impossible to walk her, she had pulled me down twice and we were concerned I or someone else would be hurt. Within 1 week I was able to walk her without incident! I was very skeptical this could happen, but I saw for myself. Having proper guidance and training techniques turned things around. I can't thank these people enough for their patience, love of dogs and professionalism. It's worth every penny spent 😊
  • Chris Clayton
    Oct. 29, 2024
    Lucy my German Shepard had some issues. She is doing so good now. High highly recommend these guys!
  • Carol Knupp
    Oct. 29, 2024
    In need of a good dog trainer? Your puppy or dog doesn't have the best behavior? Could your life and your dog's life be better if his/her behavior was better? I know exactly how you feel. I was in the same situation. I adopted a 6 year old minature Aussie, beautiful but with several ugly behaviors. She was very food aggressive towards other dogs and me, very aggressive to people coming into the house, especially aggressive towards men, and aggressive towards dogs she encountered on our walks. Has Margot's inappropriate behaviors been completely eliminated? No. But they have been significantly reduced. She (and I) are works in progress. I am so happy to have worked with the Dog Training Elite trainers. They are experts in the field, they are patient, and love what they do. They have provided Margot and I with the knowledge and techniques we can use in a consistent, ongoing training program. Thank you, thank you!! Both Margot and mine lives have greatly improved because of this traing.
  • Dylan Scott
    Oct. 29, 2024
    Incredible experience! Highly recommend working with Dog Training Elite! I used the puppy training and advanced obedience training and I can't be more impressed with the results! All of the trainers are very experienced and it shows in the results.
  • Marni Sumbal
    Oct. 24, 2024
    We adopted Sunny four weeks ago after saying good bye to our 17 year old chihuahua. Sunny is a terrier mix and ended up at Animal Care and Control in Charlotte after being found abandoned in an apartment building with another dog. He was being fostered before we officially adopted him. He is ~1 year old (and a few months) and 16 lbs. Sunny came to us overly excited and reactive to other dogs. He was extremely barky, didn’t know how to act around strangers, would nip when he got excited and after a long walk outside, he was wound up with energy. We knew he was a very happy and smart dog but we felt he had a lot of anxiety and uncertainty about life. And with five cats in our house, his barks and wild energy made our house feel divided and stressful. After researching several different behavior training schools, we selected Dog training elite upstate because of the reviews/testimonials. We enrolled Sunny in the gold elite package which consists of two home visits, 5 days of training in the facility and six months of group classes. This package also includes the e-collar (not a shock collar), which is how the trainers work with the dogs. We were skeptical about the training (and collar) as we have no prior experience in dog training and we asked a lot of questions about the collar to make sure it was safe. After the first in-home visit with Casey, Sunny was a changed dog. We couldn’t believe how quickly he learned “come” and “off”. Sunny thrived at school and responded so well to his 3-4 different trainers, teaching him place, down, heel and sit. After each day of class, we watched a tutorial video of how to give commands and watched videos of Sunny in action. Since the training, we never say no, raise our voice or use the collar for punishment. We don't even have to use treats for rewarding good behavior. Everything Sunny learned has been through positive reinforcement. The collar is simply a mode of communication. Sunny feels secure in his collar and loves working on his new skills. He gets excited to put on his collar. After five days of his school, we saw his confidence improve, he’s not anxious anymore, the cats are calm around him, we can peacefully coexist around other dogs and he has so much more freedom in life. He is still a happy and fun dog but now relies on us to help him safely navigate this new world. We are so happy that Sunny has so many more opportunities in life thanks to his good behaviors and listening skills - all thanks to Dog Training Elite. -Marni and Karel Sumbal Greenville, SC
  • Marni Sumbal
    Oct. 24, 2024
