For those of us who use food treats to train, that phrase is not unfamiliar. Trainers hear it regularly from owners who believe they will end up with a dog who is dependent on treats in order to comply. If done properly, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
I always explain to prospective clients that I use food to train behaviors, sure—it’s fast, easy, and fun. But once the dog understands and is performing a particular behavior well, he’s weaned off the treats by progressing to a schedule of random reinforcement (which really isn’t a schedule at all, but a fancy way of saying he gets rewarded every now and then—the slot machine effect), as well as substituting real life rewards such as the door opening for a walk, or a bowl being placed on the floor to allow him to eat.
Sometimes the concern with using food is that the dog will gain weight. This is a legitimate consideration, and is compounded if the dog already has weight issues. It’s true that if treat training is used heavily a dog can gain weight, just as if I were given a few dark chocolate M&Ms each time I did something right, I’d soon be complaining that my jeans were too tight (wait, I’m already there, I must be doing sooo many things right!). Here are three easy solutions:
1. At mealtime, feed only one half to two thirds of the dog’s usual ration. Use the rest as training treats throughout the day. (Easier done with kibble than, say, raw chicken backs!)
2. Cut back on the amount of food the dog gets at mealtimes to compensate for the extra calories he’s getting from training treats. Just make sure the treats are nutritious.
3. If the dog eats dry kibble, place 1/3 or so of the meal (subtracted from the regular feeding) in a plastic bag with some chicken or a hot dog. Seal and store in the fridge overnight. In the morning, remove the chicken or hot dog, and you’ll be left with yummy-smelling kibble that’s now a valuable training treat.
It’s true that some dogs are actually more motivated by play or even affection than they are by treats, and when training, you should always use what the dog finds valuable. But because most dogs are very food-motivated, keeping the option for using treats in training open is invaluable.
- nicole wilde's blog
- login or register to post comments
- back to the dog blog
- more by nicole wilde
Weight
My poor terrier, I have cooked up his entire dinner so that it's treat sized portions (baked his nature diet!), and still there is no way of training him as much as I'd like without over-feeding him. He will be on a low cal diet for life I think. Can't exercise it off as he has hip dyslasia.
Are Semantics Part Of The Problem?
Perhaps part of the problem people have with using food in the early stages of training is with the word "treat" in and of itself. Most people tend to be stingy with their praise of any kind, as a species we seem to focus more on the negative than the positive when giving feedback.
But most people understand the concept of payment for services rendered. I try to use words such as reward, reinforcement, or payment over "treat" to help people visualize what the food's function or role in the learning process.
Also, using terms not generally associated primarily with food helps owners make the all-so-important transition to play and life rewards sooner and more effectively.
Often when people resist outright it may be because they've seen poor use of food in training. It CAN become an obstacle/distraction/crutch when used improperly. But that reaction is throwing the baby out with the bath water. Good effective training and sloppy ineffective training exists in all methodologies and disciplines.
Sometimes though, it comes down to a person's personality, ego, and beliefs. The way to manipulate another being's behavior is through some kind of motivation, period. So it is up to the handler to decide whether they'd like to PRIMARILY use avoidance or enthusiasm to motivate. Some people recognize that dogs are sentient beings that may or may not have the same motivations or desires to behave as we do and other believe that our human superiority alone is reason enough for dogs to "obey".
That said, balance of feedback is important. Try playing the hot & cold game with someone only focusing on one aspect of the search. (only telling the person when they are getting warmer and ignoring/not saying anything when they are getting colder or vise versa.)It makes learning very difficult and stressful for most people. Lots of clear feedback is essential. Clarity and consistency are key.
Kelly Gorman Dunbar
Editor, Dog Star Daily
Exercise for hips problems
Linda, Have you considered hydro therapy for exercise? Swimming will take the pressue off his hips while allowing for supported movement.
Tail wags,
Marie Finnegan
K-9 Solutions Dog Training Inc.
http://k-9solutionsdogtraininginc.blogspot.com
Treats in training
I forgot to add, Leerburg has a wonderful video out on training with food/positive methods called "The power of training with markers". I find it FABULOUS that a clearly old school trainer not only admits he used to think positive training was stupid, but now he regrets not using it sooner with his own dogs. He even appologises for it. (I have the video.) I still don't agree with everything he says but at least he is now on the right track.
Tail wags,
Marie Finnegan
K-9 Solutions Dog Training Inc.
http://k-9solutionsdogtraininginc.blogspot.com
praise is the best consistent reward
I think if people are given instruction on how to mark the behaviors they want & appropriately reward, and eliminate the behaviors they don't want, "treats" or the use of that word, become besides the point. What I see is that most owners don't want to have to carry around a bag of treats all the time. They just want a dog to obey when asked. As Kelly said, clear feedback to our dogs is essential. I see dogs getting stressed if they are only told what to do and never told what not to do, and vice versa. Many owners (esp new dog owners) naturally fall into getting the dog to do what they want with food BECAUSE it is so easy to do, but they never learn how to gradually wean the dog off food while maintaining reliable and appropriate responses (sitting every time, the first time, etc.). That is why I always use praise with my voice and/or pet since I always have those tools on me!