Treat Delivery

[corvus]

I've been quite interested lately in the different ways we can use food to motivate and reward our dogs. I try to put the food where I want my dog to be, and click for movement and feed for position. But for targeting and mat training, I like to throw the food to get the dog to move away from the target so they have to move back for the next treat. I sometimes throw my target, too!

I've been watching my training sessions on video and my treat delivery is a bit clumsy at times and really disrupts my training. Part of the problem is I do a lot of our training outside in the grass or on the heinous shagpile carpet inside, so if I start dropping treats the dog has to search for it. It's not a problem if I only drop one or two and my reward rate is high because whichever dog I'm training will usually ignore it and try to get another click instead. But if I drop a few it just gets really disruptive. Someone I asked about this had the excuse that their fingers were numb due to a neck injury, but I guess I'm just clumsy. I'm thinking of putting treats in a small bowl to keep things ticking over nice and fast. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you like to use food?

[Luke W]

I've been quite interested lately in the different ways we can use food to motivate and reward our dogs. I try to put the food where I want my dog to be, and click for movement and feed for position. But for targeting and mat training, I like to throw the food to get the dog to move away from the target so they have to move back for the next treat. I sometimes throw my target, too!

I've been watching my training sessions on video and my treat delivery is a bit clumsy at times and really disrupts my training. Part of the problem is I do a lot of our training outside in the grass or on the heinous shagpile carpet inside, so if I start dropping treats the dog has to search for it. It's not a problem if I only drop one or two and my reward rate is high because whichever dog I'm training will usually ignore it and try to get another click instead. But if I drop a few it just gets really disruptive. Someone I asked about this had the excuse that their fingers were numb due to a neck injury, but I guess I'm just clumsy. I'm thinking of putting treats in a small bowl to keep things ticking over nice and fast. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you like to use food?

Chicken breast (about 2cm cubes) is very easy for the dog to see.

[huski]

I taught my dogs to catch treats so they don't drop on the floor.

[corvus]

Chicken might help... nice and visible.

Catching would be fine except that Kivi is really bad at it. He ducks. :rolleyes: Yes, even when you toss him treats. He likes to very delicately lip them out of my fingers. Sometimes he's the one that drops them. I tried to teach him to catch them, but it's never gonna happen. Even having Erik lurking underneath him and launching up at the last minute to try to snatch the treat doesn't encourage him to be more proactive.

How do you throw a treat when you want to reward really close to you?

Does anyone have cues to tell their dog whether they are throwing a treat or handing one?

[huski]

I had to try really hard to teach Daisy to catch treats. She learnt pretty quick that if she didn't catch them I would pick them up and she'd miss out :rolleyes:

If she's too close to catch it (not often) I just hand it to her.

[OSoSwift]

Chicken might help... nice and visible.

Catching would be fine except that Kivi is really bad at it. He ducks. Yes, even when you toss him treats. He likes to very delicately lip them out of my fingers. Sometimes he's the one that drops them. I tried to teach him to catch them, but it's never gonna happen. Even having Erik lurking underneath him and launching up at the last minute to try to snatch the treat doesn't encourage him to be more proactive.

How do you throw a treat when you want to reward really close to you?

Does anyone have cues to tell their dog whether they are throwing a treat or handing one?

I would have only one dog out when I was training, no competition and snatching of treats issues then.

If they are really close to you hand it to them.

Most dogs if they are a little hungry don't waste too much time snabbling a treat.

I am lucky both mine pounce on a treat I would have no chance in being able to pick them up before mine got to them first

[corvus]

Yeah... Kivi isn't most dogs. I tried the "too late" thing and he went "oh well. Better luck next time" which pretty much sums Kivi up. I do train the dogs separately (otherwise Erik drives Kivi away!), but thought maybe a bit of competition would encourage Kivi to be quicker. Seeing as it didn't I'm not pressing the issue. Training is stressful enough for him without adding treat with-holding as well!

