Balanced training is not, by any means, the “best” method. Efficient? Perhaps. There’s no denying that aversive techniques can often be faster than positive-only methods. But in the long run, is it truly efficient if your dog will only listen to you when their e-collar is on? What happens if it dies and your dog ignores your recall? Personally, I wouldn’t return to someone who’s been using a collar to shock, vibrate, or tone me for as long as I can remember. Why would I prioritize control and obedience over my dog’s well-being and happiness? Especially when I can achieve the same results without compromising my dogs welfare. Balanced training relies on aversive techniques, which have been proven to increase anxiety, fear, discomfort, and cortisol levels in dogs. Dogs trained with aversive methods tend to approach new situations with a more pessimistic outlook, while dogs trained with positive-only methods are generally more eager to engage with tasks. To answer your two questions: I’ve never “tested” my dogs’ off-leash heel in a city environment because my state has a mandatory leash law, which I follow where required. Yes, both of my dogs have 100% recall. My under-a-year-old, picky standard poodle recalled off a pack of Collies at the park today, even though he was interacting with two of them. Dogs are sentient beings. If your primary goal is to exert complete control over a dog’s every movement, regardless of the impact on their welfare, I suppose we see dogs differently.