what's your reward system?

[science_doc]

I was wondering how many people use food treats when training and how many people just use praise or a clicker or something else I haven't thought about? I have heard that the praise method is better, but I am wondering what the opinons are out there. I have been thinking about trying the praise method first and if that doesn't work switching to treats to keep my dogs(I hope by the end of today) attention?

[Guest Anonymous]

I use more praise then treats, but I also use threats.

[Rosebud]

:D

I use both, I start out teaching them with treats, once they learn I start alternating praise with treats slowly increasing with more praise than treats. The purpose of this is for them to learn that you don't allows get a treat, but at the same time gives them more to look forward to. I do the same thing with recall, very effective for off-lease training. Once they learn the recall you start doing recalls while they are really absorbed in their playing and you only praise them, or you can give them a treat then let them go back to playing, they learn that just because you call them does not mean that it's time to go.

Sounds like you really want to make sure this little sweety you're getting grows proper.

Good luck with her.

:angel:

[Nancy B]

[quote name='science_doc']I was wondering how many people use food treats when training and how many people just use praise or a clicker or something else I haven't thought about? I have heard that the praise method is better, but I am wondering what the opinons are out there. I have been thinking about trying the praise method first and if that doesn't work switching to treats to keep my dogs(I hope by the end of today) attention?[/quote]

It sorta depends what I'm working. If I'm shaping a particular behavior I'll use a clicker with treats. If I'm working any standard obedience behavior including heeling, I use a clicker and treats. If I'm fine tuning some agility contacts or more static agility behaviors I may do the same.

If I'm training agility moves that require a lot more motion on my part and the dog's part (sharpening up front crosses or something like that) I wouldn't use a clicker but I do reward with treats and praise. If I'm working longer sequences I may withhold treats until the end of the sequence but, I may at the same time be lavish with praise during the run.

With my male I do occasionally use tugging or a ball in place of treats. He's very toy driven so, that works well. My bitch has no toy drive at all so, that really isn't an option for her.

When my boy was around 14 months old he went through an "I'm not eating phase" that's fairly common with adolescent intact male Dobermans. Didn't matter what it was, he really ate minimally and got pretty thin. Training during that time was a real pain. He would let treats (liver, chicken, steak) just drop out of his mouth onto the ground. We did keep training through this phase by using lavish praise but, it's not something I would recommend as the best way to train a dog. Yes, Mason did progress in training working with just praise but, he came no where close to the progress he made both before and after the non eating phase when he was wild for treats.

Both of my dogs are primarially trained with food. I do competition obedience with Whitney and run agility with both of them at the excellent level. Just because you train a behavior with treats or a toy doesn't mean that you always must have a treat or toy on hand to get a dog to obey. The motivators (whatever you choose to use) are for the training and reinforcing phases, not for the rest of the dog's life. Of course, I do still use treats occasionally to "brush up" an old behavior.

Why make it hard on yourself? Find out what really motivates your dog. It may be treats, it may be a game of tug, it may be a ball.....whatever it is, use your dog's desire for that to make him really want to learn new behaviors in order to "earn" that item.

Using just praise is fine but it's not quite as much of a motivator for most dogs so, training will go slower and you may never get as "crisp" a performance as folks who train with treats/toys/etc do.

[science_doc]

Thanks much for the input. I guess I'll just have to play it by ear and see what gets her going. I did find some treats she likes and she needs lots of work, so I guess to get some quick control I'll try treats to start. We are going to a free obdience class offered by the Humane Society and in a bit I want to get her enrolled in a formal class, I think we both have some learning to do.

Another neubie question: When can you trust a dog off leash? Unfortunately for us all the dog parks in town aren't fenced. In addition she is part husky, not the most trustworth dog off leash, although I used to see a couple huskies off leash at the park. I just want to maximize her exercise since I don't have a fenced yard, and my last dog really loved romps at the park. But, I have been thinking in hindsight, letting my last dog off leash at those parks wasn't too smart and I'm lucky nothing bad ever happened. We are going to run or walk a couple of miles a day and judging from today that will tire her out, but dogs just seem to happy hanging out with other dogs?

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='HazelNutMeg']I use more praise then treats, but I also use threats.[/quote]

WOOPS! I mean TREATS, not Threats!! :oops:

[Prairie_Gurl]

He he he I give my dogs "threads" too.

I use a combination of treats and the choke collar (I can here the protesters coming now). I don't use the clicker... never tryed it. I always thought it would be too much of a hassle to click everytime your dog does something right. And everyone in my family would have to have one... then I have to get them to use it. If I was on my own I might try it though.