Draft – may be amended<\/p>\n
People often ask about what rewards they should use, so I thought it might be helpful to make some suggestions.<\/p>\n
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A reward is anything which reinforces a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcbehaviour\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.\u00c2\u00a0 They are used because a behaviour which is reinforced is more likely to happen again. \u00c2\u00a0We need to aim to reinforce those behaviours we like while being careful not to reinforce those we would prefer not to happen.\u00c2\u00a0 To be effective rewards must be given instantly following the desired behaviour.\u00c2\u00a0 Using a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcreward marker\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 (something that says the reward is coming) such as a clicker or a click word can improve accuracy.<\/p>\n
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The first thing to be said about rewards is that only your dog knows what he finds really rewarding.\u00c2\u00a0 It could be food, and for nearly every dog there is some kind of food that he will find highly rewarding, but also toys, play, petting, praise and access to the environment can be used.<\/p>\n
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To use food as a reward you need to know what your dog likes best in the world.\u00c2\u00a0 It could be liver, liver cake, black pudding, sardines, roast salmon cheese, bread, raw carrot, frankfurter even the kibble you feed him for his meals.\u00c2\u00a0 Smelly is often best but you do need to observe your dog and know which are top, middle and lesser favourites.<\/p>\n
I would suggest that your dog\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very top treats need to be kept for the things your dog finds most difficult.\u00c2\u00a0 For instance I keep flakes of roast salmon and liver cooked with a little garlic for George\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s behavioural work, which he finds very difficult, whereas in training new actions I use things like frankfurter and cheese or cold roast meat.\u00c2\u00a0 For routine things which are familiar I might just use kibble as an occasional reinforcement and then surprise him with something more exciting every now and again.\u00c2\u00a0 (For further information on the type and use of food see video<\/a>).<\/p>\n Food can be used for virtually any training including luring, shaping and capturing behaviours as well as modifying problem behaviours (for an introduction to basic training take a look at these videos\u00c2\u00a0 What is Clicker Training\u00c2\u00a0<\/a> or How to train without a Clicker<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0 and How to Train a Dog with Positive Reinforcement<\/a> )<\/p>\n When using food a good starting place is \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcleave it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 (Default leave it<\/a> ) as this will teach your dog not only to wait until rewards are given and resist the temptation to snatch but also the long term benefits of a good leave.<\/p>\n Once you are achieving a reliable response start reducing rewards, so they are given only on a random basis, with further reductions as progress continues until they have been faded out (more on variable schedules may be found in any of the books listed at the end).<\/p>\n Pros<\/b> – strongly reinforcing for most dogs.\u00c2\u00a0 If your dog is fed dry food the whole or part of the food ration may be used to support training<\/p>\n Cons<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c may not be suitable for food aggressive (resource guarding) dogs in certain circumstances such as the close presence of other dogs.\u00c2\u00a0 You have to remember to take them everywhere with you and or place strategically to be readily available. \u00c2\u00a0Ham and cheese are high in fat and salt so should be used very sparingly.\u00c2\u00a0 Too much liver can be harmful and also may cause diarrhoea in pups if too much is used.<\/p>\n Note:<\/b> food rewards should be tiny, no larger than a pea. \u00c2\u00a0Small dogs only need minute rewards, the size of crumbs, so the dog doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fill up to fast and loose interest.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Lots of small rewards, one at a time is more effective than one big one<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some dogs will respond better to toys and play.\u00c2\u00a0 Again it is a case of knowing your dog but for many a ball or squeaky toy will hit the spot.\u00c2\u00a0 A ball on a string may provide more scope, both in terms of being able to make it do exciting things, as well as having control over it (there is a good bit about tug-toys in Jean Donaldson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcThe Culture Clash\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 that some people will find useful in this respect)<\/p>\n A recent guest speaker at the club, from the London Transport Police, said they select dogs that are totally ball focussed as they use a ball to reward all their dogs.<\/p>\n Pros<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c can be strongly reinforcing for some dogs, particularly balls a ball obsessed dog may be prepared to do anything for a ball.\u00c2\u00a0 Play can be good to relax dogs and reduce the build up of stress during training.<\/p>\n Cons<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c may not be suitable for resource guarding dogs in certain circumstances such as the presence of other dogs.\u00c2\u00a0 As with food rewards you have to remember to take them everywhere.\u00c2\u00a0 Slower than food and there may be a retrieval issue.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In many cases praise and petting may be more highly valued by the trainer than the recipient.\u00c2\u00a0 Think of your average five year old \u00e2\u20ac\u201c would he prefer to be patted on the head and told he is a good boy, a packet of sweets or a new toy.\u00c2\u00a0 In most circumstances I think one of the latter options would be more popular!\u00c2\u00a0 Not that praise should be underestimated; a child can stand an inch taller and glow with pleasure if he is praised for success in front of his class at school (or cringe and hide his face!).