Not food motivated

[marsvenusneptunejupiter]

Hello,

 

My kid, a Heeler mix, is not food motivated; or at least the food she can eat. She cannot stomach meat or wheat, so I make her meals for her with the few things she will eat. I'm still experimenting with different meals that she will eat, but it's hard to get her to eat anything. Even before she had the issue with meat, she was iffy with it. She's perfectly healthy just obscenely picky. What she eats one day she won't eat the next or even a week later.

It sometimes gets to the point that I have to force her to eat a little bit. She will literally starve herself some days; doesn't matter that her stomach is clearly saying she's hungry she just refuses to eat.

So I'm not sure what to do with training. She was a rescue, but this wasn't an issue for the first year. Only after she finished her heart worm treatment that first year that she started getting picky. It's steadily been getting worse. It's been over a year since her treatment, yet she's still not improving. Can you suggest anything for training purposes other than toys? She loses interest with toy quickly.

I take her walking several times a day, doing two+ miles on hot days and five+ on cool days, so it's not like she doesn't get enough exercise.

 

Thank you.

Edited September 27, 2019 by marsvenusneptunejupiter
Forgot to add something.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Greetings and welcome to the forums,

So sorry to hear your heeler mix has gone through so much! Glad to hear though she has gotten over being heartworm positive.

 

Is your veterinarian aware of these issues she is facing? Not wanting to eat to the point of having to force her to eat and her starving some days is pretty significant in my opinion. Might be beyond pickiness. On the other hand, meat is a dog's favorite food according to studies so missing out on meat can make meals tasty pretty bland.

 

What issues is your dog exactly facing when eating meat or wheat? Stomach problems, skin allergies? Has your vet ever considered trying exotic meats? Has a specialist been consulted? I know of some dog owners who after seeing an internal medicine specialist do some food trials using exotic meats such as kangaroo, bison etc. and the dogs go back to eating meat again and their appetites are back.

 

In any case, what ingredients does she seem to do well with so far? Were the meals you are offering approved by your vet or by a veterinary nutritionist?

 

When dogs with little appetites as such present to training, we usually recommend in depth veterinary evaluations because we want to rule out any potential medical problems as much as possible before starting training.

 

What toys have you tried for training? There are toys and toys (in the eyes of the dogs). Have you ever used a flirt pole? A flirt pole is a stick with a toy attached at the end of a rope. It can be used to train behaviors such as leave it and drop its. I have used a rabbit fur tug toy very well as a lure for getting dogs to sit and lie down in the same way as using food, only that instead of feeding it, dogs are allowed to tug at it.

 

You can also use life rewards (for example, for recalls, call your dog when you are ready to put on her leash and take her on a walk (the prospective of the walk acts as a reward) or when you are going out in the yard, call her so that she can join you out if she loves the yard, you can also do sits by the door and reward the sit by opening the door (see Open Sesame brain game in the Brain Training section).

 

To use life rewards, compile a list of the thing your dog loves doing naturally and then use those things to reinforce desired behaviors. Does she love chasing balls? Does she love running? Does she like to chase you? Feel free to post some things she loves and I can post some ideas on how to utilize these things as reinforcement. However, these may be temporary solutions, we still want to get to the bottom of this and understand why she has so little appetite and if there any things that can be done to entice her to eat more.

Edited October 6, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli
Wrote behaviorist rather than nutritionist

[marsvenusneptunejupiter]

Hello,

 

Yes, her vet is aware. It's not a physical issue.

 

When I say force her a little bit, I really do mean a little bit. Once she's tasted it, she willing will eat it on her own. It's not a lack of appetite. It's also not something that happens a lot, but it does happen. She's really stubborn and this usually happens when I have to change her outing(s) schedule.

 

What studies are you referring to? I personally think her meals are tasty as I end up eating what she won't before it goes bad. Homemade food does have a short shelf life. As I'm still experimenting with the combination of ingredients I rather doubt she finds it boring either.

