Tag: reward-based training

The hardest part of dog training

What do you think is the hardest part of dog training?

There are lots of possibilities; timing, coordination, remembering, getting focus, carving out the time to play training games. But all of those are just a matter of practicing. They all get easier with experience. The more training games you play with your dog, the better you get at it.

The “Winner” is

The hardest part of dog training is doing nothing. It’s standing like a statue, not saying anything, not doing anything, while your dog acts a fool. She’s barking, jumping, biting at the leash. 

The hardest part of dog training is doing nothing when your dog is misbehaving.

If you’re in public, it’s embarrassing and you want to make her stop. If you’re at home, it’s still annoying and you want her to knock it off.

The best thing you can do is stand there, hands folded, silent. When her little temper tantrum wears off, she’ll probably remember that sitting quietly gets her the attention, and reward, that she wants. It can be annoying, frustrating, even infuriating, to wait for that moment. But it’s worth it.

Let the dog decide

If we “make” our dog behave, by holding their collar or tightening the leash, we’re giving them exactly what they want – our complete attention. We’re reacting to them, instead of waiting for them to choose better and get rewarded for good behavior. Waiting for your dog to “see the light” can be a painful process. But it’s worth it. We teach our dogs how to get what they want, instead of letting the dog manipulate us.

It’s really, really hard not to snatch your hand away when your dog starts nibbling at it to get the treats. (The “Whatcha gonna do?” game in Book 4: Impulse Control.) But the motion of lifting your hand looks, to your dog, like you’re engaging in the game he chose. Yelling at your dog for barking is “playing” the barking game, seen from the dog’s perspective.

Think, don’t react

Doing nothing is the hardest part of dog training. But sometimes it’s the only way to show our dogs how to choose better. Pay close attention to your own reactions to your dog’s silly/obnoxious behaviors. Are you inadvertently encouraging it? Do you engage with your dog when he’s acting the fool? 

Try ignoring it, instead. If he’s really being obnoxious, walk away. If he persists, go into the bathroom and lock him out. When he quiets down and his brain engages again, reward it! Play a rowdy game of tug, or fetch! Play on your terms, not when your dog dictates.

Right and wrong are different

Show your dog what right and wrong look like. Right should be full of energy, treats, toys, play, and fun. Wrong should be dull. Not nearly as much fun as being good.

As soon as your dog chooses wisely, reward, reward, reward! Making good choices is the foundation of game-based dog training. Love it when you see it!

Dog decision making – help your dog choose wisely

Dogs, like people, are always making decisions. Which toy should I play with? Is this the best chewy toy in the house? Which bush should I pee on? She called me – should I “come?” The crux of positive reinforcement training is guiding dog decision making. Building the understanding that what you want, and what your dog wants, are the same thing.

We’ve talked before about dogs not caring about being “good.” They don’t even know what it is. Dogs will always do the “thing” that’s most valuable to them. It’s our job to build value in good decisions.

For example:

Fran’s 2-year-old Boston Terrier Simon doesn’t always love Hope’s 6-year-old French Bulldog Torque. For unknown reasons, he just rubs him the wrong way sometimes. 

We watch the interactions between the two very carefully. During supervised play times, Simon wears a leash that Fran hangs onto. It’s not to drag him back, it’s to prevent contact. Torque will try and get away when Simon loses his temper. The leash is to make sure Simon doesn’t follow. 

When Simon’s body language tells us that he might be taking umbrage, Fran calls him to her. She’s been doing this consistently. Last night we were delighted to see him make a wonderful decision. Simon was losing his cool, his hackles started to raise, he was staring at Torque. We saw it and Fran started calling Simon in a happy voice – one that he knows always results in rewards. 

He thought about it. You could see him pause. And then he ran over to Fran, away from Torque, and was completely and thoroughly praised and rewarded.

Make it worthwhile

Simon is always rewarded for making good decisions.

Would Simon have made the same, good decision, if it didn’t “pay?” He could very well have gotten supreme satisfaction from going after the other dog. He didn’t because he knew that Fran would praise him, play with him, and give him treats for going to her. It was more rewarding to Simon to be doted on. Good dog decision making, Simon!

