​Many balanced trainers focus on teaching the “place” command fairly early in the training process, but often when researching what you should be training your dog, this does not come up as one of the top contenders such as “sit” and “come.” As a balanced trainer and dog owner, I have learned that the “place” command is one of the most valuable commands that you can arm your dog with to allow him to lead a calm and well-balanced life. 

Balanced training, one of the newest schools of thought in the dog training world, is doubted and oppressed by many due to the misconceptions related to balanced training methods or tools. Unfortunately, studies and articles published related to balanced training show misuse of tools and the consequences that result from misuse, not typical use by an experienced trainer. As a dog owner and trainer, I was at first skeptical of balanced training methods having only done positive training in the past. I quickly learned that my preconceptions were incorrect, and that balanced training is an amazing opportunity for dog owners looking to give their dogs more inclusion and freedom by enhancing their reliability and overall behavior.

​There are many dogs that do great with positive training methods, I use them myself of many dogs that I train, but for those who are more difficult, or for owners who are looking to take their training to the next level, balanced training is one of the most effective training approaches.