 

Meat causes her to either get constipated or have diarrhea, it depends on what kind of meat she eats. Also she gets bloated and has extremely horrible smelling flatulence. Wheat constipates her and causes bloating and some flatulence; nothing as bad as when she eats meat though.

While I believe no expense should be spared, we are on a budget. Then there's the sustainability of exotic meats. It's not something that's I remember being recommended, but those reasons alone I would have dismissed the suggestion. She is perfectly healthy without it, why go out of the way for something unnecessary?

 

As for meals since they tend to differ I'm just going to tell you what I use. I use brown rice, quinoa, lentils, beans, brown rice pasta, turmeric, oregano, rosemary, spirulina, seaweed, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, peas, kale, kabocha, corn, blueberries, apples, flex meal, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil (she loves it), and hemp oil. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things, but that's the bulk of ingredients I use. Her vet hasn't had a problem yet with what I make for her.

 

Again it's not a lack of appetite.

 

Mostly I told you all this because you seem to be very adamant about using food, as that's what your replies to other users seem to be. I totally can understand why, but with my kid it's not a viable option right now.

 

As for toys, well, she has a lot. She has plushes, plushes that squeek, squeekys, ropes, ropes with plushy balls sewn on (some even squeak), kongs, socks, small boxes, and paper rolls. Though I think her favorite toys are my hands, the spiders. She seems to lose interest in most of her other toys quickly. If I hold one back for more than a few times she like "okay, I'm done then", and walks off. She might be game for the flirt pole. I'll give it a shot.

 

I'm not sure I could use life rewards. We don't have a fence so I have to keep her on a leash when we go out. Also we do spend a lot of time outside already so I'm not sure how I would use that for training. I'm up for anything though.

 

She likes to chase cats, squirrels, other pups, and birds. Sometimes she'll chase me, but I'm too easy to catch so she'll stop after a bit. What she loves to do is take things I tell her not to. She stole a ball once and refused to let it go until I left her alone. She's a defiant one, she is. She likes it when I call her naughty. I get lots of tail wags for that.

We'd do much better with a yard that didn't have so many things she would get tangled up in if I put her on a long rope; that is until I knew she wouldn't run off after something rope free. So it's a bit more difficult.

 

Thank you.

[JMFS]

I can share some non-food rewards that work with Gertrude. I'm lessening the number of treats she gets because something said here or elsewhere regarding Service Dogs piqued my interest. The comment was that Service Dogs don't get rewarded with treats, but instead are given affection. I've been experimenting with Gertie and sure enough, she's happy to recall for chin / ear scratches or being brushed. Flirt pole is a big one, too, unless she's already played with it. Like your pup, once Gertie is bored with something she's done. Another thing that works for her is enthusiasm. The more animated and cheery I am, the happier she is to comply. I feel ridiculous, but it's working so the neighbors can deal with it - they should be minding their own business anyway. I do use treats for the tough stuff like drop . . . that one is still a work in progress. One benefit of not using treats is that I don't have to carry the darn things around all the time. She'll respond quicker to treats than the rest, dogs in general are slaves to their stomachs after all, but I'm okay with it taking longer to reinforce the behaviors with non-food rewards. I taught her "paw" and "other" (left and right paws) without treats so I know it's doable to go sans food motivation.

 

I've also been experimenting with her meals. Gertie has anal gland issues and super itchy skin. I've nearly eradicated the itching, but her bowel movements are still tricky. She gets oatmeal, chamomile, and fish oil with a bit of dry food in the morning, wet food, chamomile, and a bit of dry food at night. Our ingredients are nowhere near as varied as your menu as I can use pre-made dog food, but still I understand the struggle of finding the perfect blend. She also gets pumpkin and psyllium husk in an attempt to harden her stool.

 

Oh, what about freeze dried liver? It's an organ meat rather than muscle so it may or may be processed differently by her system. Bonus - the only ingredient is the liver itself so there aren't other variables at play.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Thank you for the details,

Below are some tips and ideas along with some elucidations.