That’s why you never call your dog to you for something he/she doesn’t like. If your dog hates getting a bath, go and get him/her. Don’t try to fool your dog, either. Don’t call him/her into the bathroom, give a treat, and then shove him/her in the tub. Not fair. 

Never too late for training good dog decision making

Positive reinforcement, and 2-Minute-Trainer training games, are all about guiding our dogs into making the best choices. Being a “good dog” may not be something dogs understand. Getting rewarded is speaking their language. Dogs will repeat behavior that’s rewarded. They’re smart enough to discard what doesn’t work for them.

Your attention, treats, and play are all rewards your dog will try to get. When you witness your dog making a good decision, be sure he/she is lavishly rewarded. You can’t “spoil” your dog with praise, treats, or playtime. 

There’s no such thing as too much praise for good behavior. If you slack off, or let good dog decision making go unnoticed, you’ll lose it. Dogs are wonderful, adaptable creatures. They’re also in the “what have you done for me lately” camp. If something that used to get rewarded no longer does, they’ll stop doing it.

Lots of ways to reward your dog

Some people think that reward-based training will result in fat dogs. Or that dogs trained with rewards will “work” only when treats are visible. These concerns may make those people reluctant to embrace training that’s solely reward based – even though it’s proven more effective than any system that includes punishment.

Know your dog

Depending on the dog, some rewards are more valuable, and therefore more motivating than others. (Read more about the timing and placement of rewards.)

Some dogs love toys. Knowing that being “good” will result in a  short tug session is the ultimate reward for these dogs.

Others couldn’t care less about toys, or tugging. For them, only food will serve as a reward. 

Still other dogs, although we’ve never had one, are thrilled with praise and petting. Just that attention from their people is all they need for reinforcement. 

Knowing your dog and what motivates him/her lets you create a unique “tool set” for rewarding your dog. 

Hierarchy of rewards

The "Moople" rubber toy has lots of value for Simon.

If you have a toy-driven dog, you also know which toys are his/her favorites and which are playable if nothing else is available. If your training session is at home, with no distractions, the less-favored toy is fine. Using that will let you get back to training after just a few seconds of tugging.

If you’re out with your dog in a place with distractions, use a toy that’s more valuable. If it’s someplace your dog gets stressed, “up the ante” even more and bring out the favorite toy. 

We’ve never seen a dog that didn’t have preferences with toys. Some dogs are fanatics for balls. For these guys, be sure to get balls on ropes so you can be part of the fun. The last thing you want is for your dog to grab the toy and dash off during a 2-Minute-Dog-Training session. 

Other dogs like ropes, or plush toys. Some are into vinyl or latex toys. It shouldn’t be a problem to have a variety on hand. And keep the “reward” toys separated – use only for training sessions. If and when they become stale, you can switch them out for others. We always have a bin of toys hidden away because toys the dogs haven’t seen in a few months are equivalent to new. And new toys are always best.

Food works the same way

Treat trail mix.

If your dog loves food rewards best, a “trail mix” of goodies works for every training session. Most dogs see dry food every meal, so it’s not as exciting. But it makes a great mix-in with Cheerios, bits of cheese, or even small pieces of hot dog. If your dog never knows what the next morsel will be, he/she will stay interested and motivated.

Again, if you’re playing where there are no distractions, chances are the kibble will be fine on its own. In a high-stress place, or with lots of distractions, the ratio should slant heavily toward your dog’s most-favorite bite. 

You know your dog best and can adjust the “trail mix” accordingly. Hope’s French Bulldog Torque thinks celery is the most wonderful food on the planet. It may be weird, but it works for them.

Praise as reward

We’ve never had a dog that was satisfied with just praise as a reward for a “job well done.” They always look at us like “yeah, that was fine. Show me the money (toy, food)!” 

But if you do, it’s a wonderful thing. Just by varying your pitch and volume, you can change the excitement and reward level for your dog. You always have your voice and hands with you, so there’s no excuse not to reward your dog.

