beagle training style?
hey all! I’m getting my new beagle puppy in a month’s time and I’m planning to start training early.
I just finished browsing for dog training videos, and now I’m quite confused as to which trainer to follow. Some say use the treat system and another trainer say, use praise only. Others say never tug the dog, but another trainer says pop the dog’s leash to “snap him back to focus”.. I dunno who I should be listening to.. I’m considering
1. Leerburg
2. Cesar Milan
3. Don Sullivan
from your personal experiences, which trainer should I follow? Or if he’s not in the choices above, which trainer would you recommend? 
thanks in advance!
I strongly recommend against Cesar Millan, Leerburg, and Don Sullivan.
They are dominance trainers. A dominance trainer basically uses the outdated dominance-submission methodology. 30 years ago most dog trainers and experts believed this was the proper way to train a dog. Dominance training involves asserting that you as the human must be “alpha” over your dog. This can mean leash jerking, alpha rolling, and other harsh punitive methods.
However the best dog trainers and dog behaviorists now strongly recommend against using dominance training.
Modern science, regardless of what many dominance trainers may tell you, shows us that dogs respond best to positive training methods only.
Positive methods work because it doesn’t suppress a dog’s behavior, but actually changes the way the dog feels about a situation. Food is a powerful motivator. Some dogs are not food motivated, so toys and play can be just as powerful for some dogs. Contrary to what some may tell you, most dogs are not praise motivated. Some are, but they are few and far between.
Leash jerking and other punitive methods actually cause psychological damage to a dog. The dog does not respond because he or she wants to do the behavior, but because he or she is afraid of what will happen if disobedient.
The trainer that I personally would recommend is Victoria Stilwell. She is the one of the top dog trainers in the UK and US.
Remember, dogs enjoy an upbeat, positive leader vs a harsh, dominating “alpha.” Stick with what science says is the best method to train your dog, not what someone else says is the best method to train a dog.
For more information on positive reinforcement training, I’ve provided a list of common myths about positive training and why it is so effective.
Puppy Training Using Pads