 

Hello,Yes, her vet is aware. It's not a physical issue.

When I say force her a little bit, I really do mean a little bit. Once she's tasted it, she willing will eat it on her own. It's not a lack of appetite. It's also not something that happens a lot, but it does happen. She's really stubborn and this usually happens when I have to change her outing(s) schedule.

 

Thanks, I was wondering if your vet was aware of her literally starving herself some days because there are so many dogs that are believed to be picky, when in reality they have some digestive issues or other health issues. Not saying, it's your case, but it's always something to think about.

 

At times, these issues are uncovered only after seeing an internal medicine specialist. When my dog once got picky, we saw an internist and a battery of tests revealed that she had a digestive issue and meds solved her issues and she was back to feeling OK. Apparently her nausea created a strong taste aversion with some foods, hence she grew tired of foods and was always willing to try a new food, until she associated that as well with nausea, and a new taste aversion was formed until the next food was tried and so forth.

 

Long story short, my regular vet just brushed it off to aging and we spent several months trying new foods until I had to tell my vet that I had a gut feeling something more was going on and asked her to refer me to a specialist. As a former vet assistant and dealing with dogs suffering from IBD and other GI disorders, picky eating just raises a red flag to me, especially when it's a new behavior in a dog who previously had a normal appetite.

 

You mentioned though that these episodes of reduced appetite occur when "I have to change her outing(s) schedule". Can you provide more details on this please? Is she prone to anxiety, stress? Do changes in her life upset her?

 

What studies are you referring to? I personally think her meals are tasty as I end up eating what she won't before it goes bad. Homemade food does have a short shelf life. As I'm still experimenting with the combination of ingredients I rather doubt she finds it boring either. Meat causes her to either get constipated or have diarrhea, it depends on what kind of meat she eats. Also she gets bloated and has extremely horrible smelling flatulence. Wheat constipates her and causes bloating and some flatulence; nothing as bad as when she eats meat though. While I believe no expense should be spared, we are on a budget. Then there's the sustainability of exotic meats. It's not something that's I remember being recommended, but those reasons alone I would have dismissed the suggestion. She is perfectly healthy without it, why go out of the way for something unnecessary?

 

Below are the links to the studies I was referring to. I have access to the entire study as a member of a research group, but can sum it out using a quote from Linda Case:

 

"The authors conclude that while domestic dogs have adapted to a scavenging lifestyle, they appear to have done so without giving up a strong preference for meat. They suggest that while the domestic dog has indeed evolved to more efficiently digest carbohydrate and exist on a carbohydrate-rich scavenged diet, they continue to be strongly attracted to the smell of meat and preferentially select meat-smelling foods. (Not surprising at all to most dog owners; but again, good to have science backing up experiences and beliefs). Anyone who lives with and trains dogs is aware that dogs are almost universally attracted to meaty foods and treats. Trainers use these preferences to select different levels of “treat value” for dogs and almost invariably, the treats that are of highest value to a dog are those that have a meaty texture, smell and (we assume) taste."~Linda Case-end quote

 

 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03949370.2015.1076526

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03949370.2015.1076526

 

Not saying that you should feed your dog meat, just providing a reason why meat/meat-based treats are often used in training and why dogs may find certain carb-rich diets pretty bland. Of course, only your vet or veterinary internist should decide whether any changes in diet can benefit her.

 

 

As for meals since they tend to differ I'm just going to tell you what I use. I use brown rice, quinoa, lentils, beans, brown rice pasta, turmeric, oregano, rosemary, spirulina, seaweed, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, peas, kale, kabocha, corn, blueberries, apples, flex meal, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil (she loves it), and hemp oil. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things, but that's the bulk of ingredients I use. Her vet hasn't had a problem yet with what I make for her.

Again it's not a lack of appetite..

