Why are we reluctant to use aversive methods?

It has been proven time and time again that dogs respond best to positive reinforcement with rewards and similar things that the dog finds rewarding. In most cases, aversive methods are not only unnecessary, but they are also counterintuitive to what you may be wanting to achieve, especially in things like behavior modification for aggression and reactivity. While there is a time and a place for a correction, more often than not the dog just needs to be taught what they should do.

How do we go about addressing behavioral issues?

It all begins with creating an understanding for the root of the problem. First, we look at the biological needs of the dog and how that may play into it. Are they getting enough exercise, sleep, mental stimulation, are the breed specific needs being met? Once we look at that, then we can start looking at the life that the dog lives, past experiences, and we work to try and find the root cause of the problem so that we can then begin addressing it.

Why do we look at genetics to see how to best train a dog?

Genetics play a larger part in a dog’s behavior than you may realize and can tell us how the dog may react to new situations, new people, any problems that may arise behaviorally, and how they play and interact with the world. This is very important because some dogs need breed specific outlets because of what they were bred to do. If they don’t get those outlets, what we see more often than not is those dogs expressing those needs in a negative way which can be chewing, nipping, destructive behaviors, and reactivity and aggression.