How to reward your dog. What is the most effective way to reward dogs? He who finds a friend finds a treasure. If the friend is an animal, the treasure is priceless because our friend’s cats and dogs keep us company and can improve our lives. So why not reward their affection and closeness with some harmless little vices?
A little extra care and pampering can only be an excellent way to return the love these unique creatures give us daily, with the caution that this ‘extra’ attention does not turn into unhealthy, uneducational and dangerous vices.
What Can I Use To Reward My Dog? Giving Something Extra
Which is the most effective way to reward our dogs. Thirty or forty years ago, dog trainers and pet parents (a term they would never have used themselves, favouring owners” or “masters” instead!) would rarely consider rewarding their dogs for behaviours they liked.
Giving food, toys, or access to things the dog liked in return for a requested behaviour would have been infrequent. These dogs were there to be dogs; whether for a job or companionship, they were often “broken” into performing the behaviours we wanted instead of nurtured into new patterns of behaviour.
Today, we know that positive reinforcement is the most effective way to reward our dogs, teach them new skills, and make them happy and more optimistic about the world in which they live and interact.
In addition to daily and due care, such as water and food, cleanliness, companionship, and the possibility of proper exercise, there are actions and activities that, although not as indispensable as the former, contribute to the physical and mental well-being of our four-legged friend and have positive effects on us as well.
After all, a pet's well-being and serenity also positively affect pet owners, who can only benefit from knowing that their pet is cheerful, happy, healthy, and satisfied.
What Does Our Dog Think?
But have you ever considered how your dog feels about the specific rewards you provide? Rewards can come in many forms. Various food options, presenting a toy, playing with your dog, verbal praise, touch, or real-life experiences (such as access to another dog or water) can all be rewards.
Have you ever considered how your dog feels about the rewards you give? Food-based rewards are our most common go-to. They’re a primal resource; you have various tastes and textures to try, and they’re easy to present quickly during training sessions.
When pet parents ask me how they should reward their dog, my answer is always: ‘It depends.’ It's not very helpful, but the choice depends on many factors. Where does the dog trainer live, and what is the environment in which the dog lives? What might work at home may not cut it when you’re outside.
If, on the other hand, we talk about food or sweets, here, too, the answer is: “It depends!” How is the food being presented? Is it straight from your hand? Are you throwing it or getting your dog to scratch for it? What does your dog enjoy? Some love fis,h, and others can’t stand it. Some have allergies and might be put off by a protein source that might upset their tummy.
Resting Together
A pampering certainly appreciated by dogs and cats is the possibility, for those who like it, to rest close to their human, sharing such an intimate and memorable moment with the person they trust most.
Even if not everyone agrees, allowing your pet to lie down next to you, on the sofa, in bed, or even just in the same room is a gesture that can give the animal a lot of comfort, love, and a sense of protection and security. If it can, the animal will always choose to sleep next to its human.
Physical contact during rest, even if limited to a short and limited time, such as in the evening while watching a film sitting comfortably on the sofa, is an opportunity for a mutual exchange of affection and attention, which is good for the soul of both.
It is well known, for example, that when a cat lies on its beloved master’s chest in a moment of relaxation, its purr communicates its affection and is therapeutic for both. Due to its uniformity and repetitiveness, the particular sound that the feline emits can induce us into a state of great relaxation and serenity, reducing our sense of worry and stress.
The purring also regularises heartbeats and blood pressure. Thus, this intimate moment of sharing springs a mutual well-being synonymous with relaxation and serenity. The same applies to dogs, who often enjoy physical contact and love to fall asleep amidst their trusty friends ‘cuddles and scratches’.
Tasty Treats But With Caution.
If rest time is one of the most eagerly awaited and enjoyed by animals, it is followed by feeding time, where our furry friends’ significant sweet tooth can be satisfied with an extra snack. A healthy and balanced diet is the recipe for a strong and healthy dog or cat (maybe you might find it helpful; we have written an article on eight tips to improve your dog’s diet). Still, sometimes, a small reward thought out and agreed upon by the vet can be the proper reward in certain situations.
