The Truth about Dogs Repository

A curated, evidence-led repository on humane, force-free dog training — peer-reviewed studies, official positions, and expert voices, with sources you can check.

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Peer-reviewed2011

Rewards build better learners

Linked more reward use to better learning performance, more playfulness, and better engagement.

Dogs whose owners reported using more rewards tended to perform better in a novel training task.

Source details

Source

Training methods and owner–dog interactions: Links with dog behaviour and learning ability

Rooney & Cowan

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Evidence level

Primary evidence

Credibility

Last reviewed

May 30, 2026

Why we included it

Shows force-free training is compatible with strong learning outcomes.

GeneralWelfare