When you bring a dog into your life, you want the best for them, a happy, well-mannered companion who trusts you. The big question is how to teach those skills: punishment-based tools (like e-/shock collars and leash corrections) or a force-free, reward-based approach? Modern veterinary guidance and research agree: reward-based training is both more humane and more effective. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s Humane Dog Training Position Statement recommends reward-based methods and notes no evidence that aversive methods are more effective. Large studies also show that aversive methods raise stress/cortisol and harm welfare, while e-collars don’t outperform positive reinforcement force-free dog training.
As a Glendale and Phoenix West Valley based training team, we’ve seen the impact of both and the research and results agree: force-free dog training is more humane and more effective.
Dogs learn best when they feel safe and understood. Force-free training uses treats, praise, play, and clear criteria to reinforce the behaviors you want, which builds confidence and trust. By contrast, aversive tools work by adding pain or fear to suppress behavior. Research shows dogs trained with aversive methods display more stress behaviors and higher post-training cortisol, and even develop a more pessimistic bias on cognitive tests, signs of poorer welfare. Classic work on shock collars also found lingering fear responses outside of training, indicating negative long-term effects.
Aversive tools rely on discomfort or fear to stop behavior. They can shut dogs down, increase anxiety, and strain your bond. A fearful dog may comply in the moment but struggles to learn with confidence. Bottom line: teaching what to do (sit, settle, come) with rewards builds reliable skills and a stronger relationship; punishing what not to do risks stress, shutdown, and reactivity. Several veterinary reviews reaches the same conclusion. (see linked text)
It’s a myth that punishment “works faster.” Often it just suppresses a behavior in the moment without teaching the dog what to do instead. Force-free training builds clear replacement skills (sit instead of jump, “leave it” instead of grabbing, recall and loose-leash walking) so your dog understands the goal and can repeat it reliably, without fear. Reviews of the research reach the same conclusion: aversive methods don’t outperform reward-based training, and they come with welfare costs.
Real-world and lab evidence line up: dogs trained with rewards show better obedience and fewer problem behaviors over time, while heavy punishment correlates with poorer outcomes. In one multi-task study, owner-reported obedience increased with reward use but did not improve with punishment, strong signal that teaching what to do produces more durable results.
What about e-collars? Controlled field trials comparing e-collar groups to reward-based groups found no improvement in training success for e-collars and flagged additional welfare concerns. In short: you don’t get better results, just more risk.
If you want progress that sticks, reinforce what you want, practice in real-life places, and make good choices easy. That’s how you get calm greetings, solid recall, and leash manners that last. Most importantly, positive and force-free dog training keep your relationship in great shape, too!
Leading veterinary and behavior organizations recommend reward-based training as the humane, effective standard. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s Humane Dog Training Position Statement explicitly advises using reward-based methods for all dogs and notes there’s no evidence aversive methods work better, while they do pose welfare risks.
Large controlled studies show how aversive methods harm dogs. In a PLOS ONE study of pet dogs from real training schools, dogs trained with aversive-heavy methods showed more stress behaviors, higher cortisol during training, and a more pessimistic cognitive bias afterward, evidence of poorer welfare during and after sessions. Reward-trained dogs fared better on all measures.
When researchers compared e-collars to reward-based training in field conditions, they found no improvement in training success for the e-collar groups and flagged additional welfare concerns. In short: you don’t get better results with shock; you just add risk.
Earlier welfare research found similar red flags: dogs trained with shock exhibited fear/stress responses during shocks and lingering fear outside training, indicating potential long-term negative effects. Review papers in veterinary journals reach the same conclusion: aversive methods can jeopardize physical and mental health and do not outperform reward-based approaches.
For long-term results, owner surveys and observational studies consistently associate more reward use with better obedience and fewer problem behaviors over time, which in the end is exactly what families want.
Training is more than cues; it’s communication. With reward-based, force-free training, your dog learns that checking in and responding to you reliably leads to good outcomes. That builds engagement, confidence, and trust, the foundation of a happy life together. Research and position statements consistently recommend reward-based methods for both welfare and effectiveness, while aversive-heavy approaches raise stress and don’t outperform rewards.
Aversive tools (e.g., shock/e-collars) can suppress behavior in the moment but risk fear and avoidance that spill into everyday life. Classic welfare studies found stress behaviors during shocks and lingering fear outside training, and large field trials show no added training benefit to e-collars compared with reward-based programs, just greater welfare concerns.
Bottom line: teaching what to do with rewards creates dogs who want to work with you, stronger relationship, better results, fewer side effects.
Does training method matter? Evidence for the negative impact of aversive-based methods on companion dog welfare | PLOS One
Our dogs depend on us to guide them through a human world. Force-free training treats dogs like what they are, thinking, feeling companions, not little robots to be “corrected.” By rewarding the behaviors we want and setting clear boundaries without pain or fear, we protect a dog’s confidence, curiosity, and trust in us.
Kind doesn’t mean “permissive.” It means being clear, consistent, and humane:
When dogs feel safe, they learn faster, offer more of the right behaviors on their own, and enjoy training. And you get what you wanted all along: a well-mannered family dog who wants to work with you, no fear, no fallout.
Kindness scales. The same approach that helps a brand-new puppy also helps big dogs, sensitive dogs, and reactivity cases, because it builds skills and emotional safety.
Choose kind, effective training that lasts. Kristie Halverson, owner of FurBabies & Friends, is a positive, force-free dog trainer helping Phoenix West Valley families raise confident, well-mannered dogs with positive methods backed by veterinary science. Whether you’re starting a puppy, polishing leash skills, or solving everyday manners, Kristie coaches you step by step. Ready to start? Book a quick consult and begin living your ideal life with your furbaby
No. We use reward-based methods. Our goal is learning through clarity and motivation, not pain or fear.
Yes. We teach foundation skills, prevention, and real-life handling strategies that build confidence and reduce reactivity.
It can stop behavior in the moment, but it doesn’t teach what to do instead. Reward-based training builds reliable, repeatable skills.
Private sessions are usually in-home and around your neighborhood and group classes happen in parks in the Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, and Phoenix West Valley.
Send a quick message with your goals. We’ll recommend a plan and schedule your first coaching session.
Yes! Large studies and veterinary position statements show reward-based methods are humane and effective, and e-collars don’t improve results. We tailor a plan that fits your dog and routine.
