To Treat or Not to Treat

To Treat or Not to Treat

 

That is the Question?!

 

When is food valuable in training and when are we over using it and relying on it?

Using food can be a valuable tool in teaching your dog through the training process. Food has to be valuable to your dog and can act as a motivator to get them to perform a desired behavior.  We can use food as a lure during the teaching phase of training to lead them into different positions. Food can be used during all stages of training as a reward to pay them for a job well done. While we can treat and reward through all training stages we shouldn't rely on it or use it as a bribe.

1st step in using Food in training is to find a valuable treat for your dog. All dogs differ in what they find motivating or valuable, some arent interested in food at all. If your dog isn't interested in food don't keep shoving treats in his face. If he doesnt find it valuable and takes it from you but isnt interested in working for it, it is not a valuable reward. He/She may be just as happy with an enthusiastic "Good Boy". There are lots of dogs that aren't food motivated and we work with you and them to find another way that works for them. Or you may not have found the right kind of treat yet!

Some dogs are motivated to work for a piece of kibble, while others don't budge until you bring out the hot dogs. I vary my type of rewards based on the level of distractions present and how well they know what I am asking for or if I am motivating to teach something new. At home your pup might be excited about the Kibble but you can't get him to focus in class or at the park. And you "Don't understand he loves this at home" - Yes at home without the real world going on around him I bet he does. But in a new place, with distractions and teaching something new I prefer to use the best stuff! I want my dog to make the association early on that I am the most fun and always have the best stuff.

We use a combination of the following treats and find what motivates the dog we are working with :

• Kibble at home practicing something the dog is familiar with
• Freeze dried beef liver - pure bites brand (high value, easily broken up into smaller pieces with minimal crumbling) - teaching something new or out in public
• Stella & Chewys (Freeze Dried Raw - Beef) - we refer to this as doggy crack. - teaching something new or out in public we often use Stellas
• Sliced up Hot Dogs (Slimy and stinky but sometimes its whats needed!) Special occasions - high value distractions
• String Cheese - tear pieces off or slice it up - use with distractions or teaching something new

Nutrition wise, Hot Dogs and String Cheese shouldn't necessarily be a daily part of your dogs diet but can be a valuable tool if your dog isn't motivated by the others. Or to use it as something extra special. Example: I can have a stranger offer my shy dog a treat but instead of it being the same old treat she gets for training that she knows she can get from me later she gets hot dogs from the stranger. Making the fear of going to see the stranger worth the valuable reward she is receiving.

Once you have found a treat that your dog values you can use it for the beginning stages in training and lure your dog into the correct position. To lure the dog properly you stick the food in front of the dogs nose to grab their attention, Give the command and lead them to where you want them or use the food to help them position their bodies in a certain way. (Example: Sit! Stick your dogs treat in front of their nose and Say Sit then start to lure the food straight up over their head slowly and the second their butt hits the ground you reward and Release them with "Free") You can lure the dog to walk next to you in a heel position and reward when they are sitting next to you. You can lure the dog in to the front of you for a recall "Come" / "Here" command. Most basic commands can be taught using food as a lure.

Food can be used as a motivation to stay in a position. Once your dog is in the desired position you can walk back to them and say "Good" and then Reward. Using a word helps to make a positive association with the word if you reward every time after the word. Later when we aren't using food as often and have faded food out your dog will hear "good" and have the positive association. "Good" to my dog means: Keep doing what your doing. Good things will come. My dog still wags his tail when I say "Good" even though he rarely gets treats anymore for the commands he knows.

Treats can be used as a form of Payment of a job well-done. Through training we want to generalize all of our commands so that our dogs will listen and follow directions all the time and anywhere: In public, new places and with distractions. If my dog Sits the 1st time when asked and can hold their Sit command until released at home then I no longer need to treat for that command in that setting. If my dog holds his sit while I answer the door for the ups man that I should treat for. Or I take the time to correct him back into his sit 3 times and by the 3rd time i can walk to the door without him breaking - now its time to come in and reward because that was difficult for him. You know your dog and know what they can do well and is easy for them and what they are still having trouble with.

While Food has major value in dog training it can also be a burden if used incorrectly. I hear lots of people say he will do it if theres a cookie.. and no cookie - no command.  If you tell your dog to Down and he doesn't you DON"T then get out the bag of cookies and repeat your down command and he quickly gets into the down position because now there is something to work for. You have just taught your dog not to down unless the treat bag is out, OR to hold out until there is something better. When your dog doesn't down the 1st time either you need to go back to square 1 in your training because he may not understand it, OR you have taught it properly and he is blowing you off in this moment and you need to correct him. We want to avoid using food as a bribe. Anytime I have to correct my dog for a behavior they failed to perform, I want to release them or attempt the behavior again until it is successful with no corrections so I can end it on a reward and a good note. If my dog is in a down and a kid walks by waving an ice cream cone if my dog breaks his down i dont get the cookies out and bribe him back into the down position.  You have just taught your dog to break their command more often to get another treat.  If your dog is holding a down and they break correct them then if possible ask the child to walk by again and when your dog is successful reward him. Pay him for a job well done. Don't bribe him into doing a behavior he knows for you.

Only treat for Effort, Enthusiasm and Attention. If you reward for So-So or Good enough behavior then your dog will learn to only do good enough. While your luring and teaching commands Rewarding for progress and effort is O.K.  Once your dog understands the concept make them work for the treat. Make them earn it and get it perfect. Heeling next to you is one where I see a lot of people make this mistake. Heel: Dog is walking next to you and Sits at your side when you stop.  If your dog understands this and is sitting readily when you stop but is sitting crooked and a 90 degree angle to you instead of next to you DONT reward! Say heel and move forward again and when your dog sits in Heel position praise and reward. If you are treating for good enough - you will never get to where you want to be and your dog will only perform mediocre behavior because they are getting a cookie anyway why work harder?
Expect more and your dog will give you more.
Change how you use food with your dog and you will see a change in your dogs behavior and your relationship.

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