A dog that learns to obey its owner’s commands, a cat that knows it has to do its business in the litter box, or simply an animal that has behaved remarkably well on that day can be rewarded with a good morsel of extra food, which must be undoubtedly not upset its healthy, balanced diet.
These snacks, such as biscuits, sticks or bones, can be alternated with small pieces of fruit or vegetables, if they are appreciated, to avoid exceeding the daily calorie intake. Therefore, a tasty break is extra pampering for our animal friends, and it is certainly appreciated. However, it should be reasoned out and planned to avoid becoming a harmful and unhealthy vice.
fellow trainer’s curiosity
A fellow trainer once told me that her response to clients who said, “My dog isn’t food motivated“, was to ask, “Oh, are they dead?” That might be a bit extreme, but there’s some truth there. A dog with no interest in food that won’t eat wouldn’t survive.
Suppose there’s no apparent underlying reason for a dog's food pickiness, such as intolerance, poor gut, or a sore jaw/teeth. In that case, we want to carefully consider the other influences on our dogs.
When our male dog companion was around six months old, he’d eat any treat presented to him at home. But little would spark his interest if you stepped outside that front door.
He had too much else going on: a secondary fear phase, raging hormones, being attacked by another dog, or having too much fun!
All of these influences meant he was in high arousal when outside. Our digestive system shuts down when we’re fuelled with adrenaline or cortisol (the stress hormone), so it needs something precious to think about re-starting. I remember he’d recall back to me on cue, take the piece of cheese I was offering, and immediately spit it out.
At home, he could not get enough cheese! We tried many different treats and found that the only food he’d reliably eat on a walk—and find valuable—was cooked turkey. Sometimes, it takes a bit of trial and error to find out what will work for your “non-food-motivated dog.”
It would help if you were ready to commit.
We need to think about food rewards on a sliding scale, just as you may have “reward grades” depending on the difficulty of the task at hand. Ask your dog to “sit” or “come” from the garden at home, and they may find a little piece of fruit or vegetables rewarding enough.
Ask your dog to return from playing with a group of dogs it loves; then, you will have to give them a big bonus. This is where my SMALL, SOFT and STINKY rule comes into play.
- SMALL: You can afford to reward your dog with a jackpot (multi-treat).
- SOFT: No chewing required; they get the “goods” quickly.
- STINKY: Super is yummy and able to compete with environmental distractions.
You must be ready to use the game to reward your dog. For example, letting your dog pull the toy you hold for a second won’t excite your dog, but having fun for several minutes with you can be very rewarding!
What Can I Use To Reward My Dog? Toys Also Have Their Importance.
The positive attitudes of our pets can be rewarded with caresses and games, which are never lacking in the homes of pet owners. Buying our dog’s favourite ball or the mouse for our cat that he adores so much is another little vice that every pet owner stumbles upon at least once in his life.
The toy you use is essential, too. Is it something your dog would choose to pick up itself? Does it have a texture or smell they’d enjoy? We often choose toys based on what we think looks fun or perhaps has been recommended by another pet parent. Dogs are individuals. One dog may love a squeaky ball, another a tug toy, one might only like playing with you, and it might take a rabbit-skin toy to excite some of our dogs.
After all, it is not too different from a parent giving a gift to their child: it is a demonstration of affection and gratitude, which is certainly not indispensable, but which allows, in addition to returning the great love received, to provide a stimulus, a pastime and a moment of fun and distraction for their pet.
Thus, the beneficial effect is twofold: the new game will satisfy the animal and assure the owner that the animal will have fun and fight boredom, the only culprit of the disasters our four-legged friends often make. We also wrote an article on combatting boredom in dogs, especially when left alone at home.
Trips And Travels
Other small vices indicate increased external stimulation and enjoyment for the dog, thus producing dual satisfaction. These might include leading one’s pe,t if desired and in line with his personality, to designated spaces and places where he can meet other animals of his species. England has beautiful forests for you and your dog to visit.
