Avoid mixed messages when training with treats
When we ask our dog to sit or lie down, she obeys with attitude. She barks, as if she is demanding a cookie. This behaviour is quickly becoming tiresome. How can I correct the barking without also correcting the sit and down?
When dogs are first learning a skill, they are rewarded for all attempts. This is a little like praising a child’s scribbles on paper. It is a start and a good one. Over time, we expect scribbling to become fluid writing. So, too, it is with our dogs. As they develop their skills, we place more emphasis on the quality of the behaviour. In this case, we expect that the dog will obey quietly.
Regardless of why the barking started, the fix is the same. Owners need to provide greater clarity in their feedback. Reward excellence. Stop settling for substandard behaviour.
Instead of rewarding all sits and downs, owners should only reward those that are quiet. Should the dog bark, withhold the treat. It pays to be quiet.
Extinguishing behaviours through the process of withholding treats and other reinforcements can be stressful. Dogs struggle to understand why they are no longer being rewarded. Owners struggle with ignoring a noisy dog.
Make the process easier by revisiting previous stages of training. Go back to the point where the dog last demonstrated that it could be quiet. Strive to keep practising at a level where they are right approximately 80 per cent of the time. This helps alleviate the frustration that comes with the rule change.
For dogs that are highly food motivated, use dry boring kibble. Reducing the dog’s enthusiasm can help reduce barking, allowing them to be right more often. As they begin to understand the new, quieter expectations, use more tempting food rewards. Teach the dog to be quiet even when excited.
Our dog only obeys if we first crinkle a treat bag or reach into a pocket. How can we get him to obey commands without carrying cookies?
Diligent owners are especially prone to the problem of treat-bag fixation. It stems from owners being predictable. Regularly strapping on a bait bag filled with meat tells our pets that we are prepared to pay. Just as quickly, they learn that we fail to recognize and reward good behaviour when unprepared. The presence of treats determines if the dog will or will not obey.
Thoughtful training prevents and
fixes treat-bag dependence. Periodically wear a loaded bait bag, but do not give any commands. After some time passes, put the bag away. Impress upon the dog that the pres- ence of food is irrelevant.
At other times, hide special treats in locations where you plan on training. Use treats that are better than what you would normally use. For example, place a few bits of food in your yard. Take the dog out and ask for a simple behaviour. Surprise your dog by producing a treat that they did not expect. This teaches the dog that you reward good behaviour, especially when it’s not visible.
Finally, pay close attention to your hands. Resist the urge to reach into a pocket for cookies until after the dog obeys. Dogs need to realize that listening and obeying cause their owner to reach for a treat — and not the other way around. Reaching for food too early creates a unique hand signal. Reaching tells the dog to pay attention and listen. Invariably, dogs will do exactly what they have been taught.
Reaching into a pocket while saying sit is not the same as teaching a dog that sit means sit. Yvette Van Veen is an animal behaviour consultant. Write her at advice@ awesomedogs.ca.