What Type Of Food Reward Do You Use?

[Rusky]

I use home made liver treats and home made crispy chicken. I have a mate who buys some small roll of food which is sliced to train her great dane, when training is over she shares her treats with us humans beautiful stuff, some sort of sausage.

[sandyl]

I usually use frankforts. But they're quite expensive. I've found the dogs would do anything for pancakes!?! So ive been using them..

[blacklabrador]

Well actually, it comes from the show ring and putting pieces of food in my mouth while I stack the dogs.

have you tried the liver treats in your mouth??? I try to use BBQ chicken in the ring cause it tastes ok :p

[Tim'sMum]

How long do you suggest a training session like this (active) should be?? After about 5 minutes she is "dusted" (we live on acres so she gets a good run-up) and just does a belly flop at the water bowl!

Thanks again for your help -

- Colleen[/b]

It would depend on her age and maybe how hot it is.

With a pup it's usually easy to tell when they have had enough as they become distracted....a few minutes a couple of times a day should be OK.

Older pups/dogs can cope longer......but do it while they are fresh, before exercising.

[Tassie]

I use a variety of treats cut up small. Current favourites are nuked hot dogs - quartered lengthwise and then cut up into pea sized pieces, and a tasty low fat coon cheese also cut in small pieces. When you want a high rate of reinforcement (lots of treats in a short time - e.g when the dog is learning something new) something soft and small is better than anything larger or chewy or crunchy. Those things take the dog too long to eat

I find chicken too messy - end up dropping bits - bad scene!

Just a thought - especially on the dog running past you issue - it's worth adding some sort of tug-toy to your motivator toolbox. Soft tug toys like Periau makes are great. Teach the dog to play tuggy on your command, and then release on your command (reward the let-go with a treat.) You can then use the tuggy as a reward for the dog coming to you- - in an informal situation.

Oh, and I've seen dogs work happily for frozen peas - mine actually like them too - but I'd be worried about them as a choking hazard if your dog is fast to take his treat.

As others have said, it's good to have a range of motivators and rewards, both to prevent staleness, but also so that higher value rewards can be given to assist new learning, or transferring learning to more distracting environments.

[TURBOTERROR]

My dogs just LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kangaroo Bangas ( sausages) , i grill them , than slice them into manageable pieces .

Kelly

[MonElite]

Polish cabanossi - damn $20/kg... but I like it as well

[poodlefan]

I use a bunch of different things - sausages, roast chook and cabanosi mostly. I also use a tug toy or a ball for some things - mostly in agility when I want speed and enthusiasm. However, only two of my three dogs enjoy the tug. Miss Lil is purely motivated by food.

The aim of your treats should be that the dog can eat them very quickly - I tend to use only soft treats that are about the size of my little finger nail. If your dog is having to stop and chew them, they aren't ideal.

[WreckitWhippet]

A little O.T, but I have put just about everything that I feed to the dogs, as far as treats, in my mouth at some stage. I know I prefer some over others.

B.L liver treats taste ok....

Training sessions should be short and sharp, if the dogs can perform the exercise with success a couple of times during the session, then finish on a high and leave it there. You undo all the good work as soon as their attention wanders from you, don't let the fail the set exercise through being tired or a lack of enthusiasm.

Two minutes , where there is nothing but success and reward for you dog, is far better than 10 minutes , half of which was performed well and the rest not so good, leaving you feeling frustrated.

[Steve K9Pro]

wo minutes , where there is nothing but success and reward for you dog, is far better than 10 minutes , half of which was performed well and the rest not so good, leaving you feeling frustrated.

K9: no, not really.

If the dog performs the excercise 20 times successfully & you have then stopped, no training took place. You just re inforced what was already known more.

The dog has to make a mistake so the option of not complying with the command is removed....

[Lablover]

Wooo hooo, another one of my favourite topics. Repeating an exercise. Repeating a concept (or chaining). More often than not repeating a concept and having success makes us as trainers feel better, but does not in reality teach the dog anything new.

It is best to know why the dogs failed/or did not perform the function required and instantly, break down the concept, to exercise form. With high level requirements there is no shame in simplifing.

For example in retrieving, when a dog cheats the water. Does not stop on the whistle. Is focused on a mark/sighted retrieve and will not change their focus to a hidden retrieve.

Sad, Lablover. Its raining. No training tonight.

Gosh,my reply has nothing to do with the topic. Sorry.

I used to use treats, now I use retrieving rewards.

[baileyb]

Hey Warley

Please tell me didn't eat the smackos yourself and it was your dogs who told you they were too salty!!

Well actually, it comes from the show ring and putting pieces of food in my mouth while I stack the dogs. Having tasted smackos amongst other things. I think that it is very salty. I have also found that the dogs drink a lot when I use it and that often they don;t think it's a reward at all, they have been known to spit it out.

One of their other favourites is the homebrand or coles chicken roll. That's also more desirable to the human as well

Sorry, but I did have a laugh when I read it!!