Do you believe in positive reinforcement or correction when it comes to dog training?

I don't see anything wrong with using corrections when it comes to dog training, and yes, I do believe in positive reinforcement too, but in my opinion, you do need to correct a dog if they bite or growl, etc.I'm asking this because I haven't had a dog for a couple years, and I am looking into getting an Anatolian Shepherd Dog.**When I say corrections I don't mean abuse**

I would say that it depends on the breed. In my experience, correction works better for large, working and guarding breeds like shepherds. Positive reinforcement works very well for small toy breeds. My shih tzu thrives on positive reinforcement, but my shepherd learned better with corrections.

Why does it have to be one or another? Why can't it be both? For me, when introducing a new behavior, I use positive reinforcement. When I know that the dog understands the command (is performing the command reliably in a variety of places), then doesn't do it, that's when I go to a correction.I believe in being fair.

I personally believe in a good mix of the two. Positive reinforcement for positive behaviors and corrections for negative behaviors. A sharp loud noise like slapping a newspaper against your own thigh or shaking a can with coins can be a good form of correction. Our german shepherd had doorway centered aggression toward our other dog, and shouts or claps worked wonders.

i believe in both. always praise a dog when it does something you want and correct anything you see as a problem (ie. growing, possessive over toys and food) my English Mastiff was possessive of his toys when he was little so i would get it away with my foot (with a shoe on just in case) and stand over it until i was done. i made him sit and wait for it. i would fill his food dish and water bowl while i made him sit and wait and i would make him wait til i was done pretending to eat and then i would let him got. i was always the first one out the door when we went for walks and the first one in the door. if i was hooking him on a leash to go out (when it gets too late i just hook him outside) i make him sit before i even put my had on the door knob to get the leash, i would hook it to his collar and make him wait till i said it was okay to go outside. every time he did something good i rewarded him with praise and a treat (sometimes not always cause i don't want him getting over weight) if he did something wrong i scolded him with a firm NO and corrected it.

My dogs do not bite, other than puppy play. Nor do they growl at anything not worth growling at.The most important thing you can teach a puppy is bite inhibition, and you can do that with positive reinforcement alone.

i believe in both ... like if i tell a dog to sit, i am going to positively reinforce that by saying good dog or offering a treat (if they are just learning) ... but for biting or growling, for me that is a correction ... i do not need any dog growling in play or otherwise, and biting warrants serious correction from me, as i just don't think there is ever any reason for a pet dog to think it is okay to bite ...

I use positive reinforcement for all my training. The only time I correct an animal is if it is doing something I don't want it to do such as growling, barking, going for food I haven't given it.The only correction I use is a loud PSST sound, snap my fingers or if it is on a leash a short very quick but gentle tug on the leash. Just enough to get their attention but not enough to actually turn their head . Any corrections on the leash should be gentle and to the side rather than upward.Sometimes when training, just ignoring the dog and just standing there calmly is enough to get them to try something different to please you. This is a technique I use when doing agility training. I'll just stand by a hurdle or weave poles with a treat in my hand. Sometimes it takes quite a while but they eventually figure out you want something from them and they just start doing things to see if they get a treat. It's so fun to watch.Dogs really want to please so your kind words and rewards can basically do all the work.I have been training dogs for many years and I have NEVER had to hit or harm a dog in any way to get the results I want.

I use a lot of +R and -P, along with Premack. I NEVER punish a growl. That's like taking the ticker off the time bomb. It's a dog's way of saying "Hey I'm not comfortable". Sure you can "correct" or punish a growl, but you've done nothing to make the dog more comfortable with what it is. Now what you've told the dog is that it's communication doesn't work so it needs to step it up a notch. Now you get a dog who instead of growling goes straight for a snap or bite. I'd much rather have a dog say I'm not comfortable with a growl, and then work to make the dog comfortable with whatever it was.

You really have to be able to read the dog and make adjustments quickly. No one form of training is correct for all dogs.Correction works for me with most. That is how dogs do it with each other. Of course you do reward positive behavior but if you don't correct bad behavior the dogs don't understand. It's sending mixed signals to the dog telling them it's good to do good but bad is tolerable.Plus there are some dogs that simply don't care about pleasing the master.

I use a blended method of both.As no two dogs learn in the way, have the same temperament, or necessarily motivated by the same thing, I use whatever works with the individual dog I am working with to achieve my training goals.Puppy biting is nailed within days of its arriving home, accidentally catching a finger not the toy is ignored [not a real bite], but if a dog growled because it was resource guarding, possessive ect or redirected its aggression on me, it would be given an immediate hard correction. My dogs are trained be clear that I OWN everything, nothing belongs to the then & I make all the decisions, including the behaviors I deem to be acceptable.