What makes your dog tick? What is it that makes him want to do the things you ask him to do? Rewards can be anything that dog enjoys if he is easily motivated.
Food
Food motivated dogs are easy to spot; they are the ones who drool at the presence of a dog food bag, are spotted watching somebody eat from across the room, do happy dances as you prepare their meals. Take advantage of this! I'm lucky enough to have one food-motivated dog, who will do anything for an edible treat.
Other Motivators
Affection and play are Raider's big incentives. He will do anything to be rewarded with play-time (tug-o-war, fetch, hide-n-seek), or snuggling on the sofa. Although it is hard to dangle a future cuddle or a game in front of a dog, I've rewarded him with both for long enough now that he expects it after he does something right. Once I discovered what he really wanted, training became much easier.
Play
Then there's Kari. Kari is a dog who will happily chase a ball, until it stops moving and he loses interest, would rather just lay on the sofa on your lap than be actively snuggled, and isn't highly food-driven. Finding his "gotta-have-it" proved to be a challenge. What does Kari like? Kari likes to dance. And jump, more specifically, jump with his human, or on his human if I don't move out of the way fast enough. Kari will do anything as long as it is presented in a bouncing, energetic, fun way.
To motivate Kari takes a lot of energy on my part, but it is fun and enjoyable. I start with my hands in the air, much like an orchestra conductor, and "direct" him where I want him to go, "direct" his movements to have him do what I want to do. It's a dance. It's also one of the most comical things to see: me waving my arms around like a madman, and a hundred and fifteen pound dog moving like a puppet on a string. Now Kari is a very visually-trained dog. Finger-flicks, and hand twists will have him sitting, down, up, into, or over in a matter of seconds. By pairing the verbal command with the movement, I now have a dog who responds to both after much, and I mean much, repetition and arm flailing.
What makes your dog move?
More Dogs Quick Tips
- Attention
- Play
- Praise
- Petting
- Food pieces
Food
Food motivated dogs are easy to spot; they are the ones who drool at the presence of a dog food bag, are spotted watching somebody eat from across the room, do happy dances as you prepare their meals. Take advantage of this! I'm lucky enough to have one food-motivated dog, who will do anything for an edible treat.
Other Motivators
Affection and play are Raider's big incentives. He will do anything to be rewarded with play-time (tug-o-war, fetch, hide-n-seek), or snuggling on the sofa. Although it is hard to dangle a future cuddle or a game in front of a dog, I've rewarded him with both for long enough now that he expects it after he does something right. Once I discovered what he really wanted, training became much easier.
Play
Then there's Kari. Kari is a dog who will happily chase a ball, until it stops moving and he loses interest, would rather just lay on the sofa on your lap than be actively snuggled, and isn't highly food-driven. Finding his "gotta-have-it" proved to be a challenge. What does Kari like? Kari likes to dance. And jump, more specifically, jump with his human, or on his human if I don't move out of the way fast enough. Kari will do anything as long as it is presented in a bouncing, energetic, fun way.
To motivate Kari takes a lot of energy on my part, but it is fun and enjoyable. I start with my hands in the air, much like an orchestra conductor, and "direct" him where I want him to go, "direct" his movements to have him do what I want to do. It's a dance. It's also one of the most comical things to see: me waving my arms around like a madman, and a hundred and fifteen pound dog moving like a puppet on a string. Now Kari is a very visually-trained dog. Finger-flicks, and hand twists will have him sitting, down, up, into, or over in a matter of seconds. By pairing the verbal command with the movement, I now have a dog who responds to both after much, and I mean much, repetition and arm flailing.
What makes your dog move?
