Our Methods

At Anything's Pawsible, we primarily use positive reinforcement methodology to get and maintain desired behaviors.

The goal of a positive reinforcement approach is to teach a desired behavior in a manner that does not create undue stress for the dog or damage his relationship with his owner. This is a mutually-beneficial format, such as working scheduled hours doing specific tasks to earn a paycheck. Behaviors are taught in a gradual, building-block fashion using small increments and rewarding the dog for correct choices. Incorrect choices are not physically punished. Physical punishment, particularly when even slightly mistimed or exaggerated, can cause stress in the dog which not only hinders the learning process (reluctancy to try to figure out what you want again) but builds a counter-productive negative association with both the individual administering the punishment as well as the behavior you're attempting to teach.

Rather than using physical punishments, we find more benefit in withholding of the reward (which can be a food or toy, or a desired privilege) as a punishment. The dog lives in a "closed economy" - we have the opportunity to control access to their reinforcement and use it to reward behaviors we like. When the things your dog wants in life are contigent on good behavior, life with your pet can become a win-win situation for you both.

Below you'll find some informative links on the subject:
Clicker Training Myths
Positive Reinforcement Myths
The Dominance Theory Controversy
The Myth Of Alpha Dogs