When looking for a dog trainer, you will see many confusing terms thrown around! Let’s go over some of the most popular names of different training styles and what they might mean.

Positive Reinforcement (R+) - Often refers to training programs that do not apply punishment, but is also becoming an increasingly popular marketing term used by trainers of all methodologies.

Force Free - Similar to R+ and often used hand in hand, his term refers to trainers who do not punish dogs, as well as avoid putting dogs in stressful or overwhelming situations before they have the skills to succeed.

Balanced - This term refers to trainers who use both rewards and punishment.

L.I.M.A. (Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive) - This is a term used by many certifying bodies to describe a training program that rarely uses punishment, only as a last resort when all other positive approaches have been utilized, as well as after a more experienced trainer has reviewed the case. However, due to it’s increasing popularity it is not always being used in that context.

A certified trainer is more likely to be using legitimate L.I.M.A. methods, as their certifying organization likely requires they follow this protocol.

Results Based / Relationship Based / Science Based - These are more vague descriptors that you may see while searching for a trainer, that often have different meanings to different individuals, making it a little less clear what methods are being used.

K9 Adventures Florida chooses to identify our services with the term Force Free. We use positive methods to train your dog and do not utilize the addition of punishment, fear, or discomfort in our training plans.

Using the current information we have available on canine behavior and learning, we do not believe using punishment in dog training plans is worth the associated risk of behavior fallout, aggression, or fear. At this time, methods including punishment and corrections have not been shown to make training neither more efficient or effective.

While training with us your dog’s comfort and safety is our top priority.

The dog training industry is currently an unregulated industry, meaning no special certifications or education is “required” to train pet, sport, or working dogs. This also means that within the dog training industry there are many different methods and tools used by various trainers, and no regulation on the terms companies use to describe their methods. So while terms like “positive reinforcement” or “force free” may be good cues to look further into a training program, they do not automatically ensure quality training methods.

Here are some good questions to ask to get a better idea of what methods are being used:

1. What education or certifications do you have? What was required of you to achieve those certifications? What is the organization’s website I can go onto to verify that you posses that certification and are in good standing with the organization?

2. What types of tools do you use on the dogs you train? When do you use those tools?

3. What do you do when a dog does something correctly?

4. What do you do when a dog does something incorrectly?

5. What do you do when a dog is nervous or uncomfortable about what they are being asked to do during the training session?

6. What do you do when the training is not working?

Ask questions that require dog trainers to describe their methods beyond the definition of the label they are using. This can help you ensure you are choosing a trainer who you are comfortable with, better protecting you as a consumer in an unregulated industry!

K9 Adventures Florida works hard to emphasize the importance of ensuring your dog is receiving compassionate training methods and transparent services. For this reason, we are not offering board and trains.

With K9 Adventures Florida you are always present to not only grow and learn with your dog, but to monitor the training methods being used with your dog as well. We do not believe in training “behind closed doors” and showing you only the results.

We encourage pet owners to be carefully cautious of board and train or drop off services as a first approach to dog training, especially companies who require, or only offer board and train stays.