Training method choice significantly affects dog welfare. Evidence-based positive reinforcement training produces better learning outcomes while avoiding the welfare harms of aversive methods.
Training method is a significant determinant of companion dog welfare - not just during training sessions but in the dog's ongoing emotional relationship with the trainer and with learning itself. Dogs trained with punishment-based methods show higher stress indicators, greater fear of the trainer, and higher rates of aggression that can result from the fear and frustration associated with aversive training. The welfare case against aversive training methods is strong and is supported by both behavioral science and animal welfare research. The practical welfare case is equally strong: force-free methods produce equivalent or better training outcomes without the welfare costs. Companion dogs in force-free trained households have better welfare by measurable behavioral indicators.