Not “light” travelers

For the rest of us, there’s always some preparation when we go somewhere with our dogs. The more pockets we have, the happier we are. Aside from the mandatory leash and poop bag, we need the pouch (or sandwich bag) of treats, and a toy or two. And the most important thing we can bring – focus.

Too often we see it. People supposedly walking their dogs with their entire attention focused on the phone in their hands. The dog is at the end of the leash, paying no attention to the person. The disconnect is sad to see. Dogs adore their people and want nothing more than their attention. These dogs have learned to live without it and entertain themselves. Both person and dog would enjoy their walks so much more if they engaged with each other.

Dogs understand the bottom line

What’s the bottom line for your dog? What are the things that he or she values most? And how can you use those high-ticket items to shape the behavior you want?

The entire basis for successful, science-based, 2-Minute-Trainer dog training is a compact we have with our dogs: they get what they want when we get what we want. It’s the best deal anyone’s ever made. Our dogs understand what’s expected of them and know they’ll be rewarded, comfortable, and loved. And we have loyal, loving, well-behaved, and adorable companions.

Adding value for everyone

What things are dearest to your dog? Is it food? Food-motivated dogs are a pleasure to train. Gratification is almost instantaneous. 

Do toys and play rate highest for your dog? So much fun to be had by all with training games.

Humans and dogs both have a rating system for rewards. For most people, chocolate is more rewarding than Brussels Sprouts. Think about your dog’s preferences. One of ours adores celery – it’s a very high-value treat. When we really want him to pay attention, we have celery in our treat pouch.

Likewise, some toys are more important than others to toy-loving dogs. If you’re playing a training game, think about whether your dog will give up the toy to go back to the game, or if it’s so precious to him/her that he’ll lose interest in the game and focus instead on the reward.

Transferring the value

Simon has value for the balance disc - he gets lots of treats when he's on it.

You can use the things that your dog prizes make other “things” valuable. For example: we have our dogs work on balance and fitness on an inflatable balance disc. (A couch cushion can work just as well. For more on this, go to the post.) Whenever our dogs get up on that disc, they are rewarded. Every single time. That balance disc is one of the most valuable things in the house to every one of our dogs because they know its value.

From the dog’s perspective, it’s not the “thing.” It’s what happens when he interacts with the thing. 

Say you want to start the “put your toys away” game. Start with the “thing” that you want your dog to pick up. You can use any household item; a spatula, a paper towel tube, an empty plastic jar, whatever you want.

Put the thing down in front of the dog. When he looks at it, reward. And offer the reward close to the “thing.” In almost no time, the “thing” acquires value. Dog thinks: “When I look at it (touch it, pick it up, carry it) I get something great every time. I love that thing!”

Transfer the value

It works no matter what. You can add value to any object or place, just by consistently showing your dog it’s important. Dogs love us and want to please us, but they’re also sufficiently selfish to do what benefits them. Dogs will repeat behaviors that have value. That’s every dog’s bottom line.

Don’t Kill the Clicker!

The Clicker is a wonderful training tool

Your clicker is a wonderful training tool. Don’t kill the clicker by overusing it.

You’ll be amazed how quickly your dog will learn to respond to the clicker. He may even smile and/or wag when he hears it. 

So it’s tempting, when your dog is off exploring and you need him to come quickly, to reach for the clicker.

Put it down …

Think twice! Then put the clicker down.

If you use the clicker to call your dog it becomes your “come” or “recall” command and stops being useful for anything else.

It becomes “come get a cookie” rather than “good job! You figured it out!” 

The Click is NOT a Command

The clicker will help you build a perfect “come” command. But hearing that sound is a reward for a job well done, rather than the command itself.

If the clicker turns into your recall command – how do you let your dog know, from across the room, that he’s doing a good job staying in his “place?” Clicking tells your dog she’s a good girl no matter how far away she is, or what she’s doing. 

Trying to expand the meaning just won’t work. 

Dogs’ brains are binary – on or off, left or right, black or white. They don’t have shades of gray. An object has a single purpose – like the clicker. Either it says “good dog!” or it’s “come here!” Trying to make it perform two functions will confuse your dog and muddy your training.