Positive training is the buzz word around at the moment but it means different things to different people.

Positive training means rewarding the dog for the behaviours that you ask for. Reward can be praise, food treats, toys, environmental (swimming, digging, running, sniffing). But it needs to be what the dog considers rewarding- if your dog doesnt like swimming it is not very rewarding.

Positive training means not punishing the dog. This one seems obvious in that you shouldnt hit your dog. However, the next level down can be harder to determine- me using a firm voice (not yelling) with one of my dogs is fine but with another would be punishing. 

To me positive training is also about listening to your dog.For example several of my dogs find staying still very hard. As I try to be positive in my training but at times they also need to be still I need to be careful how I do this. So I use crates or pens which they are happy in - introduce crates etc as being a safe place to relax from the being. Then I also teach mat work so they understand that when they are on their mats it is a calm place to be. But I also try and  avoid the conflict of being on their mat and me doing something exciting. Why not because I have found that while they will wait on their mats while I am working another dog their heads are spinning so much  that they are no longer in a learning situation. With one of my previous dogs I saw that inspite of lots of rewards for being on the mat and training it from early on - it was just too hard for him and it started to create negative associations with both the mat and working with me.  So knowing more now and trying to be positive in my association I would no longer do this with my dogs who stress when they are still and have too much time to think.  Many other dogs  that I work with  find the opposite in that it provides a clear indication of what is expected of them. 

I find similar things when I am teaching waits  and weaves.  So as a positive trainer I work hard on very short periods on these things and huge high value rewards.

But my point is that positive training is about more than treats and lack of force but is about working with the dogs personality and needs to reach your goals in a way that respects the dog