It’s pretty much just like it sounds, the training is balanced. That means it’s a mixture of positive and negative reinforcement. I’ve seen and experienced both sides of the spectrum. Either all positive, or all negative reinforcement. Even though they both work on their own to an extent, I have found with my own dog and working with my clients, that you can’t fully reach all of the goals that you’re striving towards with your dog. If you’re doing all positive (telling your dogs "yes") or negative ("no"), your dog is only getting one half of the equation. Dogs need to see the whole picture. So if you’re using all negative reinforcement, they’re just learning what not to do and are probably confused as to what is really wanted/being asked of them. The same can be said for all positive reinforcement. You’re able to reward a bunch of what you like and want to to see more of, but you’re not able to address and correct the unwanted behaviors you want to see less of, which makes it very hard for more troublesome behaviors when the dog chooses that treats are no longer as rewarding as barking, pulling, or lunging towards the other dog at the end of the street. That’s why balanced training works. it’s a good mixture of both so you’re able to create a whole picture for the dog in a way that they understand. it’s very black-and-white with "yes" this is what I like and want to see more of, you get rewarded for this. Also, "no" this is what I don’t like and want to see less of. Dogs weren’t born into this world understanding how we work and how to coexist with our lifestyle. By providing structure, leadership, guidance and training, we are able to lead our dogs in a way that allows them to be successful in our daily lives.
