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Position statements
The AVSAB position statement on humane training, explained
The statement runs to four pages and 21 references, and it is quoted far more often than it is read. Here is what it actually says, what it rules out, and where its evidence is strong and where it is thin.
What it is
The statement is AVSAB's formal position on how dogs should be trained
The AVSAB position statement on humane dog training is a short, referenced document in which the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior sets out its view of training methods. It opens by saying that AVSAB promotes interactions with animals based on compassion, respect and scientific evidence, and that on those grounds reward-based learning offers the most advantages and the least harm to the learner's welfare.
It is a professional position, not a regulation, and its weight comes from who issued it and from the evidence it cites. AVSAB has kept it in force. A 2025 board statement on its website reaffirms the 2021 document, says AVSAB does not support aversive methods in any context, notes that an earlier AVSAB document suggesting aversives might sometimes be appropriate has been rescinded, and adds that AVSAB has not endorsed or opposed trainers from any particular organization.
What it says
What it says: teach what to do, manage the setting, and treat serious problems as a team
Its practical core is a handful of claims. Training methods work best, it says, when they focus on teaching the animal what to do rather than punishing it for unwanted behavior. Everyday problems such as jumping, barking and house training can be handled by arranging the environment well and reinforcing the right responses. For aggression, anxiety and fear it asks for more: a full treatment plan in which management and behavior modification work together, with medication where a veterinarian judges it necessary.
The frequently asked questions at the end add the detail owners tend to ask about. Reward-based training is not a free-for-all, since all animals learn best with structure, routine and guidelines, as long as those limits are taught without fear, intimidation or pain. Aggressive dogs are not an exception that justifies a heavy hand. And a trainer should communicate clearly and respectfully, with a learner that always feels safe and can opt out of a session.
- Reward-based methods for all training and behavior treatment
- Teach what to do instead of punishing what not to do
- Structure and boundaries, taught without fear or pain
- Serious fear or aggression: a full plan, with a veterinarian involved
- A learner that always feels safe and can step away
What it rules out
What it rules out: pain, intimidation, physical correction, flooding and dominance thinking
The list of exclusions is short and concrete, which makes it useful when you read a trainer's website. AVSAB's separate How to Choose a Trainer guide turns it into vocabulary: boss, alpha, pack leader, dominant or submissive, obey and command appear as red flags, and so does balanced training, while rewards, cues, building a bond, clicker training, force free and positive reinforcement appear as green flags.
The statement applies the same standard to veterinarians. Those referring clients for training should recommend trainers who are certified, humane and effective, interview and observe a trainer's methods where they can, and advise clients against anyone who talks about outdated dominance, leader-of-the-pack or alpha theories. It also names several education programs and professional organizations it regards as good signs.
| What the statement rules out | Examples it names | What a Dogtown plan uses instead |
|---|---|---|
| Tools that involve pain | Choke chains, prong collars, electronic shock collars | A flat collar or harness, a standard leash, a long line |
| Intimidation | Squirt bottles, shaker cans, compressed air, shouting, staring, alpha rolls | Calm handling, distance and a way out for the dog |
| Physical correction | Leash jerking, physical force | Rewards for the right choice, and a reset when it goes wrong |
| Flooding | Holding a dog in exposure until it stops reacting | Gradual desensitization at a level the dog can handle |
| Dominance thinking | Alpha and leader-of-the-pack theories, called outdated | Plans built on why the dog behaves as it does |
The evidence
The evidence behind it: consistent findings, mostly from surveys and small studies
The statement rests on three earlier literature reviews and a set of individual studies. It reports that dogs trained with aversive methods showed more stress behaviors during training, such as lip licking, a lowered body and yawning; that survey studies link aversive training with later aggression and anxiety; and that dogs trained with rewards paid more attention to their owners. One study it cites, by Rooney and Cowan in 2011, found dogs trained with physical punishment less likely to interact with their owners during play.
It is candid about limits in two places. Survey studies, it says, cannot tell cause from correlation: aversive methods may create problems, or owners of difficult dogs may be more likely to reach for aversive tools. And cortisol, the most common stress measure, rises with positive excitement as well as distress, so it has to be read alongside behavior. Its conclusion does not depend on any one study; across the evidence it finds real costs to welfare and to the bond, and no setting in which aversives teach better.
- Strong: consistent direction across many studies and reviews
- Limited: much of it from owner surveys, which cannot prove cause
- Limited: cortisol readings need behavior alongside them
- Conclusion: no context where aversives proved more effective
At Dogtown
How the statement shows up in a Dogtown board and train, and how to read it yourself
Dogtown's training is fear- and force-free and built on positive reinforcement, so a Foundation or Advanced stay follows the statement's recommendations from the assessment to the go-home lesson: management first, rewards for the behavior we want, replacement behaviors for the ones we do not, and none of the tools or techniques on its list. A dog with deep fear, aggression or anxiety is pointed toward an owner-present program, and toward its veterinarian where medication may help, as the statement advises.
Families can hold any program to the same standard, ours included. Start with our training form; the team replies within one hour on business days, the assessment with Gabriella Pope comes next, and the free evaluation runs on weekday mornings between 6:30 and 9:30 at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester. For drop-off, the Pup Van runs from four Cape Ann towns, Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, for $10 each way.
- 01
Open the statement from AVSAB's position statements page
- 02
Read the opening summary and the conclusion first
- 03
Read the frequently asked questions on techniques used and techniques avoided
- 04
Check the reference list for the studies behind each claim
- 05
Read the 2025 board statement that reaffirms the 2021 position
- 06
Compare any trainer's method page with the techniques it rules out
At Dogtown
Training that meets the standard
Board and train and every other Dogtown program follow AVSAB's reward-based recommendations, from the first session to the last lesson.
Pick-up & drop-off
The Pup Van comes to you.
Pup Van pick-up and drop-off is available for $10 each way in the Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea area. Not in the area? Ask us for pricing.
- Rockport
- Gloucester
- Essex
- Manchester-by-the-Sea
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
When was the AVSAB humane training statement published?
Does the statement ban e-collars?
Does reward-based training mean no rules?
Who is AVSAB?
What does the statement say about medication?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- AVSAB position statement on humane dog training (2021)
- AVSAB position statements, including the 2025 board statement
- AVSAB: How to Choose a Trainer
- AVSAB glossary of terms (2021)
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Reward-based, start to finish.
Ask us how any part of the AVSAB statement applies to your dog's plan. The training team answers within one hour on business days.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
