Choice Based Dog Training: Why Ethics Matter in Dog Care

Most dogs wake up in the morning with no idea what their day will hold.

They don't know if they'll get to walk somewhere interesting or somewhere boring.

They don't know if they'll have time to sniff or whether they'll be hurried along. They don't know if someone will want to cuddle them when they'd rather be left alone.

They don't know any of this because they have no say in it.

And that matters more than most of us realise.

We're generally pretty good at meeting our dogs' basic needs.

Food in the bowl. Water available. A comfortable place to sleep. Veterinary care when needed. Regular exercise.

But there's something deeper our dogs need. Something that doesn't appear on enough care checklists.

Control over their own lives.

Not complete control. They live in our world, and we need to keep them safe. But some control. Some influence. Some sense that their preferences and choices matter.

Choice based dog training recognises this need. And believe me it is a welfare need. It understands that dogs aren't just bodies to be managed and behaviours to be shaped.

They're sentient beings who need agency, autonomy and control - as much as we do. 

There is so much relevant research that tells us our dogs need control to be fulfilled and happy. 

Research supports the view that stress originates when an organism, in this case our dog, experiences a substantial reduction of predictability and controllability of relevant events.

Providing choices directly positively impacts animals' affective states by giving them a sense of control and agency, which is imperative for psychological and biological health.

Studies found that increases in complexity, choice, and control resulted in decreases in undesirable behaviours like agitated locomotion and scratching, and increases in desirable behaviours like calm locomotion, exploration, and play for marmosets. 

Research with gorillas and chimps demonstrated evidence of more positive affective states when given a choice between indoor and outdoor habitats compared to when no choice was given. 

Studies demonstrated that making choices serves as a primary reinforcer, such that animals enjoy making choices for the sake of making choices. 

Monkeys preferred to choose the order in which to complete tasks even when making such a choice did not lead to greater reward or more preferred outcomes than the non-choice scenario. 

This research directly supports the neuroscience findings about control being the active ingredient in wellbeing, not just for dogs but across species.

It's unsurprising that control is so important to dogs, after all - it's important to us. 

Imagine living in a world where every single decision is made for you.

Someone else decides when you eat, what you eat, when you sleep, when you go outside, where you go, who you interact with, what activities you do, when those activities stop.

Every moment of every day, controlled by someone else.

You'd feel it, wouldn't you? That constant low-level stress. That sense of powerlessness. That inability to ever fully relax because you never know what's coming next or whether you'll have any say in it.

Your nervous system would stay on alert.

Always scanning. Always tense. Never quite safe enough to truly rest.

That's what many of our dogs experience. Not because we're cruel. Not because we don't love them. But because we've never considered that control itself is a need.

Modern dog training has become kinder in many ways. We use rewards instead of punishment. 

We avoid physical corrections. We focus on positive reinforcement. And that's the good ones!

But we still control almost everything.

And that lack of control affects our dogs' wellbeing in ways we're only beginning to understand.

Here's what neuroscience tells us about control and wellbeing.

When an individual has no agency, no influence over what happens to them, their stress response stays activated. The nervous system remains vigilant, unable to fully regulate.

The need for control over their own life is imprinted into a dog's biology. 

The nervous system needs to feel that it has some power. That its responses matter. That it can influence outcomes in its own life.

Without that sense of agency, stress becomes chronic. Even in safe environments. Even with loving guardians. Even when all physical needs are met.

Dogs who lack control often show this stress in their behaviour. Some become anxious or hypervigilant. 

Others shut down, becoming compliant but emotionally disconnected. Some develop reactivity as their nervous system tries desperately to create some sense of control in an uncontrollable world.

Choice based dog training addresses this at its root. It gives dogs back some of the agency they need to feel truly safe.

Agency doesn't mean chaos. It doesn't mean dogs making every decision or having no boundaries.

It means giving dogs choices wherever we safely can.

In choice based dog training, agency might look like:

• Offering two different treats and letting your dog choose which one they want. 
• Asking if your dog wants to be stroked rather than just reaching for them. 
• Waiting for your dog to be ready before clipping on their lead. 
• Letting your dog decide how long to sniff during walks. 
• Respecting when your dog moves away from interaction.

These seem like small things. They are small things.

But to a nervous system that's been starved of control, these small choices are huge! Learn more about your dog's nervous system here.

Each choice tells your dog: you matter. Your preferences count. You have some power here.

And slowly, those messages accumulate into something profound. A dog who feels they have agency develops differently than one who doesn't.

They're calmer. More confident. Better able to regulate their emotions. More willing to engage cooperatively because cooperation feels like a choice, not a demand.

There's a difference between a dog who does what you ask because they've learned to comply and a dog who does what you ask because they genuinely choose to participate.

That difference shows in their body.

A compliant dog might perform beautifully. Sits, downs, stays, all executed perfectly. But there's often tension underneath. Stiffness in the body. Wariness in the eyes. A sense that they're going through motions they've learned are required.

A dog participating through genuine choice looks different. Their body is softer. Their engagement more open. There's a willingness that comes from knowing they could say no and that no would be respected.

Choice based dog training creates the second kind of relationship. Not through better rewards or cleverer techniques, but through fundamental respect for the dog's autonomy.

You might be thinking: but I can't give my dog choice about everything. They need structure. They need boundaries. I need to keep them safe.

You're right.

Dogs need guidance. They need our protection. They need us to make decisions that keep them healthy and safe.

But there's so much space between "no control at all" and "total freedom to do anything."

Most of us control far more than we actually need to. Not because it's necessary for safety, but because we haven't thought about whether we could do it differently.

