Force Free vs Balanced Training: The Importance of Both

In the world of dog training, there are a few different types of trainers. The two most notable, and typically compared, are balanced and force free training. However, there is no reason for them to be compared; they both tend to utilize and share some of the same training methods. After all, they are both doing the same thing in the end, which is making your dog into a better dog.

There is often controversy between the two methods, with some force free trainers (also known as positive only) coming after balanced trainers, and vice versa. Many force free trainers say that the usage of training tools, such as prong collars and e-collars, is cruel and unnecessary. In return, balanced trainers dispute that they are great tools if used correctly and by those with knowledge of the tool.

So, what is the main difference between the two? First, let’s dive into some terminology in the world of dog training.

In dog training, there are four quadrants. Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment. 

Positive reinforcement is adding a desirable stimulus, such as a treat or a toy, after a desired behavior is performed. For example, if you tell your dog to lay down and the dog lays down, you give the dog a treat.

Negative reinforcement is removing an unwanted stimulus after the dog performs a desired behavior to increase the likelihood of the behavior happening again. An example of negative reinforcement would be putting pressure on the dog’s leash when the dog pulls, and then removing the leash pressure when the dog ceases to pull.

Positive punishment is adding an aversive stimulus, or a stimuli that a dog does not like, to decrease the chances of an unwanted behavior occurring again. For example, if your dog is chasing a cat, you would shake a bottle of rocks to scare the dog into not chasing the cat.

The final quadrant is negative punishment. Negative punishment is removing a stimulus that the dog likes, such as a toy or treat, to decrease an unwanted behavior. An example of this would be ignoring a dog when the dog jumps on you. The dog wants your attention, but learns it will not get your attention if it jumps.

To summarize, positive and negative reinforcement are quadrants that are built around trying to increase a wanted behavior, and positive and negative punishment are built around trying to decrease an unwanted behavior.

Now that you know the terms, we can further discuss the difference between the two types of trainers. 

Force free trainers recognize one of the four quadrants of dog training and focus on only this quadrant, the positive reinforcement quadrant. They use only training methods that avoid punishment and aversive methods, and focus on positivity. They will often avoid situations that will set a dog up for failure and will use treats, toys and praise as primary behavior modification and work through any issues with positivity. It is often gentle and encouraging.

It’s important to use rewards such as treats when using positive reinforcement!

Balanced trainers employ the use of all four quadrants - including positive and negative reinforcement, positive and negative punishment. Balanced dog trainers believe that dogs learn best from rewarding for good behaviors, while correcting the dog for unwanted behaviors. The method of training can be very individualized based on the dog.

So, both force free trainers and balanced trainers use positive reinforcement. However, balanced trainers utilize training tools whereas force free trainers do not.

There are a few different types of training tools, but two of the most common used by balanced trainers are prong collars and e-collars. Prong collars are used for discouraging unwanted behaviors, most notably leash pulling. A prong collar has metal links that fit just below a dog’s ears, and when the dog pulls it will give the sensation of a mother correcting their puppy. 

A dog wearing a prong collar.

E-collars are used primarily as a communication tool, allowing you to give your dog freedom while still being in control. Many people use e-collars to allow their dogs to venture freely off-leash but still ensuring the dog remembers to come check in and not to go too far. Many people argue that e-collars are unnecessary to use as recall; however, if you have a predatory pup that likes to chase squirrels, if they see a squirrel run across a busy road, you may not be able to recall them back. To them, the reward of the squirrel is much higher than a treat you have. Therefore, having an e-collar on the dog allows you to communicate clearer with your dog that they must return to you and not run across the busy intersection after the squirrel. Then, of course, after the dog returns to you - thats when you overload them with positive reinforcement and a huge, happy puppy party!

A group of happy pups enjoying off-leash freedom by using an e-collar at the beach!

In many scenarios, force free training and balanced training can be used interchangeably with the quadrant of positive reinforcement. Such as teaching obedience, a new skill, helping a dog to overcome a fear - all are examples of times when you would want to be using praise, rewards, treats, and anything else blissful you can think of. Positive reinforcement is great for building a stronger bond between owner and dog. Additionally, positive reinforcement can reduce stress and anxiety within a dog.

A great example of when to use positive reinforcement would be when teaching a dog the sport of agility. If the dog is fearful to walk across the cat walk, then you will want to use a force free training system. You would want to use praise, toys and treats to guide and lure the dog, with lots of puppy parties after a task is completed. Positive reinforcement is used to show dogs that what they are doing is a good thing, and they should keep engaging in the behavior.

However, there are some situations that using force free training would be illogical. There are some behavioral issues that are best to be fixed by a balanced trainer using training tools. If you were very dedicated, you may be able to use positive reinforcement, however it may take longer than the dog’s lifespan to fix the issue by only using a rewards-based system. 

An example of a situation that would be better to use balanced training would be a dog who is reactive to anyone who gets close to their owner. The dog is essentially guarding the owner, and will bite if someone comes near. In this situation, it would be illogical to only use a rewards based system, as you may end up counterproductive and teaching the dog that biting is a good thing. The dog instead needs a correction to tell the dog that it is not okay to bite people.

Overall, there are advantages and disadvantages to both the art of force free training and balanced training. In the end, both trainers are there for the same task - to ensure your dog is happy, healthy, and the best doggy they can be! If you are in doubt on whether to use a force free trainer or a balanced trainer, reach out to both and see whose ideologies and training plan you and your furry friend would align with more.