TREATS & REWARDS
Reward based training usually means giving your dog a treat after he has done something that you wanted him to do. However, there are problems involved in using treats if you don’t use a proper approach and plan how and when to give out treats you could end up with a treat junkie on your hands.
What is a treat?
A treat is something that your dog loves to eat or play with. However, for it to have a significant impact the treat has to be something your dog thinks is really special. You might have to try different things to find this out as dogs have individual tastes just like us. Most dogs love liver treats, cheese or kabana so you could start with these. Your dog might just love food and be willing to accept anything – even stale bread. Whatever you decide to use, be prepared that your dog may find that the treat is becoming boring in time. If this is the case, try something different that will stimulate and reactivate his interest in your training sessions.
How do I give treats?
Dogs don’t understand size very well. A treat is a treat; a whole sausage has the same value as liver chip the size of a 5c piece. The best way is to make your treats small when your dog has done something really special, give him two or more rather than one big one. Then he will see that his efforts have been rewarded.
You should only use your treats when you are training. Don’t be tempted to give your dog a treat when he is not training. Dogs don’t understand undeserved rewards – in their minds they have to earn everything.
Give the treat to your dog when it has followed your command and performed the behaviour. If you can’t give it to him immediately, praise him with a high voice, then give the treat when the dog is closer to you.
When should I stop giving treats?
You should always reward your dog for doing what you want him to do. However, you have to train them not to believe they are going to get a treat every time. Sometimes a pat or a kind remark, such as ‘good dog’ are reward enough. When a dog has undergone a lot of training he will want to perform and work for you because he enjoys it and he enjoys working with you. He has got to a stage where learning and doing the tasks you ask him to do is reward enough.
How do I wean my dog off treats?
Dogs learn in stages. When you are training your dog you are showing him what to do. You will need to give him a treat after each attempt. When he has learnt the behaviour, such as sit or stay, and just needs to practise it, then he is in the training phase. This is when you stop giving treats after each behaviour. Give him a treat three times, then a pat. Then one treat, then 2 pats. Mix things up a bit. Your dog will work harder to get the treat and enjoy his training more.
How do I know I’ve got a treat junkie on my hands?
A treat junkie is a dog that won’t do anything unless his owner has a treat in his hand. Most dogs get to this stage before their owners realise that it has happened. Follow the guidelines in the paragraph above regarding when to wean your dog off treats. Don’t give up; it doesn’t take long to turn a treat junkie into a happy well trained dog.
What is the difference between a treat and a reward?
A treat is given after each behaviour when the dog is in the teaching phase of learning; (sit, drop or stay for example). It is usually some kind of food. We use treats in basic training and clicker training to enforce behaviours that we want the dog to do and repeat. Treats are given after the dog has followed a command and completed the behaviour.
A reward can be the same as a treat, but you can also reward your dog by playing with his favourite toy after training or making a big fuss of him when he has done a great job. A reward can be going to the beach or your favourite park after a good training session.
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