I am open for debate! I personally don't think that positive-only dog training with no consequences works very well. Maybe for some dogs, but not all. Our personal favorite is a balance between positive reinforcement with mild consequences for negative behavior.
Harlow uses an e-collar and I will always be an advocate for e-collars used correctly.
There are consequences for negative behaviors when using positive training. Not giving a dog what they want if they are acting in an undesired way is a consequence. Removing a dog from an area they want to be in when they aren’t acting properly is a consequence.
Zak George posted this video on Instagram recently (https://www.instagram.com/tv/B2fAEVbnbwI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) talking about positive training and what it means.
I’m still in the training process with my first service dog. I am not a professional trainer and can’t guarantee that at the end of this process, I’ll have a perfect service dog. I do like training without corrective type collars because we’re both learning. Jessie is smart and sometimes will do something I didn’t expect but I like better than the task I had in mind to teach her.
It’s not an easy way to go, but it is rewarding. I also think that, like everything, it has to be done correctly. Letting a dog do whatever they want without consequences and giving them a treat when they do something good isn’t really training. Correct training addresses negative behaviors as well.
