10 Misleading Dog Training Arguments #319
Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett
DogsThat
4.8 • 679 Ratings
🗓️ 3 December 2025
⏱️ 13 minutes
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Summary
Visit us at shapedbydog.com
If you've ever had someone twist your training philosophy into something it's not, you've likely run into a Straw Man argument. In this episode, I'm breaking down ten of the most common ones aimed at positive reinforcement-based dog training, why they're not valid, and what you can do to create genuine conversations with people who hold a different view of dog training than you, all while staying centered and calm.
In this episode, you'll hear:
• What Straw Man arguments are and why they show up in dog training conversations.
• Why these arguments misrepresent decades of science and practical application.
• Ten common Straw Man claims made about positive reinforcement-based training and my response to each one
- Straw Man Argument #1 - "Reinforcement trainers are just cookie pushers"
- Straw Man Argument #2 - "Positive training won't work with high-drive dogs"
- Straw Man Argument #3 - "Reinforcement takes too long, punishment is faster"
- Straw Man Argument #4 - "Dogs need leaders, not more cookies"
- Straw Man Argument #5 - "Dogs need punishment to learn what's wrong"
- Straw Man Argument #6 - "Training only works if the dog can see the cookie"
- Straw Man Argument #7 - "Positive trainers care more about the dog's emotion than outcomes"
- Straw Man Argument #8 - "Your dog will never recall reliably without correction"
- Straw Man Argument #9 - "A head halter is just another punishment tool"
- Straw Man Argument #10 - "Positive trainers avoid punishment because they don't understand it"
• How to stay centered, respond constructively, and keep conversations productive.
Resources:
1. Podcast Episode 146: Balanced Dog Training: Does It Really Exist? - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/146/
2. YouTube Playlist: Reinforcement, Permissions and Transfer of Value - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy1IUj_4P54q2PIuLNtnXjFO
3. Podcast Episode 6: The Art of Manipulation - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/6/
4. Podcast Episode 245: Make Dog Training Easy! Quick Guide to Antecedent Arrangements - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/245/
5. Podcast Episode 182: The Game Within The Game: How To Multiply Your Dog's Reinforcements - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/182/
6. Podcast Episode 302: The Recall Myth: Why Your Off Leash Dog Isn't Coming When Called And How To Fix It - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/302/
7. Podcast Episode 40: Using A Head Halter On A Dog, Why My Approach Is So Different - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/40/
8. Podcast Episode 304: Let's Talk About E-Collars: Why Dog Trainers Are So Divided - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/304/
9. Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube - https://youtu.be/dvAyGtpv2Mw
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today, we're going to talk about 10 arguments that you as a reinforcement-based dog lover may |
| 0:04.4 | have heard why they're not valid and what can you do to create genuine conversation with people |
| 0:11.9 | who uphold a different view of dog training than you that can be a more productive conversation. |
| 0:23.4 | Hi, I'm Susan Garrett. |
| 0:24.7 | Welcome to Shape by Dog. |
| 0:26.2 | If you've ever gotten a conversation with another dog trainer who chooses to keep punishment |
| 0:30.6 | as one of the tools in their toolbox, you'll probably hear things like reinforcement-based |
| 0:35.3 | dog trainers are just cookie pushers, or positive only isn't |
| 0:39.2 | really a thing, it's not possible, or reinforcement-based training only works on easy dogs. It doesn't |
| 0:45.7 | work on the problem dogs. Or my personal favorite is dogs need punishment or they'll never know |
| 0:50.7 | what the difference is between right and wrong. All of these arguments are what's |
| 0:55.2 | called straw man arguments. They really are not valid. And there's a reason people keep bringing them up. |
| 1:02.6 | Now, first we're going to talk about what is a straw man argument? It's kind of like a myth. |
| 1:07.7 | However, it's more of an edgier myth because a strongman argument is when somebody takes |
| 1:12.7 | a part of your beliefs or methodology and misrepresents it in a way that makes them sound |
| 1:21.1 | superior or makes you be defensive. Unfortunately, it happens a lot in reinforcement-based dog training because what we're |
| 1:29.4 | doing is we're change makers. We are going against tradition. And change is always uncomfortable for |
| 1:36.2 | people and sometimes they get darn violent about it. I want to make it clear in this episode, |
| 1:41.8 | I am not out to attack balance trainers. My goal is |
| 1:45.8 | to clarify misunderstandings to open the door, the possibility to actually productive conversations. |
| 1:52.9 | And I get it. Strawman arguments are happening on both sides of this fence. But the challenge |
| 1:58.2 | is that they're derailing the potential for productive conversations. |
... |
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