 

Thanks for taking the time to provide the list. Seaweed emanates quite a strong odor that I have found dogs are attracted to. Have you tried to use that that as an individual treat for training? Since you mention she loves coconut oil (my sweet Petra used to love it too!) that can be tried too in small amounts to lick off your hand or a wooden spoon. I have had some dogs who are crazy for peas, especially if I tossed them and they got a kick chasing them around and then eating them. A Dalmatian I trained once instead went bonkers for carrots.

 

Mostly I told you all this because you seem to be very adamant about using food, as that's what your replies to other users seem to be. I totally can understand why, but with my kid it's not a viable option right now.

 

Ideally, we use food because it's a primary reinforcer and it provides clarity with no need for learning to be involved. Not to mention, it's readily available and nothing's best than putting your dog to work for his food. Just a dog's meal gives you like 25 to 100 (depending on kibble size) opportunities to reinforce desired behaviors. Now, as mentioned, food isn't the only source of reinforcement we can utilize. There are many other options we can look for, so no worries! I will be posting some more non-food ideas for training based on the extra info you have provided shortly in my next post. Please standby.

Edited October 6, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli
Added details

[Adrienne Farricelli]

 

As for toys, well, she has a lot. She has plushes, plushes that squeek, squeekys, ropes, ropes with plushy balls sewn on (some even squeak), kongs, socks, small boxes, and paper rolls. Though I think her favorite toys are my hands, the spiders. She seems to lose interest in most of her other toys quickly. If I hold one back for more than a few times she like "okay, I'm done then", and walks off. She might be game for the flirt pole. I'll give it a shot.

 

I'm not sure I could use life rewards. We don't have a fence so I have to keep her on a leash when we go out. Also we do spend a lot of time outside already so I'm not sure how I would use that for training. I'm up for anything though.

 

She likes to chase cats, squirrels, other pups, and birds. Sometimes she'll chase me, but I'm too easy to catch so she'll stop after a bit. What she loves to do is take things I tell her not to. She stole a ball once and refused to let it go until I left her alone. She's a defiant one, she is. She likes it when I call her naughty. I get lots of tail wags for that.

We'd do much better with a yard that didn't have so many things she would get tangled up in if I put her on a long rope; that is until I knew she wouldn't run off after something rope free. So it's a bit more difficult.

 

Thank you.

 

Thanks for posting her preferences. If she's up for chasing cats, squirrels and birds then she has a good level of prey drive and we channel this with toys. A flirt pole can therefore be very tempting for her and we can use that for teaching several cues such as drop it, leave it, and to reinforce sit/stays and down stays.

 

If she gives you lots of tail wags when you tell her "naughty," you can also use that to your advantage. Experiment with what tones of voice she likes and throw a party with her when she performs a desired behavior.

 

Etsy sellers often sell a variety of tug toys made of rabbit fur and even sometimes squirrel tails that you can use as a lure to train sits and downs and then reinforce the behavior by praising and letting her play tug with it or tossing it in the air.

 

Finally, something to point out is that the value of food as reinforcement for behaviors can be built. I have worked with several dogs who weren't interested in food initially, but who started associating food/treats with fun learning and engagement to the point where they started finding even low value treats and even kibble more interesting than before. If you have nothing against training with food, I will be glad to provide you with a variety of troubleshooting ideas (would need more info though on how she is emotionally, her background, history, where you got her, how long you had her etc) and tips to make food more interesting. However, if she's truly one of those cases of dogs who prefer high energy games like tugs and toys or social praise, it's perfectly OK to just use whatever makes her more happy than anything else.

Edited October 7, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli

[Adrienne Farricelli]

I can share some non-food rewards that work with Gertrude. I'm lessening the number of treats she gets because something said here or elsewhere regarding Service Dogs piqued my interest. The comment was that Service Dogs don't get rewarded with treats, but instead are given affection.

