Back to Obedience Dog Training
Positive Reinforcement vs. Punishment

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI

Request Free Assessment

Request Free Assessment

A black and white corgi sitting on a skateboard smiling, choose positive reinforcement dog training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI.

Positive Dog Training Techniques

Green Bay / Appleton Positive Reinforcement Dog Trainers

Research shows that focusing on positive reinforcement when a desired behavior occurs and not worrying about correcting bad behavior in dogs is more effective and has longer-lasting results than training that incorporates punishment for bad behavior.

Positive reinforcement dog training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI works because dogs are inherently eager to please. Rewarding your dog for good behavior helps create a deep, loving relationship with your dog built on trust, as opposed to one built on fear of punishment. The difference between a dog who has been trained to obey out of fear of being punished vs. a dog who learns to obey through a positive, loving bond with their owner is huge.

Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin trainers use treats as an initial reward for puppies and dogs learning commands. When the trainer is absent, or you’re in between obedience classes, you can continue to use treats as a reward for your dog when they exhibit a desired behavior. Dogs tend to be highly food-motivated, so this is an extremely useful tool. You can also reward your dog with a play session, take them to the dog park or anything else you know your dog enjoys. After all, you know your dog best!

See Training Packages

Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin

Your Questions Answered

Positive reinforcement training is a widely used and highly effective method for teaching dogs new behaviors while strengthening the bond between you and your pet. Below, we've answered some common questions about how this training approach works and why it's beneficial for all dog breeds.

Positive reinforcement training rewards dogs for good behavior with treats, praise, or play, encouraging them to repeat those behaviors. It focuses on creating a positive association with desired actions, making training enjoyable and effective for your dog.
Positive reinforcement builds trust and strengthens the bond between you and your dog. By rewarding desired behavior, your dog is more motivated to learn and respond willingly, whereas punishment can create fear and anxiety, hindering learning and damaging the relationship.
Yes, positive reinforcement training is effective for all dog breeds. Since it relies on rewarding good behavior, dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperaments can respond well, making it a flexible and universally beneficial training method.
A white poodle smiling at one of our Green Bay / Appleton positive reinforcement dog trainers.

Positive Dog Training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI

Dog Training Elite

Read More
Read Less

As for not worrying about bad behavior – it may feel strange to act like everything is fine when your dog chews on your shoes, or goes to the bathroom inside your home. But focusing on rewarding good behavior and forgoing punishment for bad behavior is more successful in the long run.

Relying on punishment for errors and “low value” rewards, such as praise or petting are long held “traditional” methods for dog training. Punishments like flicking a dog’s nose, shocking them with a shock collar, or anything else that may cause a dog pain are unfortunately still in use today by many dog trainers.

Not only is it inhumane, but using punishment as a tool can actually backfire. For example: punishing a dog for going to the bathroom inside a house won’t teach them to go outside instead. Often, the dog only understands that the mess makes their owner mad. Instead of going outside, the dog is likely to continue to make messes indoors — where the owner can’t find them.

Punishment training also damages the relationship between dog and owner. Dogs do not understand right and wrong. Instead of associating punishment with a specific behavior they learn to avoid, as with the bathroom example, they instead learn to live in constant fear of punishment. This prevents owners from bonding with their dogs in a meaningful way.

Additional Obedience Training Info

Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin - Classical Conditioning Dog Training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI

Classical Conditioning Training

Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin - Puppy Obedience Training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI. DTE

Puppy Obedience Training

Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin - Off Leash Dog Training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI. DTE

Off Leash Training

Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin - Dog Agility Training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI. DTE

Agility Through Basic Obedience Training

A recent dog graduate sitting in front of a Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin car, contact us today for positive dog training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI.

The Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin Difference


Read More
Read Less

Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin uses modern training methods focused on positive dog training using reinforcement and bonding you and your dog. Our trainers in Green Bay / Appleton, WI never resort to punishment to help dogs unlearn behaviors. Through a combination of commands and an electronic collar, dogs learn to follow commands at once. The electronic collar is not a shock collar and never used to punish bad behavior. Instead, it produces a sensation like the gentle tug of a leash, and is used to help recapture the attention of a dog who gets distracted.

Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin’s method of focusing on positive behavior reinforcement nurtures a dog's loving and naturally obedient nature. The method is the same regardless of the situation, whether training a puppy, an older dog or a service dog. The positive reinforcement dog training in Green Bay / Appleton, WI ensures training is a success no matter what your dog’s behavior. If you have a brand new puppy who is stubborn and smart, or an older dog who has slipped into bad habits – or perhaps never learned – after proper conditioning and working with Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin, when you say “sit,” your dog will automatically sit without thinking about it.

Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin offers specialized in-home training services so your dog gets the attention and training he or she needs, and you learn alongside them so training continues when the trainer leaves. Dog Training Elite in Green Bay / Appleton, WI also offers group classes for dogs who are ready to take obedience training to the next level, and service training programs for a variety of needs.

If you’re looking to train a service dog, or just looking for a loyal four-legged companion, Dog Training Elite in Green Bay / Appleton, WI will help you get there with our positive dog training. You can get started today. Find a trainer near you and schedule a free in-home consultation!

