Have you ever thought one of the following:
My dog only does what I ask for food
I wish I could use something other than treats / toys as a reward
Why do I always HAVE to reward my dog?
Listen up. I'm going to give you all the secrets other dog trainers won't tell you about reinforcement and rewards.
First, some background info
There are two types of reinforcement (primary and secondary):
A primary reinforcer is one that the dog naturally loves / needs, such as food, water, safety, or prey drive.
A secondary reinforcer is one that the dog learns to like / love, such as toys, cuddles, or verbal praise.
Your dog chooses what they find reinforcing... NOT you! Which means if you have a playful dog, then they will likely be reinforced by play. But if you don't, there is no forcing it! You have to use what your dog likes. However...
Dogs can learn to like a new reward...
Here is an example. I taught my Molly to touch my hand with her nose. This is known as a target behaviour. Originally, this was used as a fun trick and occasionally recall. However now, because I have reinforced this behaviour so frequently, the behaviour itself has become a reward. Now, if my dog recalls to me, sometimes instead of a treat, toy, or cuddle, she gets a 'boop!' on the nose AND LOVES IT!
I have also taught both my dogs that a thumbs up means "good girl / boy". I taught this when I realised Alfie was going deaf in his old age, and at some point would never be told he was a good boy again. To save mine and Alfie's broken hearts, I helped him associate a thumbs up with a treat, so now, I can non-verbally tell him he is still a good dog. I have replicated this training with Molly, as it is never too soon to start training!
So now, a thumbs up and a boop on the nose have become secondary reinforcement. Primary reinforcement is even more of a reward though.
Lets Talk Toys
I hear people say to me "my dog isn't toy motivated, so I can't use that as a reward." 99% of the time, this is proven wrong. The owner is correct in saying the dog isn't TOY motivated, but... The dog IS PREY DRIVEN.
Think about is: If you give your dog a tennis ball, is it amazing? Or is the amazing part the chase of the ball, or the chewing of the ball, or even the peeling of the fur off the ball?!
Toys are not a primary reinforcer, but natural drives are, including hunt / prey drive, and social interaction.
This means that you can use toys to reward your dog, you just have to learn how to use them and what your dog likes. Most dogs love a tug toy, but not if they don't have a human on the other end. Some dogs love tug but only with one specific person. Others love it but only with one toy, or only in a specific type of way.
Think outside the box. Dog toys can always be made more fun, and it doesn't even have to be a dog toy! My pair of old jeans became a great tug toy, AND when I knotted the legs, Molly spent over 20 minutes trying to get the treats out! Add scent to the toy or cover it in dirt from the garden or the park to help increase prey drive through scent. Learn what your dog likes and make the toy come alive!
Lets Talk FOOD!
Okay, so food is automatically a primary reinforcer. That doesn't necessarily mean it beats everything.
Tell me: Would you work for me if I offered you the same boring Cheerios you have every morning? Yeah... If your dog gets the same food and rewards all the time, they'll get bored too, and they won't work for you either.
What if I offered you the most amazing slice of pizza, would you work for me now? What about if there was a pizza party in the next room? Your enthusiasm just shot right down, I guess?
It is the same with dogs. Enthusiasm for even the best food goes down when there are squirrels to chase, or other dogs to play with, or scents to track down.
Never take a reinforcer for granted. There is absolutely NOTHING that is going to be reinforcing all the time, so don't always use the same reward.
Lets Talk Cuddles!
Okay, so we've discussed food and toys, the other big reinforcer people use is stroking their dog.
I'm about to hit you with something I bet you've never thought of.....
Your stroking reward could be more of a punishment than a reward.
How often has your partner ever given you a massage, or stroked your arm, etc. which has felt amazing. Now, think about the times that your partner has just given you a quick shoulder rub as they walked by, or started to stroke your arm and then stopped? You'll say "aw! I thought I was getting a massage!" and you feel cheated or teased. Maybe you'd have rather they didn't even do it because you got your hopes up.
Do our dogs feel this way? Generally, our dogs are okay with a quick pet, but what they are really after is a longer stroking session or relaxing massage.
So, what's the answer?
The answer is the ask your dog, and listen to what they say. There is no one reward for every dog, as every dog is an individual.
After more advice?
Check out my other blog posts and subscribe to get free tips and tricks delivered straight to your inbox!
Comments