The science of dog training has clearly established that positive reinforcement methods produce better welfare outcomes and equivalent or superior learning compared to aversive techniques.
The scientific case for positive reinforcement dog training is now extremely strong. Aversive training methods — shock collars, choke chains, alpha rolls — cause demonstrable harm: elevated cortisol, increased aggression, impaired learning from fear, and damaged human-dog relationships. The frequent argument that aversive methods "work" conflates behavioral suppression with genuine learning. A dog that stops a behavior because it fears punishment is not the same as a dog that has learned an alternative. Welfare-centered training is both the ethical choice and the scientifically superior one.