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Positive Reinforcement vs. Punishment

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training in Omaha, NE

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Positive Dog Training Techniques

Omaha 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 Omaha, NE 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 Omaha 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 Omaha

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.
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Positive Dog Training in Omaha, NE

Dog Training Elite

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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 Omaha Difference


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

Dog Training Elite Omaha 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 Omaha, NE 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 Omaha, NE 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

  • Kelsey McCaig
    Oct. 7, 2025
    Fantastic experience with Benny in dog training! Thank you for everything.
  • Paige Zehnacker
    Sep. 13, 2025
    Our experience with Bob at Dog Training Elite was wonderful. We have a 4 year old Golden Retriever who was very reactive to strangers walking by our yard, and while she would respond well to a number of commands, we knew we needed guidance in how to address her reactivity. I spent a lot of time researching dog trainers and interviewed a number of them. Bob not only came over to meet our dog personally, but he took his time thoroughly explaining the program and answered all of my questions in great detail. He never made me feel rushed, and he personalized the consultation by explaining how he would specifically address each of the areas I brought up. Each training session, he did a fantastic job of explaining the reasoning behind what we were doing and how to effectively enforce it. He would also go over various situations we might experience so that we were prepared and equipped in how to handle them if/when they would arise before our next training session. He was flexible with our schedule, and always prompt and thorough in our appointments. He made training enjoyable, and helped incorporate our kids into training as well. Our Golden Retriever, Maya, has responded so well to training! She has much better door manners, walks amazingly off leash, and is much less reactive to people walking by her invisible fence. Overall, we have been extremely satisfied with Dog Training Elite and highly recommend the program!
  • Rick Leonard
    Sep. 13, 2025
    Bob is one of the best trainers I’ve worked with. I would recommend him and his company hands down.
  • Gunorga Beck
    Sep. 13, 2025
    There is not high enough praise that I can give Bob, Samarria, and Dave as dog trainers. Cece is a 110# "teenage" Rottweiler that was stubborn, dog reactive, human reactive, and just generally a pain in the butt to try to take out for walks. After working with Bob and Samarria for a few lessons, she is SO much better. They train her in her own environment, where she has the problems, not a sterile facility where nothing just "pops up". Samarria taught me how to deal with her dog reactivity in under an hour and walks are just wonderful now. I love taking her to the group classes, too, because it ties everything together and keeps her exposed to people and other dogs. My recommendation is yes, let them train your dogs. You will not regret it.
  • Robin Breazier
    Sep. 8, 2025
    Bob and his team are great! Our beagle, Astrid, has grown so much since doing lessons. Thank you!
  • Brett
    Sep. 5, 2025
    Bob and the Elite dog training crew were great for my dog Herbie and me. People coming to the door used to be a disaster since he was loud and in their faces. Now after learning spot he stays in his spot until released and is much calming with greetings. This has been amazing along with many other things we learned.
  • Kristina Ly
    Aug. 29, 2025
    This photo will tell you all you need to know that the training works. Never in a million years would I think I could bring my dog Tofu into public places. Tofu had such bad fear aggression. She would bark constantly, lung, and drag. After, the training with Bob, there has been huge improvement with Tofu. I use to fear having guest over to my place or would be anxious going to public places with Tofu, but now it’s super simple and she’s obedient, confident, less fearful, and actually can enjoy herself in these places knowing that her owner can give her guidance and trust that the training had provided.
  • Kerri McCracken
    Aug. 23, 2025
    I want to thanks Bob and Dave for the help they did with Abbey Rose. My pitbull. The lady and I couldn't remember her name.she also helped me alot to. Thanks again Kerri
  • T N
    Aug. 23, 2025
    Bob and Samarria are very patient with both my wife and dog. Very friendly to entire pack
  • Dana Washington
    Jul. 8, 2025
    We couldn’t be more pleased with the support we got from Dog Training Elite. My husband didn’t believe that our six-year-old, totally out-of-control St Bernard could learn to behave, but Bob and his team were up to the task.The transformation has been amazing! Our “baby” Winston has gone from lounging on furniture and jumping on people, to following all the basic commands like come, sit, heel, down, place, off and quiet. It’s so much easier for us, and others, to enjoy a well behaved dog. But the real value from the sessions is that they helped us feel more confident as dog owners and closer to Winston. We truly enjoyed the process. Bob runs a fantastic operation. Highly recommend!
