The Secret to Rewarding Your Dog

Trying to train your dog can be difficult when it comes to rewarding a behavior if your dog actually doesn’t like what you are rewarding them with. From trying to use pats on the head to dry kibble, knowing what to reward your dog with and for which behaviors is crucial for success. Being a positive reinforcement trainer means that I need to make sure I reward the dog with the appropriate reward to match what behavior I am asking for.

Then it is then my job to find the rewards that the dog is willing to work for. This is super important because not every treat carries the same training value. If you ask your dog for a sit, then reward with dry kibble. That may work for a simple sit, but as soon as there is another distraction of higher value, the dry kibble won’t mean a thing. Think of the behavior you are asking for in a paid job kind of way. So the simpler the task the less you will need to pay for it, right? Apply this thinking to your dog. By asking your dog to come towards you, and away from the squirrel in the tree. You will need to pay your dog in an equal value reward. If your dog knows you will only pay in kibble, your dog won’t give up the excitement of the squirrel. But if you reward your dog for leaving the squirrel and coming to you with what your dog deems as most valuable. You will be able to efficiently pay your dog for the behavior you are wanting.

To figure out the hierarchy of rewards for your dog, it is easiest to write them down. When presenting your dog with a toy, watch the reaction. Does your dog just sit and look at you in a “What” kind of way? Does your dog get excited and try to get the reward from your hand? Keep a written journal of what you have tried and what your dog’s reaction was. That is when you can start to get an idea of what behaviors can be paid in less expensive rewards such as kibble. Then you can really find the top rewards and use them for the more expensive behaviors such as a recall or a stay.

Tell me what your dog’s level of rewards are in the comments below!