Is A Dog Obedience Trainer Better than a Behavioral Trainer? Here's The DifferenceBetween Both.
Dogs are highly intelligent and easily trainable because they want to please and be rewarded by those they care about.
There are different breeds of dogs, such as working dogs like Huskies and German Shepards and hunting/retrieving dogs like Labradors and retrievers. Some hounds are driven and motivated by scent and tracking.
It's only a matter of time before you seek a professional dog trainer after purchasing a puppy from a breeder or adopting an adult dog from a shelter. But what kind of trainer do you go for?
All the titles thrown around when looking for the right dog professional to meet your needs can be confusing. What if your dog exhibits any problem behavior? Perhaps she appears to be suffering from separation anxiety or is acting aggressively. Will taking your dog to train, where she learns to respond to verbal commands, solve these problems?
Generally, it will not. That is why there are various types of dog training. These various types of training are known as obedience training and behavioral training. Here's a more detailed explanation.
Difference Between Behavior and Obedience Training.
In training a dog or puppy, we must consider the age, breed, temperament, and how the dog or puppy responds to training. Many dogs and puppies are motivated by food rewards, while others are motivated by praise or play.
When beginning to train your dog or puppy, a good trainer considers all of this. Dog behavior and dog obedience training can be confusing and misunderstood. Again, there is some overlap between the two, but this should help you understand the primary focus of each professional category.
Behavioral Training.
Animal behaviorists study animal behavior to understand better why animals behave as they do (not just as a species, but as individuals). They study various subjects, including animal psychology , and learning theory. Finally, they apply their understanding to assess, manage, modify, and prevent the development of problematic and dysfunctional behaviors in dogs.
Behavior training is a more complicated issue focusing on helping with problem behavior in dogs and puppies. Leash reactivity, food aggression, fighting, destructive behavior, chewing, excessive barking, separation anxiety, fear, insecurity, and other such behaviors may result in what we consider unwanted or "acting out" or defensive behavior.
Obedience Training.
Dog trainers come in various forms, with various methodologies used to achieve desired skills. For example: positive reinforcement trainers, force-free trainers, alpha trainers, e-collar trainers, clicker trainers, balanced trainers, obedience trainers, and the list goes on and on.
Trainers have a wide range of amazing and diverse skills. Many trainers specialize in a specific area, such as service dog training or sports training, but all rely on the ABCs of training to achieve the desired outcome. ABC is an abbreviation for antecedent, behavior, and consequence.
These trainers must identify the root cause of the behavior and address it with focus, patience, consistency, and a common language between dog and owner in behavior training. This is a process that necessitates commitment as well as long-term investment and involvement
Which Training Method Is Best For Your Dog?
Obedience training can benefit almost any dog by allowing puppies and owners to form a stronger bond. It's also much more enjoyable to have a dog who knows how to heel on a leash and comes when called.
Behavioral training is not always necessary for all dogs. However, behavioral training may be the solution if your dog exhibits aggression, anxiety, inappropriate chewing behavior, or other bothersome habits.
Behavior modification can have a significant and long-term impact on your dog's behavior. But, perhaps more importantly, it has the potential to transform your relationship with your dog completely.
This is because behavior training reduces your dog's predisposition to bolt out the front door every time you open it, bite the mailman, or dive into the garbage can when you leave the kitchen.
When your dog exhibits less unwanted behavior and gets into trouble less frequently, the results will be extremely beneficial to both of you.
The principles you and your dog learn in any training situation will benefit both of you in your daily lives in the future. Keep these lessons' principles in mind to foster a closer bond full of contentment and cooperation.
The Bottom Line? When looking for help with your dog's behavior, ensure you understand what you're "shopping" for.
Obedience Training can be a great way to improve the working relationship between owner and dog and build understanding to Verbal Commands for dogs WITHOUT Behavioral Issues.
For dogs with behavioral issues like aggression, fears/phobias, hyper-arousal, and so on. Behavior Modification refers to training that changes the dog's ability to handle situations that were a struggle, with the goal of the dog no longer feeling to need to exhibit the previously displayed Undesirable Behavior. All this is accomplished without needing an owner to stand nearby shouting Verbal Commands.
However, other terms require professional education and experience: e.g., Certified Veterinary Behaviorist, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Certified Behavior Consultant, and Certified Dog Trainer.
While they may be relevant depending on what you are looking for, they do not represent the distinctions between behavior and training professional certifications.
Conclusion:
Both behaviorists and obedience training experts are necessary. Many dogs struggle with
unwanted behaviors (they are not alone). And if you're looking for professionals, we've got you! On our site, we have it all no matter what your training need!