• Could your dog choose which direction to walk sometimes? 
• Could they decide when they've sniffed enough rather than being pulled away? 
• Could they opt out of training when they're not feeling up to it? 
• Could they move away from touch they don't want?

Modern dog training rarely asks these questions. 

But choice based dog training starts with them.

Because every area where we can offer choice is an area where we can support our dog's nervous system to feel safer and more regulated.

Watch what happens when you start offering your dog genuine choices.

Even tiny ones. Which toy to play with. Which treat to take. Whether to come for a cuddle or stay in their bed.

Their body language changes. There's a softness that wasn't there before. A confidence. A sense of security that comes from knowing they have some influence over their own experience.

This is because choice is deeply regulating to the nervous system. When dogs can make decisions about their own bodies and activities, their stress response calms.

They don't need to stay on high alert, trying to predict and prepare for things they can't control. They can relax into the moment because they have agency within it.

That relaxation isn't just pleasant. It's neurologically necessary for wellbeing.

Dogs who feel they have some control are better able to learn, to form secure attachments, to regulate their emotions, to cope with challenges.

Choice based dog care doesn't just make life nicer for dogs. It makes them genuinely healthier.

One of the hardest parts of choice based dog training for many people is accepting their dog's "no."

Your dog moves away when you reach to pet them. Your dog walks off during a training session. Your dog refuses to greet a visitor.

Our instinct is often to override that no. To call them back. To encourage them to try again. To worry that we're "letting them get away with" something.

But what if that no is important information?

What if your dog is telling you they're overwhelmed, tired, uncomfortable, not ready? What if respecting that no is exactly what their nervous system needs in that moment?

Choice based dog training says: the no matters. The no is communication. The no deserves respect.

When we honour our dogs' "no," we teach them that their communication works. That they have power over their own bodies. That they're safe with us.

And paradoxically, dogs who know their "no" will be respected often say yes more freely. Because yes is a genuine choice, not a conditioned response or a survival strategy.

Modern dog training has come so far. We've moved away from dominance theory. We've embraced positive reinforcement. We understand so much more about how dogs learn and feel.

But we have further to go.

The next evolution of modern dog training isn't about better techniques or more effective rewards. It's about fundamentally reconsidering the relationship between humans and dogs.

It's about moving from "how do I get my dog to do what I want?" to "how do I build a life where my dog has agency alongside safety?"

That shift requires us to examine our own need for control. To ask ourselves honestly: where am I controlling things because I must, and where am I controlling things simply because I can?

Those questions aren't always comfortable. But they're necessary if we truly care about our dogs' wellbeing.

You don't need to revolutionise your entire life to start incorporating choice based dog training.

You just need to start noticing opportunities to offer choice.

Tomorrow morning, offer two different treats and see which one your dog takes.

Notice how they make that choice. Notice what it feels like to let them decide.

On your next walk, let your dog choose which direction to go. Follow their nose instead of your planned route. See what happens when they get to lead.

Before you stroke your dog, pause. Wait. See if they lean in or move away. Respect whichever they choose. Consent is important - read more about it here.  

These are small acts. But to your dog, they're huge!

Each one says: I see you. I respect you. You matter.

And that message, repeated over time, will regulate their system and make their life much more enjoyable for them. 

At its core, choice based dog training is about one simple thing.

Recognising that our dogs are not ours to control, but ours to care for. And care includes respecting their autonomy as sentient beings with preferences, feelings, and needs.

It includes giving them a voice in their own lives.

Not complete control. Not unlimited freedom. But genuine agency within the structure and safety we provide.

When we do this, we don't just improve behaviour. We improve lives. We create dogs who are calmer, more confident, more emotionally regulated.

Not because we've trained them to be. But because we've given them what they needed all along.

The feeling that they matter. That their choices count. That they have some power over their own existence.

Don't our dogs deserve that?

I think they do.

I think they've always deserved it.

We're just finally beginning to understand how much it matters.

If you're realising that your dog needs more agency, more choice, more respect for their autonomy, you're not alone in that shift.

In Skool For Dog People, we explore what it really means to give dogs choices. We look at nervous system science, trauma-informed approaches, scentwork, and nosework enrichment through the lens of agency and respect.

No pressure-based methods. No manipulation. Just genuine respect for dogs as sentient beings who deserve to have a say in their own lives.

Studies on Control and Wellbeing:

Zeuge, A., et al. (2023). To be or not to be stressed: Designing autonomy to reduce stress at work. Work, 74(2), 411-425. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-220419

Monis-Weston, D. (2011). Taking Control: Why Autonomy Reduces Stress. Informed Education. https://www.informededucation.com/taking-control-why-autonomy-reduces-stress/

Classic Learned Helplessness Research:

Seligman, M. E. P. (1967). Learned helplessness. Annual Review of Medicine, 23, 407-412.

Maier, S. F., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2016). Learned helplessness at fifty: Insights from neuroscience. Psychological Review, 123(4), 349-367. https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000033

Animal Welfare Research on Choice and Control:

Wiepkema, P. R. (1992). Stress and animal welfare. Animal Welfare, 1(4), 257-270. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0962728600014421

Englund, M. D., & Cronin, K. A. (2023). Choice, control, and animal welfare: definitions and essential inquiries to advance animal welfare science. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1250251

Broom, D. M., & Johnson, K. G. (2019). Stress and Animal Welfare: Key Issues in the Biology of Humans and Other Animals (2nd ed.). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32153-6

Wu, F., et al. (2025). The intricate relationship between stress and animal welfare: from historical perspective to new avenues. Biological Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70057