What Being a Positive Reinforcement Dog Trainer Means to Me

I proudly call myself a reward-based dog trainer. Sometimes I refer to myself as a positive-reinforcement dog trainer, a force-free dog trainer or a fear-free dog trainer. There are several names I (and my like-minded colleagues) go by because to be honest, none of these terms fit quite right. The science jargon and the layman’s terms don’t align, so I haven’t found the perfect “title.” Until I do, the name I call myself may fluctuate, but in almost 15 years in the animal training field, my values have never once wavered, nor will they ever.