Table 2.

Categorisation of training aids/methods in the 21-month survey presented to owners of UK Pandemic Puppies acquired <16 weeks of age between 1 July and 31 December 2020. Division of common training methods/aids presented to owners into operant conditioning quadrants. † New option derived from qualitative content analysis of free text to the response “Other” (Section 2.6).

Operant Conditioning Quadrant Grouping	Individual Options
Rewards-based: Positive Reinforcement (R+)/Negative Punishment (P−)	Allowing sniffing time/interaction with the environment
	Clicker training (secondary conditioned stimulus)
	Food/treats
	Physical touch, e.g., stroking or patting
	Playing with other dogs
	Playing with you/another household member
	“Time out”: shutting your dog away within the home, away from people (e.g., in another room, in their crate)
	“Time out”: shutting your dog outdoors (e.g., in the garden/yard or an outside kennel)
	Toys
	Verbal praise
	† Restricting access to a desired behaviour/resource until an appropriate behaviour is displayed (e.g., stopping when your dog pulls on the lead, ignoring them if they jump up, etc.)
Aversive: Negative Reinforcement (R−)/Positive Punishment (P+)	Anti-bark “Husher” muzzle
	Bark-activated citronella/vibration/ultrasonic collar
	Choke/check chain
	Electric boundary fence
	Electric collar
	Head collar
	Lead corrections (e.g., quickly yanking back on/jerking the lead if your dog pulls)
	Pet Corrector™ (Chertsey, UK)
	Physical correction (e.g., smacking, tapping their nose, hitting, pinching)
	Physically moving your dog (e.g., pushing on your dog’s hindquarters to get them into a sit, pushing them off furniture or pushing them down if they jump up at you)
	Prong collar
	Rattle bottle/cans/discs as a distractor
	Rubbing their nose in faeces/urine if they toilet in an inappropriate location
	Shouting at them or telling them off
	Slip lead
	Water pistol/spray bottle
	† Chew deterrent (e.g., bitter apple spray, mustard, etc.)