The Treat
Since we use
positive reward based training, the treat is an important tool in our training.
It is firstly a lure to move the dog into a position or through an action,
hence it must be highly aromatic, and next it is offered as a reward for performing
the task, so it must be tasty, easily ingested, and small and quick to eat. The
treat is the "chocolate cake and ice cream" that acts as the
motivator which makes the student anxious to repeat the task. Imagine it as a
finger tip sized piece of delicious chocolate as opposed to eating a whole
chocolate bar. We don't want our student to be standing there for a minute or
so while he consumes the treat and he forgets what he did to earn it in the
first place. We don't want to lose our training momentum.The treat must also be
easy for the trainer to carry and offer. Delicious cheese is a great reward but
obviously would get a little gooey in our pocket.
I think of
treats as being high, medium, and low value. High value is a lure and reward
for a new or perhaps more challenging task, while low value would be an
everyday acknowledgment of recognition and focus. Or a reminder to "pay
attention".
When we
first start teaching lure and reward we want a high value treat while the
student figures out just what we are doing. As he catches on we can back off to
treats of lesser value because we want to save the high value for special
occasions and achievements. Our day to day medium value treat is the reward and
recognition for performing a familiar task. As we proceed through the learning
and mastery of a task we will start with high value as a "jack pot"
reward and phase down to medium or lower value.
We sometimes
hear people say their dog is not food motivated and for the most part this
simply means they haven't tried enough options. I've never met a dog that
didn't like to eat. Occasionally you need to avoid feeding just before training
so you set yourself and the dog up to win.
If you have
difficulty determining which is the most desirable treat, do a simple taste
test. Take four different treats and put them in little piles about two feet
apart and introduce the dog to the area. Take note of which he consumes first,
second etc. Now remove the dog and put the treats down in different locations
and repeat the test. Do this several times and he will show you which is his
preferred treat. Unless it happens to be filet mignon, this is your "numero
uno" motivator.
So what
makes a good training treat? There are many commercial treats available and
they vary from basic to pheasant and blueberry flavored. If you are training
full time there are lots of other options and I list some below. If you use
your imagination I'm sure there are lots more.
Cooked
chicken pieces , Dried roasted liver, meat pieces, carnitas, bacon pcs., cheese.................these
would be "high value treats"
Pieces of
cookies, biscuits, wheat thins, croutons, chopped carrots, green beans, peanuts
or other mixed nuts.........."medium value treats"
Kibble, cat
treats, bread crusts etc..................."low value treats"
In a future
article I will show you how I make 330 pieces of great treats for a buck. Stay
tuned.
The
important thing is don't be lazy and chintzy. This is a training process and
builds your dog's habits. Make the effort and your dog will provide you with a
lifetime of companionship and enjoyment.
