A Dog Owner's Perspective

A Dog Owner's Perspective
on the Koehler Method
of Dog Training

This is my honest perspective as a dog owner who tried many other methods of dog training before discovering the Koehler Method.

When an expert veterinary behaviorist recommended giving up on my most difficult dog — one I simply could not get reliably trained — I knew I had to try something different. That's how I found the Koehler Method.

While the Koehler Method is often discussed, it is less often understood.

"I wish I had found the Koehler Method 20 years and 4 dogs ago."

Read On

This site is an owner's experience, not individual behavioural advice.

See It For Yourself

See what the Koehler Method produces.

Watch a real demonstration of a Koehler-trained dog — reliable, off-lead, in any environment.

Watch a Demonstration

My Story

How I got here

"I wish I had found the Koehler Method 20 years and 4 dogs ago."

My beautiful dogs over the last 20 years have all been the same — high-energy, working breeds who are physically strong, stubborn, highly social and distractable. That meant they were not easy to train using the methods you are most likely familiar with and which are promoted as the "only way to train or you're cruel."

I tried many experts and many methods with each of my dogs but I could never get them trained to a point where they could behave reliably in public or with visitors to our house. Given their size and strength, they were too much for the rest of my family to handle safely outside the home.

Some trainers told me to manage the situation by avoiding other dogs, walking at quiet times, or simply accepting that this was just who they were. Others said they simply weren't trainable — that their behaviour was something I'd just have to live with. My dogs were to be "managed" rather than "trained."

When an expert veterinary behaviorist recommended giving up on my most difficult dog — a dog I was no longer sure I could safely manage — after her advice didn't work, I knew I had to try something different.

That's when by pure chance I came across the Koehler method. I had since learned not to accept things at face value when it comes to dog training and that practical results in the real world mattered more than theoretical discussions online. The more I learned about the Koehler method from people who had actual experience in using it, the more interested I became.

I am sure there are other people out there in a similar situation to me. That is why I created this website.

The Method

What is the Koehler Method?

The Koehler Method is a structured, ten-week obedience programme that teaches dogs to think and make decisions, rather than simply react to food or commands. It uses a mixture of rewards and corrections — mechanical placement is used to teach each behaviour, corrections are only applied after the dog has been properly taught, and praise is used as the reward for getting it right. The result is a dog that is reliably obedient on and off lead, in any environment, for life.

The method was developed by William R. Koehler, one of the most experienced animal trainers of the twentieth century. He began his career as principal trainer at the War Dog Training Center in California during World War II. After the war, he became chief trainer for the Orange Empire Dog Club — at the time the largest dog club in the United States — and went on to serve as the chief animal trainer for Walt Disney Studios for more than 20 years, working on films including The Shaggy Dog, The Incredible Journey, and Big Red.

He began training dogs and their owners in group classes and private sessions in 1946. Over the following sixteen years, the method was refined through direct, real-world practice. In 1962, he committed the system to print, producing a book that remains in circulation to this day. According to his obituary in the New York Times, more than 25,000 dogs had been trained in classes instructed by William R. Koehler or his instructors over the course of his career.

More than 78 years on, the Koehler Method is still being taught. That kind of longevity doesn't happen by accident.

"Reliability off lead should always be the most significant criterion when evaluating and comparing training methods."

— William R. Koehler, 1962

A Personal Recommendation

The Book — The Koehler Method of Dog Training

William R. Koehler, 1962. Still in print.

Before I tried the method, I read this book. I'd suggest anyone do the same before forming a strong opinion either way. The front of the book — where the method itself is laid out — still holds up and would be considered a "balanced" approach using modern terminology. It's clear, direct, and practical. When followed correctly, it is fair and reasonable.

A NOTE ABOUT THE BOOK

The back section contains a more "old school" problem dog section that's in addition to the standard basic obedience program, and it's often the part critics looking back today reach for when making their case against the method. But critics leave out an important point — this section was written a long time ago for problem dogs when all else has failed and the next step for the dog is euthanasia. Ninety-nine percent of dogs won't need this section. That's worth keeping in mind.

Serious aggression or safety risks require qualified professional help.

Buy Kindle Edition on Amazon Buy a Second-Hand Copy on AbeBooks Find a Trainer

What I Noticed

Things I noticed

When I started learning the Koehler method, I found it to be a fun and practical method that can lead to off leash control in ten weeks. I also soon discovered it is not very well understood. These are the things I noticed.

Koehler uses rewards far more than corrections

Before I tried the method I assumed corrections would be the main event. They weren't. The method uses mechanical placement to teach each behaviour — the dog is guided through the correct position so it cannot fail to get it right, and then praised for doing so. From the very first session, the dog is earning real praise honestly. The dog does it right, and the dog is praised. Every time.

Corrections are only applied after a behaviour has been properly taught — the dog is never corrected for something it hasn't yet learned. By the time corrections came into play, they were infrequent and milder than most people would expect. There are many "balanced" trainers on the internet giving frequent and harsh corrections that you would never see in the Koehler method.

The results came faster than I expected

By week three of the course, my puppy was more well-behaved in public than almost every other older dog at the dog park or on walks — most of whose owners were walking around with bum bags full of treats.

I started getting comments from people who noticed. One woman at the local park, trying to train her dog with treats and getting nowhere, looked exasperated at her dog and exclaimed — "Why can't you behave like that puppy?!"

That was week three.

My dog learned to think, not just obey

This one took me by surprise.

Koehler teaches the dog to problem-solve: to work out, from the feedback it receives, what the right choice is. By the time the training is complete the dog isn't waiting to be told what to do — it's making decisions. Good ones. That shift, from a reactive animal to a dog that thinks through a situation, is something you have to see to fully appreciate.