\u00c2\u00a0 It is a case of knowing your dog, watching his body language, knowing where a scratch or tickle might be appreciated and using it at the right time.\u00c2\u00a0 Praise needs to be enthusiastic and achieve an appropriate response from the dog.\u00c2\u00a0 A throw-away \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcgood dog\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 is not a reward.\u00c2\u00a0 Often if praise or petting are used in conjunction with other rewards at the beginning they will become rewarding in their own right in time.<\/p>\n Every dog, is his own animal, some dogs just love praise and\/or petting.\u00c2\u00a0 As with any other reward it is a case of knowing your dog and using what he finds motivating.<\/p>\n Pros<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c an ever available choice nothing to be forgotten or left behind.<\/p>\n Cons<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Some dogs may find praise to be only mildly rewarding and some dogs actively dislike petting, at least until they have \u00e2\u20ac\u02dclearned\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 to enjoy it.\u00c2\u00a0 Dogs can be taught to think of praise and petting as a reward.<\/p>\n Many dogs, though, crave attention, any attention.\u00c2\u00a0 This can be a trap for the unwary because dogs that find any attention better than none may find a reprimanding for bad behaviour reinforcing (think 2yr old tantrums in the aisle in the supermarket scolding, shaking and smacking effect no improvement and the noise may well increase)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Access to the environment can be utilised in various ways, for instance access to the garden or time off lead.\u00c2\u00a0 It is easy to reward a dog for sitting at the back door quietly when he wants to go out by opening the door.\u00c2\u00a0 If you have a garden and a dog that wants to go out in it this can be extended to other good behaviours too<\/p>\n Out on a walk a dog that walks \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcon a loose lead\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 can be rewarded by being allowed to go for a sniff around trees and shrubs http:\/\/dogmantics.com\/2010\/01\/02\/dog-training-tip-leash-walking-go-sniff-and-marking\/.\u00c2\u00a0 With my own dogs, they are expected to walk without stopping past the houses, then \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcreleased\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 to sniff the open ground at the top of the road.<\/p>\n Pros<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c can be highly motivating under certain circumstances (and no handler memory involved)<\/p>\n Cons<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the environment can be very distracting and it is not fully under our control which makes it of limited practicality<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcFunctional rewards\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 are provided by permitting a dog to do something he wants to do as a reward for doing something you want him to do.\u00c2\u00a0 They can be used for anything where there is an obvious pairing such as rewarding waiting quietly for dinner by giving dinner or waiting quietly by the door to go into the garden by opening the door.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Functional rewards can be particularly helpful with certain types of reactive dogs and their use in this way\u00c2\u00a0 is fully explained in Gresha Stewart\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcBehavioural Adjustment Training for Fearful or Aggressive Dogs\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n While all of the reinforcers described can work well, each has its limitations. \u00c2\u00a0Praise and petting while handy, as you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to be prepared, may be less rewarding for some dogs.\u00c2\u00a0 Play or a toy, though motivating, tends to be slower. \u00c2\u00a0Food, for most a top reward, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t in the least interesting for a small minority and there may be times when it is not practical as with a food aggressive dog or in the presence of food aggressive dogs. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Taking all these factors into account, wise trainers will assess their dogs and the environment in which they are working and use a combination of techniques to achieve the best results.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The bottom line? \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a reward is what your dog says it is <\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Useful further reading <\/b><\/p>\n Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Shoot the Dog – Karen Pryor<\/p>\n Ahimsa Dog Training Manual – Grisha Stewart<\/p>\n Excel-Erated Learning – Pamela Reid<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Websites<\/b><\/p>\n Progressive Reinforcement Training Manifesto – Emily Larlham <\/a><\/p>\n Dog Training Tips – Dr Sophia Yin <\/a><\/p>\n Errorless Learning versus the use of No Reward Markers<\/a><\/p>\n Resource guarding \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Grisha Stewart<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why not chastise or punish?<\/b><\/p>\n Is Punishment an Effective Way to Change the Behavior of Dogs? <\/a><\/p>\n Dog Training Methods: Their use, effectiveness and interaction with Welfare and Behaviour \u00e2\u20ac\u201c E F Hiby, N J Rooney, J W S Bradshaw \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Universities Federation for Animal Welfare. <\/a><\/p>\n Welfare in Dog Training <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Draft – may be amended People often ask about what rewards they should use, so I thought it might be helpful to make some suggestions. First – Why use a reward? A reward is anything which reinforces a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcbehaviour\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.\u00c2\u00a0 … Continue reading Toys and play <\/b><\/h3>\n
Attention – Praise and petting<\/b><\/h3>\n
The Environment <\/b><\/h3>\n
Functional Rewards <\/b><\/h3>\n
A combination may work best <\/b><\/h3>\n