Comments on: What is the best type of reward to use during dog training? Verbal praise or treats? http://blogs.dogster.com/good-dog/what-is-the-best-type-of-reward-to-use-during-dog-training-verbal-praise-or-treats/2008/10/11/ Dog and Puppy Behavior and Training Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:57:18 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Carissa http://blogs.dogster.com/good-dog/what-is-the-best-type-of-reward-to-use-during-dog-training-verbal-praise-or-treats/2008/10/11/comment-page-1/#comment-371 Carissa Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:50:15 +0000 http://blogs.dogster.com/good-dog/what-is-the-best-type-of-reward-to-use-during-dog-training-verbal-praise-or-treats/2008/10/11/#comment-371 "To me, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense as I want my dog to obey me out of this mutual kind of bond and respect we have not because I happen to be holding treats." Wow... I'm a little taken aback that as a professional trainer that you seem to think that dogs trained with treats will only perform when treats are present and have no "respect" for their people. Surely you have heard of using a Variable Reinforcement Schedule.... just because you train the cue with treats initially does not mean the dog should only perform if it sees a treat... if that's the case, that's an error with the trainer, not the method. “To me, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense as I want my dog to obey me out of this mutual kind of bond and respect we have not because I happen to be holding treats.”

Wow… I’m a little taken aback that as a professional trainer that you seem to think that dogs trained with treats will only perform when treats are present and have no “respect” for their people. Surely you have heard of using a Variable Reinforcement Schedule…. just because you train the cue with treats initially does not mean the dog should only perform if it sees a treat… if that’s the case, that’s an error with the trainer, not the method.

]]> By: dogbehavioronline.com » My interview with Dogster’s Good Dog Blog http://blogs.dogster.com/good-dog/what-is-the-best-type-of-reward-to-use-during-dog-training-verbal-praise-or-treats/2008/10/11/comment-page-1/#comment-314 dogbehavioronline.com » My interview with Dogster’s Good Dog Blog Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:16:40 +0000 http://blogs.dogster.com/good-dog/what-is-the-best-type-of-reward-to-use-during-dog-training-verbal-praise-or-treats/2008/10/11/#comment-314 [...] Part 1 Part 2 [...] [...] Part 1 Part 2 [...]

]]> By: Denise Edrington http://blogs.dogster.com/good-dog/what-is-the-best-type-of-reward-to-use-during-dog-training-verbal-praise-or-treats/2008/10/11/comment-page-1/#comment-298 Denise Edrington Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:12:57 +0000 http://blogs.dogster.com/good-dog/what-is-the-best-type-of-reward-to-use-during-dog-training-verbal-praise-or-treats/2008/10/11/#comment-298 My dogs just love treats and there are many varieties that you can offer them. It is also easy to carry treats in my pocket and my purse when we go out. My dogs just love treats and there are many varieties that you can offer them. It is also easy to carry treats in my pocket and my purse when we go out.

]]> By: Laurie Luck, CPDT http://blogs.dogster.com/good-dog/what-is-the-best-type-of-reward-to-use-during-dog-training-verbal-praise-or-treats/2008/10/11/comment-page-1/#comment-296 Laurie Luck, CPDT Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:20:36 +0000 http://blogs.dogster.com/good-dog/what-is-the-best-type-of-reward-to-use-during-dog-training-verbal-praise-or-treats/2008/10/11/#comment-296 A smart dog owner will use *whatever the dog likes* as a reinforcer. It could be a thrown tennis ball, it could be a walk outdoors, it could be the opportunity to sit with me on the couch, it could be a piece of steak, it could be the opportunity to do a favorite behavior (in my house that favorite behavior is "speak."). Praise will work only if the dog thinks it worth working for. I have a dog for which a thrown tennis ball is the ultimate reward. Praise just doesn't cut it. Every dog is different, therefore every reinforcer will be different. One size definitely does not fit all. A smart dog owner will use *whatever the dog likes* as a reinforcer. It could be a thrown tennis ball, it could be a walk outdoors, it could be the opportunity to sit with me on the couch, it could be a piece of steak, it could be the opportunity to do a favorite behavior (in my house that favorite behavior is “speak.”).

Praise will work only if the dog thinks it worth working for. I have a dog for which a thrown tennis ball is the ultimate reward. Praise just doesn’t cut it.

Every dog is different, therefore every reinforcer will be different. One size definitely does not fit all.

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