29 Apr Cookies are Lame (Sometimes)

A commonly misunderstood component of force free training is what counts as a reward. ‘Cookie slinging’ trainers, if they’re any good, will be the first to point out that using only food is a good way to fail. Why? Because food isn’t always rewarding, and you won’t always have food available.

All dogs have to eat, and most find doing so rewarding in at least a handful of situations. Not many dogs are going to find eating all that rewarding when they’re full, really excited, or really nervous.

Ella goes for the greener smells

Ignoring non food rewards means discarding an incredibly effective training tool. So what counts as a reward? Whatever your dog wants most at that particular time. For instance, a social pup might be happy to work for a treat most of the time, but ignore food as soon as a canine friend appears. The best reward was food, but as soon as a dog appeared, the best reward became saying hi to that dog. Having your pup sit calmly until given the ok to say hi turns that life experience into a life reward. Recognizing and implementing these life rewards is one of the most essential parts of a successful training program.

Every dog likes different things, and will find some more rewarding than others. We call this a hierarchy of rewards. Take a few minutes and write down all the things your dog enjoys.

Here are a few things one of my pups, Whiskey, loves- in order of motivational value (according to her):

Food rules!

• Food
• Play with humans
• Socializing with known dogs
• Socializing with known humans
• Chasing critters
• Praise/ attention

For her, food and play are major parts of her training regime.

Just give Jade anything novel..

Just for a little contrast, here’s my other pup, Jade’s:

• Human attention of any kind- especially with kids!
• Playing tug
• Exploring new smells
• Running fast
• Food
• Cuddling

For Jade, food is nice but not always what she really wants. Training with her usually means a toy and lots of enthusiasm on my part.

Or time with a kid.

Heres a list- far from exhaustive- of other possible rewards:

 Smelling the pmail                                     Visiting dog park                                  Going for a walk

Moving forward on a walk                           Petting                                               Saying hi to dogs

 Saying hi to adults                                        Saying hi to kids                                      Brushing

Performing tricks                                 Going to the doggie toy store                       Running

Happy visits to the vet                               Laying on your bed                               Cuddling on the couch

Walking slowly                      Peeing on things (outside,  hopefully)               Walking fast

  Pulling a cart                                              Hunting with smell                                 Meeting strangers

Going to a dog friendly restaurant              Visiting the country                         Rolling in grass

Visiting a busier part of the city                   New walking routes                          Not going new places

 Human interaction                                      Chasing squirrels                                      Playing fetch

 Playing tug                                              Playing with a dog friend                             Playing chase

Posing for pictures

…and all sorts of other stuff. What does your pup love most, and how can you use that to motivate him? Be creative!

Roscoe thinks jumping after leaves is the Best. Thing. EVER!