Rewards: What are They and How are They Used?

 Rewards in dog or puppy training are something that the dog finds valuable and motivating.  The first go to reward is usually food as it is easy to carry, use, and move the puppy or dog by luring.  However, not all dogs or puppies find food to be the most or best motivating reward.  As you get to know your dog or puppy, pay attention to what they truly like and consider whether it could be used in dog or puppy training.

Here are some things to consider when using different rewards:

Food Rewards:

  • Food rewards should be small so the dog or puppy does not choke on them while training.  You want your dog to easily and quickly be able to enjoy their reward.  Also, if you are training a tiny dog or puppy, be aware that it is easy to over feed them and make them sick. 
  • If you want to be sure the reward won’t bother your dog or puppy’s stomach, you can use their kibble if they are motivated by that.  If you can, train your dog or puppy during one of their meal times. 
  • If you are using hot dogs or some other type of food reward like that, be sure that your treat pouch is cleaned out after each use.  Also remember to take the food out of your treat pouch every time your training session ends. Also consider that this is a very salty food which could contribute to other health problems.
  • Presenting food rewards in a closed hand until the behavior is done, will teach your puppy or dog to eventually take treats calmly and not gnaw at your hand.  Through repetition in the beginning, they will learn that behaviors like gnawing at your hand, pawing, or being chaotic will not earn them the reward.

Toy Rewards:

  • Toys that are typically used as rewards are tugs, balls, and frisbees.
  • When training begins, you typically teach the dog how to play and engage with you before working in obedience type of behaviors.
  • Presenting the toy correctly means teaching the dog that the toy is always the target and not the human owner’s body or clothes.  In the beginning this can mean risking a redirect when teaching the dog to only get the target.

Praise, Marker Words, or Clicker:

  • Praise, marker words, or a clicker are things that are usually called a bridge.  Some dogs really prefer and understand praise more than food or toy items.  Typically, however that bridge has predicted a food reward in the past.  Therefore, those words or noise can become a bridge or rewarding even without a food or toy reward.
  • Marker words usually give more information than praise or a clicker.   This is because you can use more than one with different meanings.  “Good” can mean good job and keep going (for instance if your dog is in a stay).  “No” can mean that was not what you were looking for, which can be used in different training scenarios.  “Yes” can mean good job and that task is over or a release word.
  • Clickers can be used for precision training and quick reaction.
  • Praise is used to let the dog know they did a good job.  

This is a short article on this topic.  Please let me know if you have any questions.


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