Proactive VS Reactive Training — How to Train Your Dog to Make Good Choices

We have an expression in dog training: “he’s under thumb.” A dog who is “under thumb,” refers a dog who is only well behaved when he has no other option. One who only makes good choices due to the threat of correction.

This is a dog who has been trained using a reactive approach. This dog, while under the control of his handler, usually appears obedient and well trained. Watch this same dog when the thumb is lifted, and he’s likely to make very different choices.

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Reactive Dog Training

Dogs are not vindictive. They don’t sit around plotting choices. They don’t lay in wait hoping they’ll have the opportunity to be bad. Dogs do what is rewarding! They rely on a history of reinforcement to make choices. When there are grey areas, or no clear value established by us, they will revert to the things that have proven to be self-rewarding in the past.

Let’s take the example of jumping on guests. Today we look at Spot. Spot, is a happy lab. He loves people and is always eager to greet them. As soon as he sees a person, new to him or not, he jumps on them in an eager attempt to greet and make friends. Spot is not a bad dog, he’s just not clear on the rules. His…