    We adopted Sunny four weeks ago after saying good bye to our 17 year old chihuahua. Sunny is a terrier mix and ended up at Animal Care and Control in Charlotte after being found abandoned in an apartment building with another dog. He was being fostered before we officially adopted him. He is ~1 year old (and a few months) and 16 lbs. Sunny came to us overly excited and reactive to other dogs. He was extremely barky, didn’t know how to act around strangers, would nip when he got excited and after a long walk outside, he was wound up with energy. We knew he was a very happy and smart dog but we felt he had a lot of anxiety and uncertainty about life. And with five cats in our house, his barks and wild energy made our house feel divided and stressful. After researching several different behavior training schools, we selected @dogtrainingeliteupstatesc because of the reviews/testimonials. We enrolled Sunny in the gold elite package which consists of two home visits, 5 days of training in the facility and six months of group classes. This package also includes the e-collar (not a shock collar), which is how the trainers work with the dogs. We were skeptical about the training (and collar) as we have no prior experience in dog training and we asked a lot of questions about the collar to make sure it was safe. After the first in-home visit with Casey, Sunny was a changed dog. We couldn’t believe how quickly he learned “come” and “off”. Sunny thrived at school and responded so well to his 3-4 different trainers, teaching him place, down, heel and sit. After each day of class, we watched a tutorial video of how to give commands and watched videos of Sunny in action. Since the training, we never say no, raise our voice or use the collar for punishment. We don't even have to use treats for rewarding good behavior. Everything Sunny learned has been through positive reinforcement. The collar is simply a mode of communication. Sunny feels secure in his collar and loves working on his new skills. He gets excited to put on his collar. After five days of his school, we saw his confidence improve, he’s not anxious anymore, the cats are calm around him, we can peacefully coexist around other dogs and he has so much more freedom in life. He is still a happy and fun dog but now relies on us to help him safely navigate this new world. We are so happy that Sunny has so many more opportunities in life thanks to his good behaviors and listening skills - all thanks to Dog Training Elite. -Marni and Karel Sumbal Greenville, SC
  • Terri Gowdy
    Oct. 20, 2024
    We had the best experience with Dog Training Elite! All the trainers are fantastic and feel a bit like part of our family now! From our initial home visit where we talked about our personal goals for our dog and the things we needed help with, to the implementation and teaching of the skills in group class, we were just amazed at the quality and effectiveness of the program! I was a bit apprehensive about learning how to work with an e-collar, but it is a great management tool, and our dog seems happier than ever - as if he has purpose! I only wish I had done it sooner!
  • Joanne Edwards
    Oct. 20, 2024
    I could not say enough about how great everyone has been at Dog Training Elite! From the initial set up of Milo’s consultation to scheduling his lessons, the staff have always been super accommodating and responsive! Every trainer we have worked with has been amazing! Casey, Sydney, Danny, and Mackenzie loved Milo like their own pup and set us up for success! I was initially a little hesitant about working with e collars (I grew up with dogs with an electric fence and initially thought they were similar…completely different!) I tried it out on myself first and it’s amazing how such a small amount of stimulus can help you communicate with your pup better! The trainers are also super informative in the use of it and Milo adjusted pretty quickly to wearing it! I have seen such an improvement in Milo through working with DTE. Before, I stopped bringing him out with me because of his reactivity but now with the training he has done so great being in public! The e collar has provided a way for me to communicate with him on such a deeper level. He has attended puppy classes before but DTE is next level and worth the investment! I cannot thank the staff enough at DTE for working with Milo to be the bestest boy!
  • Joanne Edwards
    Oct. 19, 2024
    I could not say enough about how great everyone has been at Dog Training Elite! From the initial set up of Milo’s consultation to scheduling his lessons, the staff have always been super accommodating and responsive! Every trainer we have worked with has been amazing! Casey, Sydney, Danny, and Mackenzie loved Milo like their own pup and set us up for success! I was initially a little hesitant about working with e collars (I grew up with dogs with an electric fence and initially thought they were similar…completely different!) I tried it out on myself first and it’s amazing how such a small amount of stimulus can help you communicate with your pup better! The trainers are also super informative in the use of it and Milo adjusted pretty quickly to wearing it! I have seen such an improvement in Milo through working with DTE. Before, I stopped bringing him out with me because of his reactivity but now with the training he has done so great being in public! The e collar has provided a way for me to communicate with him on such a deeper level. He has attended puppy classes before but DTE is next level and worth the investment! I cannot thank the staff enough at DTE for working with milo to be the bestest boy!
  • Robin Flynn
    Oct. 16, 2024
    We used Elite to train our 8 month old dog. Everyone we worked was very knowledgeable and professional. We will definitely use Elite again!