Our Dog Training Philosophy
Here at Charleston Animal Society, we believe, implement, and support positive reinforcement training and behavior methods (clicker, verbal marker, treats, and praise). These modern, humane training and behavior methods are scientifically sound, supported, and founded on decades of research and scientific studies.
The dog training industry is unregulated and does not require any licensing, so any one can call him/herself a dog trainer. This is why we have created this handout for our adopters and our community.
Why We Promote Reward-Based Training
Charleston Animal Society and the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) endorses training methods which allow animals to work for things that motivate them rather than techniques that focus on using fear or pain to punish them for undesirable behaviors.
Research shows that dogs do not need to be physically punished to learn how to behave and there are significant risks associated with using punishment (choke collars, pinch collars, shock collars).