 

Hello Jennifer,

I am not sure where the notion that service dogs don't get rewarded with treats comes from. I have personally worked to prepare service dogs for disabled veterans and used treats/food as reinforcement. My continuing education often involves attending live and recorded webinars and can attest that most service dogs are trained tasks with food at some point in their training journeys. Many of the organizations within assistance dogs international are heavily based off of food rewards.

 

Now, training service dogs is like any other form of advanced training. You will therefore find service dog trainers who use shock collars and lots of negative reinforcement and positive punishment, while others use only positive reinforcement/subtracted punishment.

 

It's unfortunate, but the dog training industry is not regulated, and therefore, there's a lot of conflicting info. There is no law dictating how service dogs should be trained, so handlers can do it whatever way they want, but ethical and effective service dog trainers do use food and do so consistently, although, it's worthy precising that the food is often moved from a continuous schedule to an intermittent one, after the initial training phase, so that praise and affection along with other positive reinforcers can be used in between "recharging sessions."

Edited October 7, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli

[JMFS]

Then it definitely wasn't here that I read it! :D It's possible I misunderstood (wouldn't be the first time!), or the commenter did.

[marsvenusneptunejupiter]

Excuse the lateness!

 

Thanks for the information! The over the top affection (I'm a little over animated to begin with) seems to be working, granted slowly, but I'm seeing a difference. If I go right in to it when she meets the neighborhood Huskies/Malamutes, she calms down right away. Actually she'll leave them alone almost right away now. Before even though I wasn't yelling or being negative about the encounter, she'd get aggressive and start fighting me to "get at them" (they're behind a privacy fence). Now I have to try working it in to doing other things, but this was how I started testing it out.

 

Oh, poor dear, that sounds really unpleasant. Maybe try adding a bit of ginger. It won't help the stool issue, but it might help with the itchiness. Ginger is good for the gut and helps the immune system so it might help reduce the inflammation that's causing the itchiness.

Have you tried different food brands? It's really scary what they can be put in the commercial brands. So it's an idea, even though I'm sure you have.

 

I'll look into the freeze dried liver, but I'm a bit hesitant; every time I try something new that doesn't agree with her it takes a couple weeks for her to get back to normal.

 

Thank you.

[marsvenusneptunejupiter]

Excuse the lateness,

 

I appreciate the concern, it's hard to explain why I don't believe it's a physical issue; not just because the vet said so. She has always been weird about food; ever since I fostered her, even though she wasn't picky in the beginning.

I just want to say again it's not a lack of appetite. Just because she won't eat does not mean it's a lack of appetite. An example would be fasting, just because you choose not to eat does not mean you don't have an appetite. I just want to make that clear. Again I appreciate the concern, but perhaps I wrote something that is being misinterpreted. Though it's good to keep that in mind, don't know why I never realized there could be a specialist for such things for canines. Sorry that your dear had to go through that though.

 

She's actually really chilled, well excluding when she sees other creatures. Normally loud noises, even fireworks, don't really bother her; though cars can get her barking. So I wouldn't say she's prone to anxiety or stress. She just wants to be out all the time, I think. Some days I'm just not physically up to doing her usual walk schedule. She really doesn't like being kept at home when we're usually out and about. Apparently I should be like a robot and be fine all the time to do as she wishes. I may spoil her a bit with that. I mean she even refuses to poop in our yard, I have to take her walking almost always so that she will poop. She'll hold it all day if I don't take her walking; we'll go out in the yard, just not walking.

 

As for the study, what I understand it's the smell of meat rather than the actual amount of meat that's attractive to canines. Interesting.

Thanks for the link! I like reading studies about such things.

 

Seaweed is an "I have to be in the mood for it" kind of thing. Sometimes she she's all happy about it, most other times she snubs it. So it's not something reliable as a treat.

We live in a hot climate so to use coconut oil as a treat is very messy. I've tried it once before and somehow it ended up on everything even though I was using a very small amount. I could just be too klutzy to be able to use it.

 

Isn't the point to learn? I don't think I understand quite well what you mean. I get clarity, but learning is part of that, no?

