So, you've heard all about this treat training stuff, and you decided to try it. The only problem was, your dog didn't want the treat! You're not alone. Perhaps your dog will work for treats in the house, but couldn't care less outside. Before you give up, let's explore positive reinforcement in a little more detail. In this article I'm going to refer to positive reinforcers as rewards for ease of reading, although it's scientifically incorrect terminology.
A positive reinforcement is anything the dog likes and is willing to work for. Anything.
So, with that in mind, let's take a look at some positive reinforcements that can be used for dog training.
Food. This is the most commonly used reward, and one of the easiest to use. But it must be desirable to the dog! Dry dog biscuits are not the most wonderful of dog treats. Think about this in human terms. Which would you work for: raw cabbage, or chocolate?
Ideally, the training treat should be very small, so that you can give the dog a large number of rewards without filling him up or adversely impacting his diet. For an average-size dog, a 1/3 inch square treat should be about right. Also, soft treats (such as hot dogs) work better than hard treats (such as biscuits) because the dog can eat them and get on with the lesson more quickly.
So, what is the best food reward? My personal vote is for raw hot dogs and bologna. Most dogs adore them above all else, they're soft, inexpensive, and can be chopped into small bits. Bologna is especially easy to prepare; it's already sliced, so all you have to do is crosscut it into small squares right in the package. Cons: they're slimy and if you're a health nut, you won't like what's on the ingredient list.
Next on my favorites list is cheese. Most dogs like it, and like bologna, it's easily chopped. It's not as slimy and you can choose different types (string, cheddar, American, etc.). It's also health-nut approved. For the ultimate in convenience, try cheese in a spray can.... squirt it directly in the dog's mouth, with no handling required. Cons: more expensive, not quite as tasty.
Then comes cooked chicken and turkey. Dogs love it, sometimes even very finicky eaters. Also, it's a good treat for dogs with certain allergies (check with your vet). Cons: longer preparation time, slimy, more difficult to chop into bits, sometimes expensive.
What about commercial dog treats? They aren't as tasty as the real foods listed above, but if you have a chowhound, he probably won't care. There's a wide selection; some much tastier than others. They have the advantage of being convenient, non-perishable, and non-slimy. Some of the brands I've gotten the best results with are PupPeroni, Jerky Strips, and Pedigree Tandem. Cons: Often they are way too big and must be chopped or broken into small pieces before using. Health nuts revolt at the ingredient list, and they're pretty expensive.
These are only a few suggestions. Anything reasonably healthy that the dog likes can be used. Safety note: Chocolate is poisonous to dogs and can be fatal. Do not feed your dog anything that has cooked bones or bone fragments in it.
Toys. So. You've tried it all and your dog just turns up his nose and digs up the flowerbed. Well, don't grab the choke chain, you're not out of options yet. Does your dog like to retrieve? Just dig out your training article from the flowerbed and mentally substitute the words "tennis ball" for the word "treat." I trained my German Shepherd to a CDX (an advanced AKC obedience title) level using a tennis ball as his sole reward. He's not all that crazy about food, but will do anything for that toy.
Not a retriever? Try using an opportunity to play tug-o-war as a reward. And that old wives tale about tug games turning your dog into a bloodthirsty monster? Bury it in that same flowerbed and grow up! There are only a few precautions to take when playing tug games; don't let the dog win all the time (you don't want him to think he's stronger than you), teach the dog to out when told to, and don't play if you have a severe dominance-related aggression problem. Have fun!
And those are not the only toys you can use. Try a fuzzy squeak toy. These are sometimes the ONLY device I've found to motivate some terriors (excuse me, I meant terriers).
Affection. And now we come to the sticky topic of praise and petting. Regarded by the dog trainers of the olden days as the only possible, ethical, morally right and religiously approved method of reward, it doesn't carry a lot of weight with most dogs. Unfortunately, dogs who will work solely for your god-like approval are about as common as human beings who will work without a paycheck just to hear the boss say "good human."
Don't get me wrong; we all like approval. But what those old school dog trainers fail to see is that the dog isn't really working for their almighty love and approval. They obey to avoid being jerked, strangled, poked, bumped, kicked, slapped, isolated, yelled at, or otherwise assaulted. The truth is, most dogs won't work for praise and petting alone. The German Shepherd I mentioned earlier thinks you're a blithering idiot if you scratch him on the head when something interesting is happening, and praise is just white noise to him.
So, feel free to add praise to your list of rewards (and quite a few dogs enjoy it), but don't expect it to work alone. And if you do happen to own one of those dogs who will jump through hoops just for the sound of your voice? Congratulations; you own the canine equivalent of an independently wealthy human who devotes his life to volunteer work.
I hope this helps you find something appropriate to reward your dog with in training. If you run into problems, just remember the statement at the beginning of this article: A positive reinforcer is anything a dog likes and is willing to work for. Anything. I once read about a dog that worked for pinecones. Experiment freely, and enjoy training your dog.
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