What is Relationship-Based Training?
Relationship-based training focuses on the canine-human relationship first. Rather than relying on rigid methods or one-size-fits-all techniques, this approach prioritizes understanding how a dog thinks, communicates, and experiences the world. Owners learn how to work with their dog—building trust, clarity, and mutual respect—so training supports both behavior and the relationship long-term.
The Training Spectrum
Why Relationship-Based Training?
The dog training industry is largely unregulated, which means training approaches can vary widely in quality and philosophy. Relationship-based training prioritizes transparency, education, and ethical decision-making. Our goal is to help owners understand why we do what we do, how their dog is learning, and whether a training plan truly feels fair, effective, and appropriate for their dog.
Below is a general overview of common training methodologies, shown across a spectrum. This breakdown is based on both firsthand experience; the experiences of many clients who have worked with multiple trainers before coming to us; and many colleagues in the industry. While no category is absolute, this overview can help you better understand how different approaches tend to operate.
Fear/Force Free
"Positive Only"
Trainers that use this method only reinforce behaviors, they do not disagree with behaviors. They often use food, high value treats, to motivate and reward the dog. They reward behaviors they like and ignore behaviors they don't like. They will try to manage the environment so such situations do not occur to help the problem behavior not arise again. Positive Only trainers also often try to create a new behavior for the dog to do instead of the problem behavior.
Tools used often: Harness (front clip is common); flat buckle collar; gentle leader (goes around muzzle); clickers.
Pros: Can easily teach tricks/commands; easy to train puppies; can be fun.
Cons: Cannot reliably work on intense behavioral problems; often cannot prevent intense behavioral problems from occurring if already present from a young age; doesn't teach dog what not to do; can have issues teaching off leash reliability with independent dogs; trainers can be very biased against other alternatives/methods; if method doesn't work then they normally resort to medicating, isolating, re-homing or euthanasia.
Balanced Training
Trainers that use this method reinforce behaviors they like and disagree with unwanted behaviors. Balanced training uses all four "quadrants" of operant conditioning. This method often uses a variety of different techniques/strategies and works with the particular dog in front of them. This method is the middle ground between Positive Only training and Compulsion training. They use the best of both methods. Most of these trainers understand that each dog is different and will need a unique approach. Uses both "yes" and "no" to communicate what is wanted and unwanted.
Tools used often: Slip leads; martingale collars; gentle leader/halti (goes around muzzle); prong collars; ecollars; sometimes harnesses and clickers.
Pros: Approach is tailored to the needs of the individual dog; Can work with all breeds, ages, and issues; great for stopping and preventing intense behavioral problems; creates lasting training resulting in more well rounded (balanced) dogs; a more natural approach; trainers are generally more open minded to other approaches.
Cons: These trainers can rely too heavily on tools and obedience instead of creating a healthy relationship with the dog; Often do not understand dog psychology and behavior deeply; Many trainers in this camp will ONLY do board and trains or will push it on clients when it is not necessary.
Old School
"Compulsion Training"
Trainers that use this method often utilize dominance and force to get the desired results. They tend to be heavy handed and don't usually use food/treats. They lean on corrections and not much food rewards. "The dog will listen because I said so" mentality. Solutions to problems are usually "correct the dog harder".
Tools used often: Prong collars; choke chains; slip leads; ecollars or shock collars.
Pros: Teaches obedience; can stop almost any unwanted behavior; uses simple methods that are easy for clients to follow.
Cons: Most dogs are mentally shut down and do not trust owner or trainer; can create other unwanted behaviors such as fear of men (if trainer is a man this is common, or general fear of people); rely heavily of physical force to create submission and compliance; trainers in the camp normally are not open minded to other approaches.
So where is Relationship-Based Training?
Relationship-based training falls within the balanced training category but differs in focus. While many balanced approaches emphasize tools and obedience, relationship-based training prioritizes understanding the dog’s emotional state, communication, and decision-making. The relationship is not a byproduct of training—it is the foundation of it.
The founder of Relationship-Based Training is Nelson Hodges with the Canine-Human Relationship Institute (CHRI). Anyone who claims to be a "Relationship-Based Trainer" and has never worked with Nelson, is likely not an actual Relationship-Based Trainer.
*Remember these are just tendencies for each methodology and aren't absolutes. Each trainer will vary and everyone has their "own way" of working with dogs. This list is a general breakdown of trends*