Good Neighbor Dog Training

05/31/2024

01/16/2024

Brrr. Keep your animals safe!

01/14/2024

This is from "The Naughty Dogge" Facebook blog. .Monique is a talented trainer and writer.

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When does a reward not act as a reward? When it becomes an expectation.

For eight years in a row when my husband went to Hawaii he bought me gold. On year nine he got me a mug. I was pi**ed.

I lie. He's never gotten me gold, but you understand my point.

Please consider this in your training. If your reward every single sit, once taught, your reward is no longer acting as a reward, but as an expectation. If it is not given, it will be perceived as punishment by your dog.

Or likewise, if your food rewards are always reward with steak and liverwurst, but tonight you train with Kibble, - don't be surprised when your dog's effort sucks. Its because you gave him a mug. But if you train with high and low value foods always, the low value are appreciated, and the high value with have major impact.

Training with rewards is a must. But you must also be aware of any precedents or expectations that you could inadvertently be setting. Quickly move onto an intermittent or variable reinforcement schedule and keep your rewards unpredictable.

Monique Anstee
Victoria, BC

01/04/2024

I'm "unretiring" as a 4H leader - because several people will be helping me! James and Bailey Wright will be my right hand leaders!