The best things in life are free.
A couple of months ago our esteemed editor asked us all to blog about NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) — The concept is as simple as it is effective. Deny your dog nothing; merely ask your dog to say, “please” beforehand. For example, ask your dog to sit before every enjoyable doggy activity. Ask your dog to sit before putting him on leash for a walk, before you let him out the back door, before you let him off leash for a romp in the park, before you throw his tennis ball, before you play tug, before couch-time and tummy rubs, and of course, ask him to sit for his supper.
In no time at all, your dog is only too happy to sit when requested — However, the more I thought about NILIF (which is indeed a wonderful and effective training technique for dogs, children and spouses), I realized that all the priceless things in life are, in fact, free: friendship, companionship, conversation, laughter, health and happiness to name but a few.
Walking our dogs, hugging our dogs, watching them play, watching them watch us, to name a few more. And chatting to our dogs and playing with our dogs, i.e., training our dogs, to name even more. Perhaps with more conversation and laughter in dog training, we wouldn’t need NILIF… our dogs would be only too happy to oblige.
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Thank You
As a dog owner/mom who is working towards being a trainer (eventually)I use to some point NILIF but not all the time. I usually only ask for a sit when it makes something easier. It's easier to put a collar on or hook up a leash when the dog is sitting quietly than bouncing around or for going out through a gate it's easier if she sits to wait so I can open the door or gate.
Other times, well if she wants a lovely she usually will sit beside me without being asked but sometimes she just comes and puts her head in my lap, well then she just gts petted or scritched or we play.
Change to EILIF
How about changing the mindset to "Everything in Life is Free" - perhaps a slight shift, but it has a light and happy ring to it.
Thanks for Dog Star Daily!
My Interpretation
Ian is in Australia right now, so I haven't seen him since he wrote this and our conversation have been very brief.
My interpretation of his post is that NILIF is an excellent motivational tool for training, but that if we are generally pleasant with our dogs when we spend time training, communicating, and living with them the positive classical conditioning that will take take is priceless.
Nothing trumps a good relationship and therefore it the best training tool there is.
Kelly Gorman Dunbar
Editor, Dog Star Daily