12/28/2024
When my dogs are loose in the forest, I Always use high reward treats! There's situations where it can be mandatory for their safety! Northern breeds especially!
Treat training does not imply that you will need to walk around with treats forever¹ (*see footnote*). This is a common misconception. However, you'll notice in this cartoon that the woman has her hand in the treat pouch the entire time she asks the dog a cue. Don't think her dog does not notice.
When you cue your dog to perform a behavior, it is vital not to let the treat itself, or reaching for the treat, become part of the cue. This is why shaping and clicker/marker training is so effective when executed correctly. The click always comes before the reward is ever presented.
Here's a great article from The Whole Dog Journal on the importance of fading out food lures and preventing them from becoming bribes:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/7_5/features/Dog-Training-Tips_5629-1.html
And here's an awesome graphic explaining how to fade out food rewards through the learning stages. It's best to variably yet systematically decrease the number of treats, as your dog's behavior remains reliable when presented with the cue. Think of a slot machine: there's like a 1 in 16 million chance that one might win - yet people still continue to play (don't quote me on the statistic, but you get the point). Become a slot machine to your dog.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=447672401968131&set=a.126858410716200.21048.108790432522998&type=1&permPage=1
* Footnote: ¹ Regarding the line: "Treat training does not imply that you will need to walk around with treats forever" - this does not mean that you SHOULD choose to fade treats out. I put that line in there because it is a common reason why those who avoid treat training, do - they are afraid of dependence on treats, but again, this is not the case if the treats are put on a variable reinforcement schedule.
Switch up reinforcers, too... don't always use a treat, or even a treat of a different value/salience to your dog. Use a toy. Use access to somewhere or something your dog likes. A ball toss. A tug on a rope. A flirt pole. Chasing you around the yard. Reward using the Premack Principle - follow the cued behavior up with performing another behavior that your dog LOVES to do (i.e., sit at the door in order to be given access to the yard, or do a trick or a wait before being handed dinner, etc). Make funny voices. Blow bacon-flavored bubbles. (Get creative! Just avoid using a laser pointer as there's greater potential to cause canine compulsive disorder -- similar to OCD in humans -- in dogs who might be predisposed to it, which might generalize to other behaviors such as chasing reflections, shadows, fly snapping, etc. It's extremely difficult to address compulsive behaviors once they've started, and resolving them almost always requires pharmacological intervention, so err on the side of caution and avoid using laser pointers; the dog can never catch the dot and therefore never succeeds). Offer physical affection IF your dog enjoys that. Verbal praise with ALL of the above to give praise greater value.
Remember there's *one* major rule of thumb: **Your dog defines what is rewarding/reinforcing.** You can offer cookies for sitting all day long, but if the behavior of sitting is not maintained nor does it happen more often, your cookies are not reinforcing, and are therefore not a preferred reward/reinforcer for your dog at least not in *that* scenario.
If it were up to me, all people would be treating/rewarding their dogs as payment for "good behavior" all the time ("Good" is operationalized as whatever is acceptable to you in your world/lifestyle). The more you treat behavior you like, the more likely it is to become reinforced, and therefore, the more likely it is for you to see more of it.
Don't forget! Keep your hand out of your treat pouch while asking for the cue, and quit reaching for the treat before the dog can respond. Rewards come AFTER the behavior; bribes are offered to CAUSE behavior. If your dog only does behaviors for bribes, videotape yourself training and watch what your hands are doing when you ask for a behavior. You'd be surprised how leaning on one leg, or even aiming your fingers towards the treat pouch might be influencing your cue.
