Force-free
Training that achieves the result without pain, fear or intimidation — no prong collars, no shock, no pinning or shouting a dog down.
Also called: positive only · R+ training · no aversives · reward based
Force-free is a commitment about the tools, not a promise that nothing is ever asked of the dog. Boundaries, structure and the word "no" all exist; what does not exist is anything that works by making the dog frightened of you.
The case for it is practical as much as ethical. Punishment reliably suppresses the behaviour in front of you, which is why it feels like it works, and it does nothing about the feeling underneath. In a fearful or aggressive dog that is a bad trade: you have removed the signal and kept the emotion.
It is also the approach the mainstream veterinary behaviour bodies now recommend, which matters when the label on the tin is the only thing an owner has to go on.