Pity it isn't me being train though, I'm very food motivated, oh well.

 

Thank you.

[marsvenusneptunejupiter]

Yes, I still need to get that flirt pole. I do think she'll play with that for a while, at least.

 

Thanks for the tip for the "naughty" tone of voice. I'll try experimenting with it, but I first have to figure out how I'm saying it to being with. I don't really listen to myself when I'm speaking. Probably should.

I'm all for throwing that party. Just like what JenniferM posted.

 

Thank you.

[JMFS]

Excuse the lateness!

I'll look into the freeze dried liver, but I'm a bit hesitant; every time I try something new that doesn't agree with her it takes a couple weeks for her to get back to normal.

 

Aw, I can understand your reluctance to try new things if it takes that much time to get her regulated. We got the Halloween goodie box from Chewy a couple weeks ago and it had freeze dried beef and freeze dried salmon. The salmon has a stench, not an odor, a Stench - it's potent. It whammied me as soon as I opened the bag and I'm not a fan of fish so it was a double whammy. :D However, Gertie was into it right away and it's probably for the very reason I was put off by it - the smell. The freeze dried beef is better to handle and kinder to the nostrils. I can easily break those in half.

 

I'll have to look into the ginger. I did switch her food to Purina Pro Plan and she's doing better on that. I took her to the Vet last week and paid a Very well spent $24 to have her glands internally expressed. The Vet informed me they were full to the rim so I'm hoping we get a reprieve for some time before she needs attention again. My ultimate hope is that after being fully expressed they won't refill, but will instead empty on their own. I stopped feeding the oatmeal and within two days Gertie was scratching again so I've resolved to stay on top of getting the oatmeal into her breakfast bowl. The Vet was happy about the fish oil and the amount I'm giving as well as the chamomile so we're on the right path. I have to scale back the amount of wet food because she's gained 7 pounds. The Vet said, "we've gained some weight, but we still have a little bit of a waist so we'll want to watch what we eat." She cracks me up with that "we" thing. It's okay to tell me my dog is chubby, no need to sugar coat it! I need to go back tomorrow to get an Rx for Momo (the old man's developing some arthritic conditions and the trial medication seems to be working well) so I can ask her about the ginger when I pick up his Rx.

 

Take care and happy Halloween! Oh, and I'm with you on that food motivation. Mashed potatoes and steak would be incentive enough for me!

[Adrienne Farricelli]

 

As for the study, what I understand it's the smell of meat rather than the actual amount of meat that's attractive to canines. Interesting.

Thanks for the link! I like reading studies about such things.

 

You are very welcome! Yes, studies as such are so interesting! It makes sense though if we consider that, while the average human is blessed with anywhere in between 2,000 and 8,000 taste buds in total, dogs have just a mere 1,700. However, on the plus side, a dog's poor sense of taste is compensated by a very powerful sniffer, which explains why they are attracted to smelly treats.

 

Isn't the point to learn? I don't think I understand quite well what you mean. I get clarity, but learning is part of that, no?

 

I think you are referring to my statement "ideally, we use food because it's a primary reinforcer and it provides clarity with no need for learning to be involved."

 

Reinforcers take place following a behavior. They make certain behaviors stronger and likely to repeat. Reinforcers can take place naturally, or they can be mediated by us. Let's make an example of both:

 

Naturally (without our direct intervention): a dog walks under a table and finds some left over crumbs. Because the dog enjoys eating the crumbs, the behavior of walking under the table will likely repeat and become stronger. The dog will therefore walk under the table more and more.

 

Mediated by us (with our direct intervention): a dog's nose makes contact with our hand (hand targeting), and upon contact, we click our clicker (or say the verbal marker yes!) followed by a treat. Because the dog enjoys the treat, the behavior of nose-touching our hand establishes, and rep after rep, becomes stronger and more likely to repeat.

