The Importance of Motivation

Last night my Adventure Dog class got to see how much MOTIVATION matters in dog training (well really in training anyone including people). I'd love to say that this one type of treat works for every dog in every situation but of course motivation is based on individual preferance, environmental context and of course other factors such as whether your dog is full, tired, thirsty, etc.

When working with your dog try to have a few different types of reinforcers with you. I generally bring some kibble, some higher value treats (Zuke's Minis, Rollover, Dried Liver, Drive Tripe), a ball (Chuck It ball works great), tug toy (Skinneezz work great too especially the rabbit for some reason) and of course my own happy energy level. It's also a good idea to make water available as a thirsty dog really isn't too interested in much else at that point. 

Using the right reinforcer can change your entire training session. It can make the difference between a distracted dog that won't listen and a star student. Make reinforcement random so your dog doesn't get bored (or worse expectant) and change it up.

You can make yourself the reward by teaching your dog hand targets, tricks that he/she loves to preform, praise, petting, running with your pup and more. Having a good attitude and energy level will keep your dog happily working for you. Sometimes patience is hard to find and that's when I would end a training session.

Keep training sessions short with lots of breaks for play and running. This keeps your dog interested and wanting to work. If I do a down stay for 3 minutes and then reward my dog he's going to want to do it again even if it's sometimes boring like a down stay BUT we'll generally do something else first to keep the energy and enthusiasm up. This will allow you to train anywhere and without food and toys once your dog gets it.

I worked with aussies Tank and Marco during an off leash walk last night surronded by other dogs. We practiced 1 down stay, 1 sit stay, 1 off leash heeling (just Marco), 2 left finishes and 1 front. All for the chance to run around with me and jump in the air for hand targets. I kept it fun and they were attentive as a result. They were able to do this surronded by a million fun things like dogs, people, smelling, squirrels and it didn't matter because the training session was fun not arduous.

Train with Toys!

So when most people think about positive reinforcement training they think food and praise BUT really it can be anything your dog considers good and every dog is different so the list varies. One of the best reinforcers can be play. 

Most dog owners who train for dog sports like Obedience or Agility discover training with toys early on but many regular pet owners miss the boat using exlusively treats or praise. So you ask how do you train with toys? It's easy and we'll go over some concepts now. 

Recall - Teaching Your Dog to Come

1. Start in your yard or home. Use a toy that your dog really likes. Some of my favourites are chuck-it balls or skinneez (stuff animals with squeakers but no stuffing). The toy you pick for training should only be available to your dog during the training session. As soon as your done put it away so it maintains a high value for your dog. 

2. Call your dog "come" and run away from your dog. When he/she catches you pull out the toy and either throw the ball or play tug with your dog. The more exciting you can be the better. 

3. If you've thrown the ball reward your dog with a treat if he/she brings it back. Don't focus on the retrieve part since you are practicing recall at this moment. 

Heeling

1. Same concept as recall. Use a special toy only for training and otherwise put it away. 

2. You can start by holding the toy on the side you wish your dog to walk on and get him/her to focus on it while moving forward.

3. When your dog takes a few steps in heel position stop and play. 

4. Stop the game, get your dog to take more steps and then stop and play again. 

A ball can be held in your arm pit and occassionally dropped for your dog to grab. A tug toy can be easily held in your hand or pocket and brought out spontaneously. 

Any skill you teach with food or praise can also be taught by playing. Remember it's important to teach your dog "leave it" so you can get the toy back in order to keep practicing. 

I'll upload some YouTube videos shortly using toys as rewards so you can get a better concept of the idea. In all the classes at Where's Your Sit we suggest using toy rewards along with food, praise and petting. One of my dogs prefers toys as his BEST reward even over really good treats.

Look forward to our next entry on how to create "toy drive" in a dog that doesn't play naturally.

Interactive Toys

Kong posted a great YouTube video on how to use their toys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjtDgVy7E1A

Other great toys include:
Buster Cube
Tricky Treat Balls
Treat Stick
Busy Buddies

Good Behaviour for Dog Owners at Off Leash Parks

Alright everyone I had a pretty unpleasant experience at the off leash park yesterday and as a result I thought I would do a post on what dog owners should know about these parks; sometimes what I consider common sense doesn't seem to be so common. 

#1 Don't take your dog off leash if you can't control him/her (a good recall is imperative)

#2 Don't take your dog off leash if he/she has a history of aggression with dogs or people 

            >> try using empty fenced ball parks for runs or go to a large, empty area such as Nose Hill on a weekday to give your dog a good run.

#3 Watch your dog and the other dogs around your dog, if the play is looking a little "iffy" then recall your dog

#4 Dogs in season should NEVER go to the off leash park. It's highly dangerous so take your pretty lady for a good, on leash walk in a designated on leash area. If you are not familiar with proper responisble care of an intact dog please spay/neuter.

#5 Pick up after your dog so that everyone can enjoy the park

#6 Don't let your dog chase kids, bicycles or joggers. We need to share off leash zones safely. 

#7 Don't bring dog toys if your dog doesn't share; go somewhere else to play ball if this is the case. Definitely don't bring dog toys with food in them!

#8 Teach your dog how to greet people by sitting so he/she doesn't jump up on other park users.

#9 Remember that not all dogs get along and that's alright. Make sure your large dog isn't jumping all over a timid small one or your young dog might be harassing an older dog. Simply recall your dog and walk the other way. 

#10 Don't take your dog off leash in on leash areas. Just because your dog is friendly doesn't mean everyone else's is. There's nothing more frigtening for an owner of a dog who is aggressive to see an off leash dog running towards them (and calling out that your dog is friendly doesn't help!).

All breeds, ages and genders of dogs should be able to use off leash areas if they are social with dogs and people. Not all dogs are. Please make sure your dog will be safe in that type of environment.

Give Up The Food Bowls!

It's cold out there and you need to keep your dog busy since long walks are clearly not an option! 

One of the first things I tell all my training clients is to give up their dog food bowls. They need things to do and simply putting their food in a dish does a disservice to you and your dog! There's loads of products out there that can make meal times interactive. Some of my favourites include Kong, Buster Cube and Tricky Treat Ball. 

Start your day by splitting your dog's food into two portions. One half should be used for interactive toys which your dog can play with while you're at work. Imagine he/she is getting mental stimulation while you're not even home! Interactive toys are to dogs what books and puzzles are for people. The other half of their food should be used for training. Remember training doesn't have to be all stays and sits it can also be tricks like roll over and play dead. There are so many options out there when it comes to what you can train your pet to do. 

Use their food to your advantage and have a happier, healthier dog as a result!