  • Harleigh
    Jun. 1, 2024
    I would recommend Bob at Dog Training Elite daily! I had a people and dog reactive, misbehaved, and undisciplined Great Dane. I became overwhelmed and had no idea what to do with her behavior. I called Bob and he was confident that he could help me. After session one, I immediately saw a difference in behavior. I can now take Ellie with me anywhere! We had our first group class a year ago and not only was Bob extremely encouraging, everyone was so patient and very welcoming! Hiring Dog Training Elite was the best decision I have ever made for Ellie. One year later… I have the best dog I could have ever asked for. Ellie is primarily worked off-leash now. I get complimented every time we are out on how well behaved she is. The confidence that the training gave her and myself cannot be matched.
  • Gale McKenna
    May. 30, 2025
    Bob is the greatest! We have two doodles with a lot of energy. Walking was impossible, they jumped on anyone that came through the door and the barking was out of control. Basically they ran the house. After six weeks of training they are now listening to our commands and we are able to walk them. Perfect? Not yet but pretty darn close! Thank you Bob for making them close. Highly recommend.
  • Jerry McKenna
    May. 30, 2025
    Bob, you are an absolute wizard! You taught Gunner (and frankly us) more in our first hour together than we hoped to accomplish in the complete course. Your mixture of caring instructions and lots of love throughout is perfect and hugely impressive. We greatly appreciate you restoring our hopes for our dogs that we thought were long lost dreams. I can’t recommend you and your methods highly enough. Thank you, thank you! Jerry M.
  • Kalyn Barker
    May. 11, 2025
    Dog training elite has been awesome to work with. Dexter and myself have made huge strides since starting with Dave & Bob. 12/10 recommend working with this great group of individuals.
  • Susan Ueckert
    May. 3, 2025
    I sought out help when my large black lab Blue was becoming difficult for me to handle. Bob came to my home and witnessed many of the bad habits as we spoke. After the first week with the command "come" there was a world of improvement and it has gotten increasingly better ever since. Blue and I completed 5 private training sessions and are now working at group training to continue to hone his training. I would highly recommend DTE.
  • Melody Albertsen
    Mar. 13, 2025
    Bob did a great job with Athena. She is the smartest, most stubborn dog we've ever known, and he was very patient with her. The training technique is straightforward and consistent; easy for pet parents to learn and implement. (In the photo, Athena is far right.)
  • M.Nicole Lewis
    Mar. 10, 2025
    DTE has helped so incredibly much with making our house less stressful and more joined. My boyfriend and I moved into our house in the summer and brought with us his English bulldog mix and my American pit bull terrier mix. And one cat. We kept them separate with baby gates for about four months until we were fed up with one of them always being left out. We found Bob and DTE online and after reading the reviews and meeting with him one-on-one, we decided to pull the trigger. It truly is an investment in your dogs future, and also yours. Our house is so much better off after the training and the use of the e-collars. We have loved seeing how smart out boys really are, what they’re capable of, and getting to know more of their personalities. It will always be an on-going process, but it’s so very worth it. Thank you Bob & the DTE team!
  • Kaitlyn Young
    Feb. 13, 2025
    We have an entirely different dog 🩷 By working with Bob, we now have an extremely happy dog (pics for proof). Prior to working with Bob at Dog Training Elite - Omaha, our pup would bark at strangers in our home for 30+ minutes, demand barked, whined excessively, pulled on leash, and could not be around other dogs without absolutely freaking out. Now, he appears so much more comfortable, confident, and consistently looks to us for guidance - really demonstrating a trusting relationship. We now feel comfortable introducing our pup to others without fear he will scare them! Our family and friends have noticed a major difference!! We are so grateful we reached out to Bob. He was kind and patient with us and our dog absolutely loved working with him. His tail never stops wagging now!
  • Brian Wall
    Jan. 15, 2025
    We have our golden doodle going through service dog training with Dog Training Elite. Bob, Mari and Dave have been so great with his training. They are so kind and professional and are so good at explaining what we need to do to get our pup to where he needs to be. I highly recommend using them for your dog training needs. They are also very good at teaching us how to keep up our dogs training at home and we have learned so much from them.
  • Barbara Hall
    Dec. 20, 2024
    5 Stars for the people at Dog Training Elite in Omaha. My dog and I moved from a large house to a one-bedroom apartment. Not being used to large numbers of strangers and activities, my dog became very stressed and barked constantly. I just finished the last of my 5 sessions and the change in his temperament is remarkable. I'll now start bringing him to the weekly group exercises, that are included in the training package, to get him accustomed to being around other dogs. Kudos to Bob and his dog training elite staff.