Our Approach
We are balanced trainers
Why “All Positive” Training doesn’t work.
“All Positive” training can teach a dog to come when called (desirable) when the dog wants “something pleasant” that you are offering, such as a treat, a ball, pet, etc. However, it can’t teach a dog to come when called when the “something pleasant” you have to offer suddenly becomes less worthwhile to the dog than the squirrel, the cat, other dogs or humans, etc., resulting in the dog not coming when called (undesirable).
This is why the “All Positive” methodology fails. You simply cannot stop unwanted behaviors through the process of bargaining, or by ignoring them or by attempting to love them out of existence. Only the application of something unpleasant to undesired behaviors will make them stop.
At Rocky Top Dog Training, we believe you must teach your dog that obeying you is NOT optional. It will always better its situation by always coming when called. By doing so, the dog will obtain something pleasant and avoid something unpleasant.
If a correction for an undesired behavior is necessary, we follow nature’s method and only apply what is necessary to immediately stop the undesired behavior and promote the desired behavior. Nothing more, and nothing less. The result is the establishment of a response to the command – “come” – that is steadfast in its reliability and carried out with the soul of the wolf, who has been deemed the champion of compromise and teamwork.
How Balanced Training Came to Be
About 15-20 years ago, +PR trainers realized the limitations of reward-based training alone and acknowledged the need for some aversive pressure. However, they aimed to avoid regressing to outdated methods that solely relied on aversives. By prioritizing the dog's emotional and psychological well-being, these trainers adopted a careful and thoughtful approach to using aversive pressure. Through years of reflection, practice, and advancements in behavioral science and psychology, a modern and compassionate dog training approach emerged, which is both reliable and considerate.
Our Promise to You
Your dog's behavior is guided by its need to improve its situation through rewards or avoiding punishment. Without motivation, it's unlikely to follow commands.
Domestic dogs, unlike their wolf ancestors, seek pleasure or avoid displeasure. Proper training focuses on promoting good behavior and reducing unwanted actions, following nature's system within wolf packs.
Rocky Top Dog Training achieves success and reliability by adhering to this approach with clients and their dogs. Our method is fair and compassionate, making real-world reliability attainable for everyday dog owners.
