im very positive,
but will use punishment , ratio of about 80-20 i suppose with a normal dog
although usually negative punishment as opposed to positive punishment,

Flynn for example can be very lazy & slapdash when it comes to scent. I use a harsher tone when setting him up (positive punishment) & if he does pick up the wrong cloth i will tell him off, again P/ Punishment. He does learn from this, but i wouldnt do it to a dog that was more sensitive or hadnt LEARNT the exercise!

However in general my ethos isto set the dog up to succed rather than to fail

Depends on the circumstances really. I think it is easy to overuse verbal corrections (making them less meanful when it counts) and use them in the wrong situations. Puppy house training for example; some people make the mistake of verbally correcting the pup when it soils in the house. In that situation, the pup has no idea what it is being shouted at for, and doing so will likely make the pup more sneaky about toileting in the house away from you.

On the other hand verbally correcting a dog for nuisance behaviours (jumping on kitchen work surfaces etc.) is ok IMO. In those kind of situations I can't see how the dog will know that the behaviour is unwanted without being verbally corrected (and the re-directed onto more appropriate activities).

I am as 100% positive as I can be and I can truthfully say taking my current dog Chloe (aged 2) as an example, I have never had cause to raise my voice to her once.

Chloe has some behaviours I would rather she didn't have but I know she is just 'being a dog' and shouting/punishing her in any way would be pointless and might have a negative effect on the excellent bond we have. So I manage the behaviours using diversion/distraction.

Examples=
.. C sometimes gets very excited when she sees another dog approaching, when she does this I turn her away and break eye contact/use distraction until she is calm (this behaviour is improving as she matures),
.. C likes to chase birds when loose in the field and I know if I called her when she was chasing she may not come so I don't call her and give her the chance to disobey, instead I let her finish her little game then call her. She comes running when called at other times.
.. C likes barking at people she can hear when out in the garden, I call her in to the house.
..C barks when she sees anyone through the window, I call her to me and she comes and 'grumbles' but stays and stops barking,
..C likes rolling in nasty things, I watch her and the moment I see her head going down to roll I call her to me, sometimes I am not quick enough and she rolls but it can't be helped it is after all natural behaviour.
C used to chew things and pull on the lead but does neither now.

Other than these small points Chloe is a happy well behaved little dog.

I answered 100% positive but ultimately I wasn't sure how to answer the poll.

I view positive training as training that doesn't use harsh corrections (vocal or physical). I do not shout at my dog. I do not physically hurt her in any way. I don't make use of choke chains or shock collars, no leash pops or alpha rolls or any of that stuff.

I do reward extensively, sometimes treats, sometimes belly rubs and ear/butt scritches, sometimes a "life reward" like going for a walk.

Do I never correct my dog? Of course I correct her, but it's always done in a low-key way. A "nope, try again!" said in a very upbeat voice (and not getting that wonderful reward) or a sharp "eh-eh" noise to stop her from breaking a stay. But I don't consider any of that "not positive."

I put that I was 100% positive, but I do admit I have raised my voice as a knee jerk reaction to a potentially dangerous situation. Though, were I in my right mind at the time, I wouldn't have.

i answered 100% positive

i completely agree thats about the training method i use with chevy

I've also answered 100% positive but truthfully I can't say that I've never got ratty or occasionally shouted at my dogs. Sometimes it depends on my mood rather than the dogs' behaviour ~ for instance I don't particularly like being woken up at 3.00 a.m. when one of the dogs decides it's time to wash/bark/scratch/jump on top of me in bed/hog all the duvet etc etc. so at these times I could well say "that's enough, get off now!".

I can remember coming home one day, just before Christmas, & I found a whole box of chocolates strewn across the sitting room floor. Luckily the chocolates were individually wrapped so although some had teeth marks in, I don't think the dogs had eaten any. Funnily enough, the dogs didn't come running to greet me as usual but were lying down in the sitting room. I just stood there with my hands on my hips & said "what have you done?" in a quiet, stern & deep voice. Wilma (slightly nervous rescue dog) immediately legged it into another room whilst Barney (more confident dog) just rolled onto his back & showed me his tummy. I was trying my best not to laugh at their reactions & to collect up all the spilled chocolates, whilst still ignoring them. Eventually I went upstairs to change into dog walking clothes & both dogs came sidling up, all smarmy & wiggly, & I just couldn't keep up the "angry" behaviour anymore

But it taught me a lesson ~ don't leave boxes of chocolates on the coffee table!

However when training new behaviours & when I have the chance to plan the lessons & training, then I would only use positive reinforcement & I try to imagine all the different scenarios that could occur & how I would react, so that I can minimise the chance that I would need to use any punishment or negative reinforcement.

I didn`t do the Poll because I think a well timed OI! or an exasperated FFS!, while not strictly speaking positive, is hardly a punishment. Or removing the shoe from the jaws and stomping off muttering.
A dog is not a robot. He/she interprets the owners` behaviour and reacts accordingly. So do we (with the dog).
Only a saint - or someone who doesn`t care about the dog - could be 100% positive IMO.

I am not sure how to vote really as I'm not sure if I am covered - it's almost impossible to be purely positive if you are looking at training using operant conditioning terms.

I very strongly believe in "training" rather than punishment. So so so often, I see dogs punished when if they were simply TRAINED they would not "need" to be punished.

Eg as Ian Dunbar said, a really good reliable Sit can solve most things!

I hate seeing dogs punished for things that are totally unfair - ie owners expecting perfection or telling the dog off for knocking something over or bringing mud into the house...dogs are, dogs!

I try to always stick to totally positive methods and prefer to train for every eventuality including chasing. That way, you never really need to "punish" the dog!

I do also believe in "consequences" but much prefer to use negative punishment when the dog can understand it. So for example the withdrawing of something the dog wants, and only for a very short time. I try to be instructive, gentle, but also not "permissive" if that makes any sense at all!

Wys
x

Ps a sense of humour is very important with dogs and all animals!