One example is taking your dog, in addition to the usual daily walk, to a dog area or a park set up, especially for them, where they can jump and run in the company of other dogs. Socialising is a necessity we all have, including our four-legged friends, who can benefit greatly from meeting other dogs.
Its welfare inevitably falls on us as well. So, a few little vices, be they healthy and harmless, can benefit us both, enriching the experience of sharing one’s life with a four-legged friend and making this experience unforgettable.
In these cases, we need to give our friends an excellent education, which allows us to share activities and spaces in harmony and serenity without running into restless and dangerous situations.
For those who wish to do so, similar experiences that increase our animals’ stimulation and interests are out-of-town trips or vacations. Here, the attractions are many, the exciting and new things multiply, and the opportunities to share several new experiences grow.
All this is done with proper care and thoughtfulness while respecting the animal’s temperament. Ultimately, it will be stimulating and beneficial not only for Fido but also for the owner himself, who will experience such situations with more extraordinary richness, that of the companionship and affection of his trusty friend.
Each animal is diverse and has its personality and interests, but grasping what he likes most and what makes him feel good can be exploited to increase his satisfaction.
Verbal praise is also correct.
When we think about play as a reward, we also need to consider the energy we put into the game. Would overenthusiasm send your dog too far into a state of arousal for it to be able to refocus? On the other hand, could you overwhelm your more cautious dog if you go in too strong? Does speed, change of direction, anticipation, or the environment they’re playing in affect what your dog enjoys?
What about verbal praise? You only have to speak their name for some dogs to get their whole body wagging! For others, your voice would do little to cut it in an environment of many other potential reinforcements. A more anxious dog might find a loud, excited human vocalisation scary. Studies have shown that how we use our tone AND the consistency of our words are very important in creating a “happy” response in our dogs.
The two must be combined to have the best result. Dog-directed speech (baby talk) is the most effective way to reinforce and encourage your dog. Using consistent words or phrases your dog becomes accustomed to allows them to understand the praise being presented better.
Real-life rewards can come in all shapes and sizes. For example, you could reward water-loving dogs with the opportunity to jump in a river! On the other hand, it might be the chance to say hi to a new human friend for people-loving dogs.
The Premack Principle of dog training often discusses these rewards, which state that a lower probability behaviour (a year dog doesn’t necessarily want to do) can be reinforced or encouraged by rewarding with a higher probability behaviour. An example of this principle in action is telling children that they must eat their vegetables if they want dessert.
What is the difference between a reward, a bribe and a lure?
We might ask our dog to return to us before they can go and say “hi” to the other dog. Or ask your dog to “sit” before a new human friend can say hello. The value of real-life rewards will depend on your dog’s breed and motivation.
For a working spaniel, being released to chase a bird (when you’re sure that bird is far enough away that it’s safe from harm or stress) could be a reinforcement for sitting calmly next to you. However, some pet parents worry that rewarding their dogs is “bribing” them to do things. Many feel that praise should be enough or that our dogs want to do what we ask them to please us.
- A reward is given in return for a service provided—our dogs have done the requested task or offered us a fantastic natural choice of behaviour.
- A BRIBE is something used to try to influence behaviour. It’s a way to regain control of a situation without teaching new behaviours.
- A LURE is a way to invite your dog to do something for you. It’s the basis of shaping your dog to learn new behaviours to help them understand something more quickly.
Use a lure if necessary.
While a LURE is removed later and replaced by your dog understanding the behaviour requested to earn a reward, a BRIBE tends to be used long-term. It is more likely related to behaviours your dog finds aversive, such as getting into the bath.
Just as we gain motivation from being paid a salary, getting a bonus for excelling, or being praised for doing a good job, our dogs gain motivation through our reward system.
While you might not need to reward every sit, wait or recall for your dog’s entire life, when your dog doesn’t easily understand what’s expected or is struggling with learning something new, rewards can help boost learning and instil a lifelong understanding.
It’s a way to say we like the behaviour that our dog has presented and to thank them for doing a great job. So go ahead: Use plenty of rewards in training and life to support your dog in embracing your desired behaviours.
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