The Behavioural Glow Up: Why It’s Time to “Brainmog” Old School Dog Training

If you’ve been following the latest shifts in the dog training world, you know we are in the middle of a massive identity crisis. The industry is currently undergoing a looksmaxxing of sorts, a collective push to move away from the dull, drab methods of the past and toward a fresher, science backed outlook.

But as we level up our standards, there is a clear divide between those who are truly evolving and those who are stuck in the mid ground of the early 2000s.

Bone Smashing vs. Biological Precision

In the world of online glow ups, there is a trend called bone smashing, a crude, violent attempt to reshape one's jawline through blunt force. In the training world, Positive Punishment is the bone smashing of behaviour. Inaccuracy with the metaphorical hammer can leave the dog scarred for life.

Using a prong collar or an e collar (electronic shock collar) to sculpt obedience isn't sophisticated; it’s a hammer to the psyche of a sentient being. While it might technically change the shape of a behaviour, it does so by creating micro fractures in the human animal bond and the dog's emotional well being. Organizations like the IAABC, APDT, and Fear Free have moved past the metaphorical hammer. Criticism has fallen on the CCPDT who are looking increasingly dated by still validating these primitive tactics.

The Myth of the "Balanced" Necessity

One idea that must be addressed head on is the persistent notion that aversive tools like prong or e collars are required to see real results. Many people view the industry as a binary split between treat tossers and balanced trainers. However, there is a significant and growing group of professionals known as Cross Over Trainers.

Cross over trainers are experts who intimately understand how to use aversive tools. They have been there. They understand the mechanics of a leash pop or a tap on a collar, yet they have consciously chosen to leave those tools in the past permanently. This choice exists because they have seen the other side. They have realized that using force is often a cop out for the under educated. While it is easy to suppress a behaviour with pain or fear, it takes significantly more brainpower to think outside the box, specifically outside the Skinner Box.

Leaving the Mid Ground Behind

Why is the industry still so drab? According to an article shared by AVSAB, there is a significant education gap: Canadian dog trainers want regulation, but one-third are entirely self-educated.

Without a formal foundation in ethology and behaviour, many fall into the middle ground. But in 2026, the middle ground is just Mid. It’s mediocre. If you want to looksmax in the dog training industry, you need to maximize your capacity to be creative without the tools. In the world of AI, anyone can educate themselves.

The LIFE Model: A New Standard for Behavioural Ethics

The LIFE model, which stands for Least Inhibitive, Functionally Effective, represents a significant evolution in the ethical framework of animal training. Developed by Dr. Eduardo J. Fernandez, this model was designed to move beyond the limitations of the LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) framework. While LIMA served as a useful starting point, it has often been criticized for focusing too heavily on the avoidance of aversives rather than the promotion of animal welfare and agency.

• Least Inhibitive (Prioritizing Agency): This focuses on the degree to which a training intervention restricts an animal’s freedom of choice. Traditional training often relies on inhibition, stopping a behaviour through physical or psychological restriction. The LIFE model argues that the most ethical approach is the one that provides the animal with the most autonomy. By focusing on increasing choices rather than simply decreasing unwanted actions, the trainer supports the animal's psychological well being and reduces the likelihood of frustration or learned helplessness.

• Functionally Effective (Addressing the Root Cause): This requires a rigorous commitment to behavioural science. Instead of merely treating the topography of a behaviour, what the behaviour looks like, the trainer must identify the function of the behaviour. Every behaviour serves a purpose for the animal, whether it is to gain access to a resource or to avoid a perceived threat. A functionally effective intervention addresses that underlying need. By providing the dog with an ethical and safe way to achieve their goal, the trainer eliminates the need for the animal to resort to the original, problematic behaviour.

Moving Beyond the LIMA Loophole

The transition from LIMA to LIFE is a move from a defensive posture to a proactive one. LIMA is frequently viewed as a hierarchy that still allows for aversive tools as a last resort. In contrast, LIFE sets a higher bar for professional education. It requires the trainer to have a deep understanding of functional analysis and neurobiology so that they never have to reach for aversives in the first place. By prioritizing the animal’s agency and addressing the functional motivation of every action, the LIFE model ensures that behaviour change is not just effective, but truly humane and scientifically sound.

Training Without Force

Training for obedience should be a conversation, not a series of corrections. When we focus on giving our dogs agency and choice, we build a relationship based on trust rather than one based on avoiding "bad things." If a trainer tells you that your dog is "stubborn" or "dominant" and needs a "fair correction," what they’re really saying is they’ve reached the end of their education and don't know how to motivate the dog another way.

For the average pet owner, the terms "dog trainer" and "behaviour consultant" are often used interchangeably, but the difference in their approach is fundamental. It is the difference between teaching a skill and treating an emotional condition.

• The Skill Builder (The Dog Trainer): A traditional dog trainer focuses on Obedience. This is the process of teaching a dog to perform specific physical actions on cue, such as sit, stay, or heel. The mechanism is operant conditioning, where a dog learns that an action leads to a consequence (a treat or, in older models, a correction). Think of a dog trainer as a Driving Instructor. They teach the mechanics of how to operate in the world, what the rules are, and how to respond to specific signals.

• The Emotional Specialist (The Behaviour Consultant): Someone who works on problem behaviours focuses on Motivation. They deal with complex issues like aggression, separation anxiety, or profound fear. The goal is changing how the dog feels about a situation. The mechanism involves classical counter conditioning and desensitization, which target the involuntary emotional response rather than the physical action. Think of a behaviour professional as a Psychologist (and in veterinary behaviour as psychiatrists). They are interested in why the dog is having a panic attack in the first place and how to help them feel safe.

Why the Distinction Matters

When a dog is barking at the window, a trainer might tell the dog to "quiet" or "go to your bed." They are addressing the symptom (the barking). If the dog is barking because they are terrified of the person outside, punishing the bark or forcing a "sit" does nothing to address the fear.

A behaviour professional looks at the functional motivation. They recognize that if the dog is acting out of fear, anxiety, or frustration, they are not "misbehaving", they are communicating a lack of coping skills.

The Overlap: The Educated Professional

The best modern professionals are often both. They have the brainpower to understand that you cannot use obedience to "fix" an emotional problem. They use the LIFE model to ensure that while they are teaching the dog new ways to navigate the world, they are also protecting the dog's emotional health and agency.

For the lay person, the easiest way to tell the difference is to ask: "Are we teaching my dog what to do, or are we helping my dog feel better about what is happening?" If a professional suggests using a hammer, like a shock or prong collar, to stop a fear-based behaviour, they are treating a psychological wound with a physical punishment, which is a fundamental misunderstanding of animal biology.

For more information on the joint standards of practice see the document on the IAABC site.

Fernandez, E. J. (2024). The least inhibitive, functionally effective (LIFE) model: A new framework for ethical animal training practices. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 71, 63-68. Link