Get Your Free Assessment

You and your canine companion really can have it all. See how easy it can be to become a member of the elite pup society by requesting a free consultation today!

Photo Gallery

See An Elite Dog in Action

Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Amy Fischer
    Jun. 12, 2026
    Here’s a polished version that incorporates your additional feedback about Larissa’s work with your family and her approach to e-collar training: Our experience with Dog Training Elite was excellent from start to finish. Larissa was professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in Nala’s success. She took the time to understand our long-term goal of helping Nala progress toward becoming a psychiatric service dog and tailored the training to her specific needs, temperament, and learning style. The instruction was clear and easy for our family to follow, making practice at home highly effective. One of the biggest improvements was teaching Nala to focus on us and look to us for direction rather than making her own decisions. Larissa helped us establish consistent leadership so Nala understands that we are the ones in control, not the other way around. After just three sessions, we saw major improvements in her obedience, engagement, focus, and responsiveness. By the end of the program, Nala was reliably following commands at home and in distracting public environments while maintaining much better attention on her handlers. Larissa was also incredibly patient in teaching us, as owners, how to properly train and communicate with Nala. She took the time to explain the purpose and correct use of the e-collar as a training tool, emphasizing that it is meant to reinforce communication and consistency rather than punishment. She even offered to speak with any member of our household to ensure everyone understood the training methods and the importance of using the e-collar correctly and consistently. What impressed us most was the focus on building the handler-dog relationship that is essential for a future psychiatric service dog. Nala learned to check in with us more consistently, remain calm around distractions, and respond confidently to direction. Daily walks became more structured and enjoyable, unwanted behaviors decreased significantly, and we felt much more confident handling her in a variety of situations. We are grateful for the skills, leadership techniques, and confidence Larissa helped us develop, and we highly recommend Dog Training Elite to anyone seeking professional, high-quality dog training.
  • Heather Sass
    Jun. 7, 2026
    We couldn't be happier with our experience! Our dog, Poppy, is incredibly sweet but also very stubborn, and we weren't sure how much progress we'd be able to make. Thanks to the patience, expertise, and encouragement of our trainer, Marcy, we've seen an amazing transformation. Marcy took the time to understand Poppy's personality and tailored her approach to what worked best for her. She made training enjoyable for both us and our dog while giving us practical tools and techniques we could use every day. What impressed us most was Marcy's patience and consistency—she never gave up on Poppy, even when Poppy was determined to do things her own way! Poppy is now more responsive, better behaved, and much more confident. The improvement has made a huge difference in our daily life, and we truly appreciate all the support and guidance we received throughout the process. If you're looking for a dog training company that genuinely cares about your dog's success, we highly recommend them. And a special thank you to Marcy for helping us turn our stubborn pup into a well-mannered companion!
  • Stacy
    Jun. 7, 2026
    Hannah was absolutely fantastic with Ozzy, and we all loved working with her. She was patient with us (it's as much about training the owners as it is the pup!) and broke down each lesson into easily manageable parts. Ozzy (and we) highly recommend Hannah for any dog training needs, and we are thankful for Dog Training Elite's curriculum, services, and professionalism!
  • Penny Garman
    Jun. 5, 2026
    I cannot say enough great things about Dog Training Elite! My trainer, Hannah, was absolutely amazing — so patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely wonderful with both of my dogs. I have a reactive older dog AND a puppy (Tilly, who just graduated her training — so proud!), and Hannah never made me feel overwhelmed. She actually gave me the confidence to feel like ‘I got this,’ even on the hard days. What really set them apart was that they came to our home to work with us in our own space, which made such a difference for both dogs. If you’re on the fence, don’t hesitate — I cannot recommend Dog Training Elite highly enough. Thank you, Hannah!
  • Jason Martin
    Jun. 5, 2026
    I have nothing but praise and amazing things to say about Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin. From the initial phone call with Marcy; listening to my concerns, helping me understand the training program, easing my own anxiety and being very empathetic to my concern with my Gracie Lou. Then meeting with Ramiro 1x1 and having him thoroughly explain and demonstrate the program before signing up sold me on the process. Our first home visit with Tina getting us set up and teaching some basics to try on our own was just the start of a new beginning. The training camp sessions in their facility were great, working with Mitch, Tina, Hannah, and Marcy. They were all very patient and took the time at the end of each day's session to walk us through the day's training and practice with us. Gracie Lou was always happy to return each of the 4 days with no hesitation, eager to learn the next days lessons! The final 3 home visits with Marcy topped off the entire process with ensuring us Humans continued to have the confidence with Gracie Lou's growth. I went into this experience feeling lost, confused, and broken not knowing how to help my Gracie Lou through her anxiety and apprehension with walks and being out in public. I am now moving forward with a pup that has found her confidence again all thanks to the great work and experience with everyone at DTE. Anyone out there that finds themselves in a similar situation, I would not hesitate to contact DTE and explore your options with them.