Problem behaviours disappear

I expected to have to address my dog's problem behaviours separately. I didn't.

With Koehler, most problem behaviours self-extinguish as the dog moves through the course. The reason is that the training instils a new level of responsibility — as the dog becomes more attentive to its role, its character shifts.

My dog gets to go places other dogs can't

The structure of the training doesn't restrict the dog's world. It expands it.

A Koehler-trained dog's obedience gives it genuine freedom. Because the dog is reliably off leash — not just in a quiet backyard, but around other dogs, in busy places, in the moments that used to be a problem — it can go places most dogs simply can't be trusted to go. Off leash walks. Busy public spaces. Social situations with other dogs.

The dog learns to make better choices for itself — including choosing not to bolt through an open door, not because it's on a leash, but because it understands its role.

Freedom comes from the obedience, not despite it. It liberates the dog — freeing it from needing leashes, muzzles, and e-collars in situations where other dogs can't be trusted.

Others Say

I'm not the only one

When I was looking into this, I kept coming across accounts from other owners. A few of them stuck with me.

I used this method to train puppies and dogs for competition and I can tell you for sure — if you want rock solid reliability, this is the method for you. It teaches dogs responsibility; they understand it's their job to perform correctly and reliably every time. They learn that opportunities only get better when they make good decisions — going places and doing things most people would never do with an unreliable dog. When I competed, I could always tell the dogs trained with treats or toys, because those things only work until something more interesting happens. Having a dog focused only on food or toys will work — just not a hundred percent of the time.

Obedience Competitor

"My relationship with my pup took a complete turn when I began using this method. I can definitely attest to the positive changes in behaviour that result from following it consistently. Relying solely on positive reinforcement did no favours to me or my dog — especially once he hit adolescence. In my personal experience with a large, active, highly intelligent and oftentimes stubborn breed, this method works wonders."

Goodreads Reviewer

"My first dog was trained in a Koehler obedience class — off leash by the eighth lesson. After the very first lesson, she stopped charging at things. Her beautiful manners and focus remained all her life. She walked by my side with a slack leash, and her sit-stays and down-stays were reliable up to several minutes."

Long-Time Owner

"My grandfather was a professional dog trainer who swore by the Koehler method for his upland bird hunting dogs — still to this day the best behaved dogs I ever knew. A friend trained my family dog the same way, and that training stuck with him through the rest of his very long life. That trainer also had an Airedale who was, again, one of the best behaved dogs I've ever met."

Second-Generation Advocate

"I trained my late Akita in the Koehler method. He was very well behaved and a nuisance to no one. I took him out in public very frequently — the kind of dog you could take anywhere."

Akita Owner

"I started training in obedience and working with problem dogs years ago using the Koehler Method and never had an unsuccessful experience."

Problem Dog Trainer

"I've been using the Koehler method since the mid-70s. It's fantastic, and works perfectly."

50 Years with the Method

For What It's Worth

Setting the record straight

The Koehler Method gets a lot of criticism online — most of it from people who haven't even read the book. I don't think it's best to listen to people who are theorising about something they haven't seen applied properly by someone who knows what they're doing.

Misconception 01

"It is a harsh, punishment-based method."

Critics who describe the method as primarily correction-based, as Tony Ancheta puts it directly on his site, "can't read."

The Koehler method uses both rewards and corrections. In today's language, it would be considered a "balanced" approach to dog training.

Corrections are far less frequent — and far milder — than critics tend to assume. Corrections are only applied after a behaviour and its command have been properly taught first. The dog is never corrected for something it hasn't yet learned. Proper application means corrections are infrequent because of the lead-up work in teaching the behaviour.

When a dog successfully performs a behaviour, it is rewarded with praise from its owner.

I was praising my dog much more than correcting them when training with Koehler.

Corrections are typically done with a leash. And remarkably, by week seven of the method, the dog isn't wearing a leash at all.

Misconception 02

"Modern positive methods have made this obsolete."

There are many ways to train dogs. There is no perfect method, only trade offs.

Modern treat-based training works — but up to a point. The question is what happens when something more interesting than your treat appears. That's the moment where I kept finding other methods fell short, often when I was in public and exactly when I needed my dog to obey me for their safety and that of others.

Many "pure positive" trainers will often declare a dog untrainable if they can't change the dog with treats. More difficult or dangerous dogs are often recommended to be euthanised when "pure positive" fails to work — and how dare an owner suggest other training methods before contemplating killing their dog.

The Koehler method will give you a well-behaved and reliable dog. But you need to put in the effort and time, and apply the method diligently.

Misconception 03

"It damages the bond with your dog."

The Koehler method, applied correctly, is designed to do the opposite — the dog learns clearly what is expected, receives genuine praise when it performs well, and over time develops confidence rather than anxiety. The dogs most often described by Koehler-trained owners are settled, willing, and engaged — not fearful.

Even dogs with a history of abuse respond well, because the method gives them a clear framework and consistent praise for correct behaviour, rather than fixating on their fear.

Misconception 04

"It only suits certain breeds or temperaments."

Koehler has been used to successfully train all breeds and temperaments of dogs — from miniature poodles to Great Danes.

Find a Trainer

In-Person and Online Training

If reading this has made you want to actually try the method, I would recommend finding someone who genuinely knows it. It will make following the steps listed in the book much easier.

Tony Ancheta at koehlerdogtraining.com is the most experienced Koehler instructor — and importantly, he offers remote instruction, so location is no barrier.

Tony also maintains a directory of Koehler-trained instructors for those who prefer in-person instruction. You can see if someone is near where you are.

Visit koehlerdogtraining.com

1946

The method began — and has run continuously since

25,000+

Dogs trained under Koehler or his instructors

10 wks

To reliable off-leash control

A Dog Owner's Perspectiveon the Koehler Methodof Dog Training