If you want to book a puppy behaviour training class, then it's a good idea to look for rewards-based training. How does this kind of dog training work? What are its benefits?

What Is Rewards-Based Puppy Training?

Puppy training classes use various dog-training techniques. While some classes use dominant discipline techniques, rewards-based courses use positive motivation to teach dogs how to behave.

Here, your puppy learns how to behave well by being rewarded for good behaviour. So, for example, if your puppy sits when you tell it to, then you reward its good behaviour by doing something positive. You might give it a treat, a pat or verbal praise.

While stricter training might use dominance or hard discipline when puppies don't do what you ask them to, rewards-based training simply ignores this behaviour. If your puppy doesn't sit when you tell it to but jumps arounds, then you ignore what it is doing wrong. You repeat your instruction to sit until it does. When it does, you reward it.

What Are the Benefits of Rewards-Based Training?

Puppies don't know how to behave before you train them. The methods you use affect your long-term relationship with your pet and their willingness to behave well and obey commands.

If you use disciplinary-based training, then your puppy might be unhappy. It might not feel safe if you appear to be angry with it when it doesn't follow your commands. It might well learn what you need it to do; however, your future relationship might not be as good as it could be.

The fact is, puppies generally want to please their owners. They are keen and ready to learn. However, their youth and lack of training can make it hard for them to grasp training basics as fast as you might like.

Rewards-based training taps into this eagerness to please and willingness to learn. It gives your pet positive motivation to focus on what you want it to do. This promotes effective and fast learning.

So, your puppy will quickly learn that following commands has a positive outcome. It makes you happy, and you give your puppy some love for doing the right thing. This approach helps you build a positive two-way relationship with your pet.

Veterinary clinics often offer a puppy behaviour training course. So, to get started, ask your clinic if they offer this service. If they don't, they can usually recommend trusted trainers who train dogs effectively and kindly.