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Lately I’ve been trying not to depend on training collars while walking my mutt Ace. I walked him on a flat collar all week, focusing on my energy, my voice and treats to get him to do what I want. And even though we’ve walked every day for the past year and a half, I noticed a difference in the last five days (must be the treats!).

I’ve picked up some ideas from dog trainer Paul Owens, who calls himself the original dog whisperer. In his book, “The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate, Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training, 2nd Edition” (co-authored by Norma Eckroate), he says positive reinforcement training allows a partnership based on kindness, respect and compassion. Owens uses nothing but nonviolent, positive reinforcement training methods.

Basically, the key is proper communication.

Owens says nonviolence means no jerking, shocking, pulling or pinning (wait, what about when my mutt pulls me?). He instead uses treats, vocal praise, petting, clickers and life rewards such as playing, food or a walk to motivate the dog. He says substituting an unwanted behavior with a good behavior and using repetitions will condition a dog to do what you want him to do.

“The bottom line is that it is not necessary to use any jerking at all to get your dog to do what you want,” Owens said in his book.

He has a point.

I know I’ve pulled my dog’s leash too hard - training collar or not- out of frustration or impatience. That’s a terrible way to teach a dog anything. And honestly, Ace has learned to ignore my tugs and “leash corrections” anyway, so it’s time to try something new.

Owens answered the following questions for my blog:

What is the most common misunderstanding when it comes to dog training?

Many people think dogs are in competition with them and that as the dog’s “master,” they have “to win” and force their dogs to “submit.”

There is no competition. We own everything our dogs want so it’s simply a matter of teaching them that they get whatever they want if they do something for us first. After a while, habits are formed and the behaviors become automatic. Until that happens, it’s our responsibility to keep our dogs, ourselves and the environment safe.

Many people also have a misunderstanding that they have to use physical punishment with their dogs in order to get off-lead, reliable behavior. Shaping reliable behavior is easy when you follow the rules.

When I began training 35 years ago, I never used treats although I did use generous praise and petting as well as life rewards such as freedom to jump in the pool, chase a ball, go for a walk, get on the bed, etc. Enforcement of “commands” (I no longer use that word) was primarily leash corrections, poking with my fingers and pinning a dog to the ground. I became very skilled in getting dogs to do what I wanted using these methods.

When I switched to positive training in 1988, I learned the difference between getting dogs to cooperate rather than forcing them to submit, how the scientific protocols of weaning a dog off of treats was essentially the same as weaning a dog off of aversives, and most importantly, how the methods used for training were as important as the results.

Regarding this last point, over time I learned of the link between how humans treat animals and how we treat each other, so I chose to stop using physical punishment or the threat of physical punishment. I often quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he was asked why he didn’t use violent methods in his fight for equality. He said,  “If peace is our goal, then our means must be peaceful.”

What are the most common mistakes people make?

They don’t learn how to “speak dog,” especially in regards to consistency, timing and precision.

They don’t provide the necessary quantity and quality of the “9 Ingredients” necessary for a happy, healthy, relationship: Food (diet), Play, Socialization, Quiet Time, Exercise, Employment, Rest, Training (discipline through nonviolent means), and Health Care.

Of course we make these same mistakes of not providing these ingredients with ourselves : 0)

You have several books and DVDs to aid people with dog training. Are you working on any new material?

My goals have always been to make scientific learning principles accessible and easy to understand, to promote positive training, and to help people learn to treat dogs as they would their friends, themselves and their family members rather than as possessions.

My new book, “Good Habits, Great Behaviors, A Self-Help Book for Dogs and Humans” will be out in January and hopefully will help continue to foster these goals.

Check out Paul Owens’ web site Raise with Praise. His books include “The Dog Whisperer” and “The Puppy Whisperer.” He also has DVDs on dog training.

A lack of exercise is the number one reason so many of our dogs have behavior problems. This is true with my own dog, and I see this with every dog I know. The dogs that get enough exercise are the “good” dogs. The rest are destructive, nervous, hyper or bored. It’s really that simple. My mutt is an anxious, annoying wreck if he hasn’t had a walk. He follows me around crying, is obsessive about his toys and destroys things when he’s left home alone. But if we run for a few days in a row, he is a different dog, close to perfect.

I recently read the book “Cesar’s Way” by Cesar Millan, better known for his National Geographic Channel show, The Dog Whisperer. His book is a guide to understanding everyday dog behavior. Although Millan’s book addresses many “issues” our dogs deal with, one of his strongest messages is to make sure your dog is getting the exercise he needs. I couldn’t agree more. I really believe any dog owner can learn from reading this book, no matter how experienced she is with dogs.

Millan says dog owners need to provide their dogs with three things in this order: exercise, discipline and affection. The problem in the United States is that people only provide one thing: affection. Our dogs need exercise and leadership before affection, he says. And an easy way to provide both is through the daily walk. Unfortunately, most dogs don’t get this kind of exercise, not even close. Many people think of walking the dog as a five-minute walk around the block so the dog can go to the bathroom. Millan recommends a minimum of two 30-minute walks per day. Of course, some dogs will need longer walks.

Throughout his book, Millan provides valuable information for any dog owner. He explains how a dog communicates by using energy. One mistake people make is to communicate with their dogs as though they are humans. We talk baby talk to them, we mistake their excess energy as happiness, and we lose our tempers and scream at them to get off the couch, to stop barking, to heel. But dogs communicate on a different level. They see a leader as someone with calm, assertive energy, like Oprah Winfrey. And this kind of leadership is lacking in so many households when we allow our dogs to jump on us, pull us out the door and pretty much do whatever they want. Dogs actually want leadership and structure in their lives, Millan says, but when their owner does not act as a leader, then the dog is the one who actually takes on the leadership role.

In his book, Millan describes in detail his formula for a balanced and fullfilled dog. He stresses over and over to provide exercise, discipline and then affection. He also provides tips for living happily with your dog. He describes the power of the pack, how we screw up our dogs and how to deal with dangerous dogs. It really is a valuable book that I hope more dog owners will read.

I especially appreciated the section on how to act as a leader from the first day you adopt a new dog. I took his advice seriously and began walking Ace right away. The first afternoon after I adopted him, we went on a long walk through our neighborhood. I also established rules with Ace from day one such as not allowing him on the furniture, having him sit before eating and before heading out for a walk. Continuing on with basic exercises like these and adjusting them to fit my dog’s personality as I got to know him better have helped build a more stable relationship between Ace and I.

“Cesar’s Way” really covers everything and is filled with all kinds of suggestions to deal with behavior problems such as obsessive barking, pulling, separation anxiety, aggression, nervousness, whining, even toy obsession, which I need to work on with my mutt! I really recommend that all dog owners read this book.