Positive dog training results in healthier relationships between dogs and their owners. By encouraging your dog to do what is right, and then rewarding him for obeying, your dog will learn how happy he can be when he listens to your commands. A dog raised on love and attention will be more loyal and sociable than a dog trained through punishment and fear.

When learning about how to train your dog, you will hear the words leader, master, and dominant over and over again. You must have power over your dog, but with power comes responsibility. If you rule the house with love, understanding, and benevolence, a dog accepting its role as follower will likely be affectionate and friendly as well. Conversely, if you rule with an iron fist, your dog is likely to follow your lead by being anti-social or even aggressive. He may even challenge your position as head of the household.

The major difference between Positive Dog Training and physical punishment is that the former results in a dog that wants to listen. The life of a dog with a kind master is pretty good. Dogs get fed, groomed, and massaged, all for free! Dogs who are afraid of their owners, on the other hand, tend to be timid (or even worse, aggressive) and run away from home more often. They have little reason to return.

Establishing Dominance through Positive Dog Training
Being loving and dominant is not contradictory. One of the best ways to establish your role as a kind leader is petting your dog on his tummy while he lays on his back. This is a classic submissive position that dates back to a dog's wolf ancestors. Wolves lay on their backs and expose their necks to concede dominance to pack leaders. Dogs love being petted on their tummies, so this exercise shows the dog how pleasurable life will be when he submits to you.