Is reward-based dog training the same as bribery? Are we bribing dogs to behave? Is there something wrong with constantly rewarding dogs?
Let’s break it down into terms even our most resistant students understand instantly. You have a job. You love all aspects of your job – the work you do, the place you do it, the people you work with. It’s an ideal situation and you couldn’t be happier.
Would you still do it if you didn’t get paid?
Your dog’s job is to be a great companion, a member of the family who conforms to the rules of the household. When your dog does a good job – shouldn’t they get paid, too?
Because we say so!
At a certain toddler age, every child goes through a “Why?” stage – questioning everything. It’s a normal part of development, but that doesn’t mean it’s not sometimes frustrating. At some point, everyone has lost patience and said “Because I say so!”
At this point the child understands only that you’re angry with them. They don’t understand the source of the anger, or what happened to change the mood. Neither does your dog.
Even adult dogs are persistent toddlers. The smartest dogs in the world will never go to college, never support themselves, never become responsible taxpayers. We choose to be their guardians throughout their lives.
Asking your dog to consistently do what you want, without any hope of reward, is unrealistic. “Because I say so” only works some of the time. “Because you love me” only works some of the time. Without some kind of reward, your dog has no reason to do as you ask. Is it bribing your dog to behave? Maybe. Do we care?
Rewards come in different forms
It doesn’t mean you have to be a constant “Pez dispenser” as one of our students phrased it. It does mean that your dog’s good behavior should be acknowledged – with words, play, pets, scratches, treats, or anything your dog loves. Our article “Lots of ways to reward your dog” discusses this in more depth.
Give your dog a reason to choose wisely. The more you reward your dog for making good choices, the better they’ll become at choosing. What gets rewarded gets repeated.
So is it bribery? Some may see it that way. The promise of a reward is motivating for both people and dogs. So – pay your dog.
Luring vs. rewarding
Actually, luring, which is not the best dog training, is more akin to bribery. We like to think of positive reinforcement training, reward-based training, as the best bargain you can make with your dog. They get what they want when we get what we want. Sounds like a good deal for everyone.
If you consider it bribing dogs, we’re okay with that. It gets results, that that’s what matters.
