Dog Health Questions: In relation to a question that I asked before on positive dog training...?

Can a positive dog trainer use adversives in training and still be considered a positive trainer?

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I consider myself a positive trainer, because I actually take the time to *train* my dogs. I do not think it is fair to correct a dog who doesn't understand explicitly what you are telling them to do.

I use treats/clicker training/luring, whatever you want to call it, to train my dogs the correct behavior. Once that behavior is attained reliably, I fade treats and add distractions, called proofing. If the dog dares to blow me off, it gets a correction.

So in short, in my opinion is yes.

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• My definition of a positive trainer is one that does not use corrections during training or proofing, so no, in my opinion a positive trainer cannot use adversives in a training situation and still be considered a positive trainer.
  
  But otherwise it's a bit of a grey-zone. I know some positive trainers that never correct their dogs in any way and never teach their dogs the meaning of the word "no" or similar - and then there are trainers like me, who will correct with a "no", "growl" or body language outside of a training situation. Electrical collars, electrical fences, prong collars, choke chains (which I have nothing against when used correctly) do not belong in positive dog training in my opinion - at any point, not even outside of a training situation.


• Who are you defining as a "positive" trainer? Almost every trainer out there has their own way of doing it. Many are against any adversives, the majority are in the great grey area. Out of my text book, here's the definition of types of positive vs. negative operant conditioning.
  "Positive reinforcement increases behavior because something pleasant is added following a behavior. Positive punishment decreases a behavior because something unpleasant is added following a behavior.
  
  Negative punishment decreases behavior because something pleasant is taken away (subtracted) following a behavior. Negative reinforcement increases behavior because something unpleasant is taken away or avoided (subtracted) following a behavior."
  
  I still need to look over your previous question...
  
  Add: In regards to your previous question, "positive trainer" is a fufu marketing buzzword bandwagon many "trainers" have jumped on. Whoever picks up a clicker can call themselves a "positive" trainer, many won't use adversives because they dont understand or know how to and/or think any correction is cruel. There is a reason Petco/Pet Smart only train the most biddable of dogs and kicks out the rest.
  
  The door swings both ways though, traditional trainers and whoever uses adversives primarily need to keep an open mind and learn/ understand newer principles of behavior that have come out in the past 20 years since behavior/ training have become more popularized/ researched with a goal to become balanced trainers.


• Yup