I’ve seen a trend in some regions of Canada, the United States, and probably other countries as well. Many coaches refer to it as “treatment-free” training while others refer to treats as just a bribe or, worse, gimmick? !!!
The use of words like gimmick and bribe for one of the easiest and most reliable forms of reinforcement for dogs (and most other animals, for that matter!) Is a lack of understanding of animal behavior. Each animal will repeat increased behavior and not decrease decreased behavior. It’s all about motivation and reinforcement story.
When we talk about reinforcement, we are talking about what the animal perceives as reinforcement, not what WE think it will find reinforcement! This is key to being a good partner and trainer for your dog. So if you ask your dog to sit down and when she does, you say “good girl” and pet her, but she doesn’t consistently proceed when asked, chances are she very well won’t find it Very empowering to be a pet (especially on the top of the head!) !! Many of us just assume that every dog will enjoy it, although we find it extremely enjoyable to pet our puppies!
Studies like this have been done to test whether dogs prefer food or petting as reinforcement. In this study, they tested wolves and dogs!
The wonderful thing about food is how easy it is to use.
It’s your dog’s paycheck! You go to work, you get paid financially. Your dog will do what he asks (the way they work) and he will be paid with a reward or nibble. I’m not saying you can’t switch to other forms of reinforcement like toys or play later. However, if you are teaching new behaviors, this is the quickest (way to deliver) and easiest way to teach them. Without a doubt, dogs are much happier when treated for behaviors we like rather than corrected for behaviors we don’t like.
Why do we poison the thought of treating our dogs?
Why do some trainers make eating a bad thing when training dogs?
If we want to call it a gimmick, isn’t any other tool or equipment we use to train our dog also a gimmick? For trainers who use corrections, such as prong collars or E-collars (shock collars), these must be on a dog so they can respond to owners. Dogs trained with these methods only respond to avoid correction in some form. Wouldn’t we all rather have a dog that does what we ask because they are having fun and hoping for something big if they do? I know I would.
This is a great article on using corrections in dog training:
- Here’s the great thing about food, the part that people and some trainers haven’t learned yet! There is no bribery or gimmick !! We just ask about the behavior and then feed. That’s the key. We do not SHOW the food (which could perhaps be viewed as a bribe) and ask the dog for behavior. This form of “show me the money” treatment / positive training can result in a dog waiting to see the food before responding to a cue. However, this is simply a handler bug that is easy to fix.
- Don’t we want our dogs to be happy and NOT stressed out when we exercise? Do we not have dogs that enrich our lives? Training should be fun! One of the best books I’ve ever read is by Karen Pryor called Don’t Shoot The Dog. Originally a marine mammal trainer, Karen Pryor now runs one of the best dog schools in the world, the Karen Pryor Academy. Yes, one of the main forms of reinforcement we use at the Academy is food!
Missed the last column?
Pawsative Pups: The crying vacation is here
About Lisa Davies:
Lisa Davies (KPA-CTP, CDBC, CTC) has been training for 17 years. She graduated from the Canine Trainer Academy, Harvard of Dog Training Programs, and is a certified behavioral counselor specializing in aggression, including dog-to-human. She has a great passion for making rescue workers more acceptable through training and is a BC SPCA Animalkind accredited trainer.
She shares her house with her husband, two terriers, a pointer and a Chihuahua, two goats, a miniature horse and two rabbits.
Contact Lisa at:
Pawsitively Canine Dog Training Services
www.pawsitivelycanine.ca
(604) 836-5948
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