 

Now, there are two categories of reinforcers: primary and secondary reinforcers. Primary reinforcers (also known as unconditioned reinforcers) encompass anything dogs don't need to learn to love as they're naturally programmed to like, and therefore, depend on them already. Dogs in general are by nature attracted to water, food, exercise, and shelter, to name a few, and nobody taught them that. This appreciation is hard-wired in all dogs so giving this "raw" form of reinforcement provides clarity (there's no margin for error, as most dogs-other than a few exceptions- like food and need it to survive).

 

Secondary reinforcers, (also known as conditioned reinforcers) on the other hand, are all things that are normally neutral to the dog, but through experience, dogs learn to appreciate mainly because they have been associated with a primary reinforcer. Here are a few examples:

 

-Saying "Good boy" or any other form of praise followed by a treat right afterward (or a round of tug if the dog is highly play motivated) causes praise to generally become a conditioned reinforcer. This means that praise can be used to reinforce behavior every now and then because it has been associated with good things. (I still treat a lot to keep important behaviors strong).

-Patting the dog. If you pat a dog and feed treats, the dog may come to associate the pats with treats, and as with praise, it can be used to reinforce behaviors every now and then (even without treats following).

-Using a clicker. If you are using a clicker and it's always followed by a treat, the noise of the click will soon become a conditioned reinforcer.

-Dog whistles. Just as a clicker, a dog whistle can be charged and allowed to become a conditioned,secondary reinforcer that signals great things happening.

 

Now, there are no rules set in stone because what is reinforcing is ultimately in the eye of the beholder. Some dogs for one reason or another (after medical causes being ruled out) may not enjoy food to the extent of them feeling like working for it (although there are ways to increase "food drive"in some dogs).

 

On the other hand, some dogs may find happy-voiced praise and pats also fun (though not all) and may perceive them as semi-primary reinforcers, but their use should be interspersed with a sure bet (food) at least on several occasions. Happy praise and pats may also work for some dogs on some occasions/circumstances, but if one aims to rely on them exclusively, especially when working to train a dog a new or challenging task (like coming when called, especially!) it's extra helpful to offer high-value foods to leave a strong impact/impression.

 

Just as humans work for a pay check, and rather get money from their boss than just a pat on the shoulder and being told "well done", dogs are more likely to work for food (when they're healthy, feel safe and are food motivated). Praise while nice, may not keep an employee going in an office job five days a week. The paycheck is what keep the employee motivated to get up early and go to work every day. Same way, dogs are not "naturally" motivated to work just for praise or they may not have had the opportunity to learn to appreciate it during their training/development.

 

Regardless of what reinforcer chosen, it ultimately all boils down to this: if the desired behavior is repeating and getting stronger over time, chances are high that the dog is finding the reinforcer valuable enough; if it is weakening and reducing, whatever is being used may not be valuable enough or there may be too many super valuable competing reinforcers around (and/or there may be several other dynamics going on that are worthy of investigation).

 

I leave a final quote from the Association of Professional Dog Trainers:

 

"It’s poetic to think that dogs live to please their masters, but the reality is that dogs live to please themselves. When we ask our dogs to do something, the first thought racing through their heads is, “What’s in it for me right now?” Behaviors that are rewarded are statistically more likely to be repeated, so when we regularly reward our dogs for a job well done, they’ll want to keep showing up for work!

 

Food can be a very valuable reinforcer (paycheck!) for dogs during training. It’s one of a very short list of things that dogs are born already knowing is good. While most dogs easily learn to enjoy praise, petting and play – all of which also make good rewards — food still holds a special place in their mind due to its primal nature."

 

Of course, there are always specific circumstances and exceptions to the rule in almost everything in life, so once again, the take-home message is: find what makes your dog super happy and use it to your advantage and then analytically evaluate how it goes. Is the behavior increasing or decreasing? Does your dog look forward to being trained? Does she look like a happy learner? If you are looking for more tips/ideas, feel free to post.

 

Hope this helps,

Best,

Adrienne

Edited November 1, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli