Barking Up the Right Tree The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training

Dr. Ian Dunbar's new book makes the case that dog training has lost its way and become too theoretical, unnecessarily complicated, time-consuming, and less effective and must return to quick, easy, and enjoyable methods that work When Dr. Ian Dunbar introduced his SIRIUS(R) Puppy Training in 1982, dog training mostly comprised multiple leash corrections to punish dogs for misbehavior and noncompliance. Dunbar's positive approach, ideal for puppies and adult dogs alike, focused on teaching and rewarding dogs for desirable responses, which revolutionized the field. Today, there are few reputable trainers who have not been strongly influenced by Dr. Dunbar. While positive reinforcement is now widely adopted, Dunbar's new book details how training has strayed from his original, exceptionally quick and easy lure/reward approach, in which dogs understand our instructions and we can cue desirable behavior. Dunbar argues that the 'reward vs. punishment' binary is a false choice, stopping