Dog training methods profoundly affect dog welfare, with evidence clearly showing that punishment-based training increases fear and aggression. Force-free methods achieve better outcomes with less harm.
Dog training methods have direct welfare implications through their effects on fear, anxiety, and aggression in trained animals. The evidence that punishment-based training methods cause welfare harm while failing to deliver superior outcomes compared to positive reinforcement is now substantial enough that regulatory bodies in several jurisdictions have banned devices used for aversive training. From a welfare perspective, the choice of training method is not morally neutral: using methods that cause pain, fear, or distress when equally or more effective alternatives exist is difficult to justify. The LIMA principle, which requires using the least invasive and least aversive approach that achieves training goals, represents a welfare-centred framework for training decisions. Owner education about training welfare implications enables better choices for millions of dogs.