The handing bit is my problem, though. I can throw treats around for Erik and that's all good, but if we're doing stuff close any fumbles really disrupt the rhythm.

I think I should teach Erik to catch them, though. He's so short it might help him keep his feet on the ground. How small are your treats? Can you toss or drop small, slippery bits of meat with any kind of precision?

[Luke W]

Barkly can catch as well.

I throw on the ground when I want him to move away from a spot (for example shaping 'go to mat') or to generate extra speed/drive (tossing a treat as he pops out of weave poles for example).

I throw down his gob when I want him to stay in the same spot.

I don't use verbal cues for throwing treats. Barkly recognises the body cues pretty well though

Edited February 19, 2010 by Luke W

[The Spotted Devil]

I try and mix up treat delivery as much as possible.

At the park, the grass can get a bit long so it's easy to miss thrown food. At home, his treats sometimes fall through the cracks of the decking and he looks so disappointed As soon as I can see that Zig has lost sight of the food (don't want him sniffing in the grass for it) I just say "Ready?" and he bolts back to me as he knows he'll get a replacement in super quick time. Seems to work Catching works in some situations but at other times I want him running flat out.

[OSoSwift]

Yeah... Kivi isn't most dogs. I tried the "too late" thing and he went "oh well. Better luck next time" which pretty much sums Kivi up. I do train the dogs separately (otherwise Erik drives Kivi away!), but thought maybe a bit of competition would encourage Kivi to be quicker. Seeing as it didn't I'm not pressing the issue. Training is stressful enough for him without adding treat with-holding as well!

The handing bit is my problem, though. I can throw treats around for Erik and that's all good, but if we're doing stuff close any fumbles really disrupt the rhythm.

I think I should teach Erik to catch them, though. He's so short it might help him keep his feet on the ground. How small are your treats? Can you toss or drop small, slippery bits of meat with any kind of precision?

I don't throw treats as the Whippets are not very good at catching! I will toss them on the ground or deliver them to their mouth.

I use Happy paws training treats, cubes of chickern meat or cubes of dog roll. They bounce pretty well.

The smaller dried ones do tend to get lost the easiest. Dog roll and cubes of cooked chicken are the easiest for them to see.

[corvus]

Right on, Luke. That's how I've been using treat delivery as well. I really don't toss treats for Kivi, though. I think he'd have trouble finding them. He seems to think they should come directly from my hand. It takes him a long time to get around to looking for food I've dropped on the floor by accident. Erik always gets it first.

That's a good idea, TSD. I've been trying to teach the boys much the same thing. They are getting better...

Does anyone use one of those jackpot toys?

[bedazzledx2]

I cue "catch" They learn that one pretty quick

Chicken might help... nice and visible.

Catching would be fine except that Kivi is really bad at it. He ducks. Yes, even when you toss him treats. He likes to very delicately lip them out of my fingers. Sometimes he's the one that drops them. :p I tried to teach him to catch them, but it's never gonna happen. Even having Erik lurking underneath him and launching up at the last minute to try to snatch the treat doesn't encourage him to be more proactive.

How do you throw a treat when you want to reward really close to you?

Does anyone have cues to tell their dog whether they are throwing a treat or handing one?

[Tassie]

I cue "catch" They learn that one pretty quick

Unless they're Kirra - she'll be 8 next Saturday, and can't catch to save herself - doesn't help that she shuts her eyes .

[Kavik]

Barkly can catch as well.

I throw on the ground when I want him to move away from a spot (for example shaping 'go to mat') or to generate extra speed/drive (tossing a treat as he pops out of weave poles for example).

I throw down his gob when I want him to stay in the same spot.

I don't use verbal cues for throwing treats. Barkly recognises the body cues pretty well though

I do the same as Luke. They are pretty good at remembering which exercises have a thrown treat and which ones are given from your hand/stationary on ground. Built into the exercise itself I think.