Reward-Based Dog Training Proves More Efficient and Humane

Are reward-based methods better than traditional training involving corrections? A 2021 study applied two training methods to 30 working dogs—10 military and 20 police dogs—training them to perform key tasks like food refusal, recall, and object handling.

Dogs were split into two groups: one received reward-based training only, while the other group was trained using a mixed method combining rewards with aversive stimuli. All dogs were taught the same tasks and tested on their ability to perform them in a standardized setting.

Results showed that dogs trained solely with rewards learned tasks more efficiently—they required less time to complete the training and showed higher reliability during task performance. The findings suggest that reward-only training methods are not only more humane, but also more effective, even in high-demand professional contexts such as policing and military operations.

This experimental study supports growing calls from animal welfare organizations to restrict or ban training tools that cause fear or pain, such as e-collars and pinch collars. With rigorous design and control, it contributes scientific evidence to a field where strong opinions have often outpaced data.