  • Randy Hahn
    Jun. 4, 2026
    It was a very good experience. I think that it is more training the owner how to handle your dog the correct way. They did a very good job at that. The dog did learn a lot also but now we know how to move forward with his training on our own. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin to help you with the problems you have with your dog.
  • Esra Siddeek
    May. 29, 2026
    Hannah was great! Made great progress!
  • Ashley Zellner
    May. 28, 2026
    My experience working with this trainer for my English Springer Spaniel was life changing. I was struggling with unpredictable aggression behaviors and felt overwhelmed trying to understand the triggers. From the very beginning, they took the time to truly learn our dog’s personality, environment, and behavior patterns instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach. Ramiro helped me better understand common behavioral traits seen in some English Springer Spaniels, taught us how to recognize subtle signs before escalation, and gave us realistic strategies to safely manage situations at home. We’ve seen major improvements in our dog’s confidence, structure, and overall behavior. Ramiro’s patience, knowledge, and compassion made such a difference for both our dog and my family. I am incredibly grateful and would highly recommend them to anyone dealing with behavioral challenges or aggression in their dog.
  • Reagan Walsh
    May. 15, 2026
    A great experience! Glad I chose this company!
  • Cody Herr
    May. 11, 2026
    We had an incredible experience. Larissa was an amazing trainer and didn’t only train our dog through her behaviors directly but also taught us how to deal with those behaviors when she wasn’t around. The knowledge she transferred to us will be invaluable going forward as we continue to train our dog. I would recommend this trainer to anyone who wants to raise “the perfect” dog.
  • Jordan Jeserig
    May. 11, 2026
    Ramiro was an amazing trainer! He was patient not only with our dog but with us too. He was incredibly helpful even when we had questions after our session, he would make sure to respond back to us. I would recommend Dog Training Elite to everyone!
  • Aleyah Lyman
    May. 10, 2026
    Dog Training Elite and Larrisa have been amazing! I tried a few different trainers and felt disappointed. My puppy is fearful of people and we were having issues with excessive barking, but Larissa helped him become way more confident and far better mannered. I plan to keep working with DTE to hopefully help my pup become a service dog, and will work with them with any dogs I have in the future.
  • Michael Stencil
    May. 8, 2026
    We had Ramiro as our trainer. He was patient with us & Stormie. We enjoyed working with him a lot. Ramiro did the training at our house which helped him to see the problems we were facing. We purchased the platinum package so if we need Ramiro in the future to help us, there isn't an additional fee. It also allows us to bring Stormie to group classes for no additional fees. The package included Everything we needed to train our dog. An e-collar is included & our dog needed a muzzle for the first few classes. We have seen a difference in Stormie's behavior & look forward to going to group classes to help her continue with training. I highly recommend this company to anyone who needs a dog trainer They are Great!
  • Randy Van Ness
    May. 7, 2026
    Ramiro was a very professional, knowledgeable and informative. He was very patient with us as well as with Nova as we worked through the training program. We have seen exceptional progress with Nova and will continue to work with Ramiro and Dog Training Elitr to refine and further develop her obedience skills and ability to meet and interact with other dogs and people. We also plan on utilizing the Saturday group sessions, as well as scheduling additional individual one on one training. We would highly recommend dog elite training services. Given that our pups are a lifetime commitment, the expenditure made will be invaluable as we removed forward.
  • Amber Lax
    May. 7, 2026
    I had Hannah as a trainer for my dog and it was amazing. She was always willing to change things around to help my dog learn in ways that are better suited for him
  • kerry reis
    May. 5, 2026
    Ramiro was excellent! Very thorough and never makes you feel uncomfortable asking the same question over again. It is nice to feel back in control and not like my dog has trained me. 😂 He is tougher but that doesn’t deter our dog from wanting to be by him. I guess it proves his point that dogs want to be led. We did the platinum option so we can go to group classes and ask questions for the life of our dog. I wouldn’t hesitate at all in recommending this business. Just call you will be happy you did!
  • Dawn Olsen
    Apr. 30, 2026
    Larissa was amazing and very helpful with our rescue Pittie. Highly recommended DTE for all behavior issues and the continued support!
  • Debi VanDenBoom
    Apr. 28, 2026
    We LOVE ❤️ working with the staff at Dog Training Elite Northeast Wisconsin! They are kind and guide us to be the best versions of ourselves. Lessons are challenging, engaging, and fun. The trainers are patient with our Mama as she learns to be consistent and confident with our commands. Plus, they have the best treats! We highly recommend and give them a four paw review times two! 🐾🐾🐾🐾 ~Zola & Frida~
  • HOWARD Kruize
    Apr. 28, 2026
    Marcie and Mitch were easy and great to work with. Daphne loved both of them.
  • Ryan Wenig
    Apr. 26, 2026
    Ramiro and his team were extremely knowledgeable and educational throughout the entire training process. We were dealing with resource guarding with our golden. They went above and beyond, even scheduling extra sessions with us for help. We were more than happy with the training we received and Goose seems like a much happier dog being able to control his emotions correctly. We will be recommending any future dog owners to Dog Training Elite!