How to Choose the Best Dog Trainer For Your Dog in Salt Lake City & Beyond
Understanding Dog Training Methods—and How to Choose the Best Dog Trainer for Your Dog
Wondering how to choose the best dog trainer in Salt Lake City or online for your dog? With so many dog training options available, it can feel overwhelming to know which approach is right for you and your dog.
While trainers may use different tools and philosophies, most professional dog trainers fall into one of two categories based on the methods they use. Understanding these differences is one of the most important steps in choosing a qualified, ethical dog trainer who can deliver lasting results.
Positive Reinforcement Dog Trainers (Reward-Based Methods)
Positive reinforcement dog trainers use reward-based methods that make learning engaging and stress-free while focusing on building trust, cooperation, and communication between dogs and their guardians. This is the approach we use at Dog Savvy Salt Lake City.
Positive training methods are supported by modern behavioral science and are widely used by many of the best dog trainers in Salt Lake City. These approaches not only improve behavior but also support a dog’s emotional well-being, confidence, and overall quality of life—while strengthening the human–dog bond.
Because positive reinforcement focuses on teaching dogs what to do rather than punishing mistakes, it does require pet parents to take an active role in the training process. Understanding basic learning principles and managing your dog’s environment while new habits are forming is essential for long-term success.
It’s also important to note that positive training does not mean permissive training. Clear boundaries, consistency, and thoughtful management are key components of effective positive reinforcement dog training and are what lead to reliable, lasting behavior change.
Balance Dog Trainers (Force-Based Methods)
Some dog trainers describe themselves as “balanced trainers,” meaning they use a mix of rewards and corrections. In practice, however, these methods often rely heavily on punishment-based techniques such as leash corrections, choke chains, prong collars, or electronic shock collars.
Techniques like “pop corrections” or e-collar stimulation are frequently used as primary training tools. While some trainers claim these methods are harmless, both scientific studies and the visible stress, pain, and confusion these methods cause tell a different story.
This outdated approach often ignores a dog’s emotional well-being and is rooted in the long-debunked Alpha Dog Myth, which assumes dogs are constantly trying to dominate their guardians. Modern behavior science has shown that this mindset oversimplifies canine behavior and turns training into an unnecessary power struggle.
In our experience, when force-based methods fail, responsibility is often placed on the dog—or even the dog’s breed—rather than on the training approach itself. This can leave pet parents feeling discouraged and dogs misunderstood.
How to Choose a Dog Trainer in Salt Lake City
If you’re searching for the best dog trainer in Salt Lake City, you’ll quickly notice that not all training methods are created equal. While science overwhelmingly supports positive reinforcement, some trainers still rely on force-based techniques. Understanding why these approaches persist—and how they affect dogs—can help you make a truly informed choice for your puppy or adult dog.
Choosing the right dog trainer isn’t just about fixing behaviors quickly. It’s about protecting your dog’s emotional well-being, building lasting skills, and creating a relationship rooted in trust.
The Psychology Behind Force-Based Dog Training
Many trainers who use intimidation or corrections aren’t acting with bad intentions. Instead, they’re often influenced by tradition, fear, and outdated beliefs about canine behavior. Recognizing these psychological drivers can help pet parents see past marketing claims and choose safer, more effective training.
The Comfort of Control
Force-based techniques can produce immediate compliance, which feels reassuring—especially when a dog’s behavior feels overwhelming. That short-term control can be seductive, even though it often comes at the cost of increased stress, anxiety, or suppressed behavior.
Tradition and Modeling
Choke chains, leash pops, and “alpha” tactics were long considered normal. Many trainers learned from mentors, TV shows, or books that promoted dominance-based ideas. When something feels familiar, it’s easy to repeat it without questioning the long-term consequences.
Fear of Losing Authority
Some trainers believe that if a dog isn’t constantly “kept in line,” they’ll become dominant or dangerous. This fear-based mindset turns training into a power struggle and often pressures owners to act harshly or against their own instincts.
The Appeal of Quick Fixes
Force can temporarily stop barking, lunging, or pulling—but suppression isn’t learning. When dogs aren’t taught what to do instead, unresolved fear and frustration often resurface as new behavior problems.
Cognitive Dissonance
Many force-based trainers genuinely love dogs. To reconcile that with using pain or intimidation, they may rely on justifications like “dogs need discipline” or “this prepares them for the real world.” Unfortunately, science and behavior outcomes tell a different story.
Understanding these factors empowers dog owners to choose training methods that prioritize long-term success—not just immediate compliance.
A Better Way: Game-Based Positive Dog Training
Once you understand the limitations of force, the benefits of positive reinforcement become clear. Positive dog trainers focus on helping dogs succeed, using rewards like food, toys, praise, and real-life permissions to teach skills in a way dogs enjoy.
At Dog Savvy Salt Lake City, we specialize in game-based positive training, an approach that transforms learning into structured games of choice.
Learning Through Games of Choice
Unlike traditional lure-and-reward methods—where dogs simply follow food—game-based training teaches dogs to think. Dogs learn that calm, polite behavior earns access to what they want.
This method:
Builds impulse control and emotional regulation
Encourages problem-solving and engagement
Strengthens confidence and resilience
Deepens the bond between dog and guardian
It’s especially effective for dogs struggling with reactivity, fear, anxiety, or aggression because it provides clear guidance instead of pressure.
The Science Behind the Fun
When dogs guess correctly and succeed, their brains release dopamine—the same “feel good” chemical humans experience when learning something new. This makes training emotionally rewarding and helps dogs feel safe, capable, and motivated to keep learning.
Shifting the Perspective: Why Positive Reinforcement Works Better
Force-based training appeals to humans because it feels fast and decisive. But dogs learn best in environments built on clarity, safety, and trust.
Positive reinforcement doesn’t just change behavior—it changes the relationship. Instead of compliance driven by fear, dogs learn cooperation driven by understanding.
That’s the foundation of truly reliable behavior.
Take the Next Step with One of the Best Dog Trainers in Salt Lake City
At Dog Savvy Salt Lake City, our game-based, positive approach helps dogs learn real-life skills without fear or force. By turning everyday situations into simple training games, dogs develop focus, self-control, and confidence—skills that last well beyond the training session.
If you’re looking for a certified, force-free dog trainer in Salt Lake City, we’d love to help.
👉 Book your consultation today or explore our programs to see how positive, game-based training can help your dog thrive—emotionally and behaviorally.
About the Author: Certified Dog Trainer, Alexandra Bassett
Alexandra Bassett, CPDT-KA, is the founder and head trainer at Dog Savvy Salt Lake City, a private in-home dog and puppy training company in Salt Lake City, Utah. She specializes in positive, game-based dog training and behavior modification, helping puppies and adult dogs overcome challenges like separation anxiety, leash reactivity, excessive barking, and aggression—without fear or force.
As a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA), Alexandra works closely with pet parents to create customized training plans that build confidence, emotional resilience, and reliable real-life behavior. She offers private in-home dog training throughout Salt Lake City as well as online dog training sessions via Zoom for clients across Utah and beyond.
👉 Need help with your dog’s behavior? Book a free consultation to get expert guidance and a personalized training plan from a certified Salt Lake City dog trainer.
Dog Savvy Salt Lake City — Personalized, Positive, Force-Free Dog Training