The theme for this month’s Positive Pet Training blog hop is “Training Mantras – what is that one idea you always keep in mind when training?” I wasn’t sure how to answer this at first, if I even had a mantra. But I realized as I worked with Luke on some different things there is one thing I think about consistently when training, and that is “Praise, praise, praise.”
While treats are the most important tool in our training bag, praise is important to both me and Luke. When we’re working on something, praise comes easily to me anyway. It’s part of our enjoyment in training. When Luke does what I am looking for, not only do I click and say “yes”, I often go beyond that and say, “Good boy”, “Nice job”, “Good job, Buddy!”, and “You’re so smart!”.
If you research praise as a positive reinforcement training tool, you’ll find many sites that are all in favor of it, but most will also tell you that it is not the best tool. When using praise as a reward, you probably want to use it in conjunction with treats and perhaps physical contact like touching. I would never use simply praise when training something new, but when we’re practicing a learned behavior or trick, and treats are not handy, I will use praise as the reward, often along with a scratch under the chin or on his cheek or even a hug (Luke does not like to be patted on the head, and the truth is many dogs don’t).
This might not work for every dog. Cricket doesn’t do trick training but if we work on nose works or cues with her, I always need treats (a toy like her favorite ball might also work with her or other dogs that are highly toy motivated, I’ve just never tried it with her).
On the other hand, for dogs that are not highly treat motivated (not that I’ve ever had one of those!), praise, along with rewards such as a favorite toy or activity, can be an important tool. We also find it handy if I’m outside for just a few minutes and don’t have treats with me. When I’m tossing the ball for Cricket, that is a good time to work with Luke on some of his cues, since he is not as excited about fetch. We need to bring out the treats for more reinforcement, but Luke is one of those dogs that wants to please, so he is happy to work with me even when I forget the treats.
I started working with Luke last week on his new trick of “crawl”. He did much better than I expected first time out! At times like that, the praise rolls out so easily. However, we can’t forget that if things don’t go as well as we’d hoped, we need to end training on a high note with lots of praise and treats so we all come away feeling good. When that happens to us, we just revert to a trick Luke knows well to end our session.
That’s the thing to me about praise. Praising your dog doesn’t just make your dog feel good, it makes you feel good too! The trainer should enjoy training as much as the trainee, it’s positive reinforcement for both of us. Then we’re all looking forward to the next time.
What is one thing you always keep in mind when training your dog? Do you use praise as a tool?
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We are pleased to be co-hosting the Positive Pet Training blog hop with Tenacious Little Terrier and Travels with Barley. Pet bloggers, please join us in this hop by posting your positive pet training stories. The hop remains open through Sunday. Our theme this month is “Training Mantras”, however, you may share any positive pet training story, whether it’s on our theme or not!
I so enjoy reading your training posts, Jan! I always come away with the very same feeling after every training post: that if I were a dog, it would be fun to live at your house!! Kudos to keeping the praise flowing! Our dogs love to hear our voices and who doesn’t respond to some sweet talk?! You go, Girl!!
Thank you SO much, Sally! Your words of praise and encouragement really mean a lot to me, especially when I have those days where I feel like I’m getting nowhere fast! 🙂
Although Honey doesn’t speak English, she really understands it very well. I guess I feel like praise is just part of the conversation (both verbal and non verbal) that happens between us all the time.
Based on everything I’ve read about Luke, I can see him responding very well to your praise.
I think when you have a great bond with your dog, it does become exactly as you said….just part of the conversation. That’s a wonderful thing!
I tell Mr. N he’s a good boy all the time! He really likes being right so he needs a lot of encouragement when he gets frustrated. He won’t work solely for praise but I use it sometimes combined with some petting for things he already knows.
I think when we really love our dogs, it just comes out so naturally anyway!
I do use praise as a tool but I try not to over use it like if a dog is going out to retrieve something when it picks it up I say good dog and call it in then I don’t say anything until it gets to me and gives me the thing retrieved, then I praise. Some people keep saying good dog the whole time they are running back and I feel the dog is hearing bla bla bla
I agree with you on that. I think it’s always best to keep it simple for dogs. Kind of like repeating commands. Once you’ve said it five times they’re probably not listening any more (and I’m guilty of doing that!!).
I love that last picture of Luke … he’s sitting there like, “I’m ready to learn, Mom!”
He is always so eager and willing! I love that look too.
You know what? Leo is 7 years old, and I still praise him whenever he lies down. Even if I hear him do it across the room, not even in my line of sight. This goes back to when he was a baby and, based on Ian Dunbar’s book, I wanted to train him to “sit down and settle.” So, even when he wasn’t doing anything wrong by wandering around the house, I’m always pleased when he lies down.
It astonishes me when I see people fail to praise their dogs. They’re all good dogs and we should tell them, often!
You are right about that! I even get annoyed with my hubby at times when one of the dogs listens to him and he doesn’t praise them after! (then I’ll do it for him!)
Back when the girls – Callie included – were going through their digestive issues full force, I had to limit their treats to just one kind/flavor. As a result, I had to use praise and toys extensively when I was doing ANY training with them. And it has worked out pretty well long-term. I have found a treat or two that they both like, and I don’t spend a fortune on them. The nice thing is I can use them, whole, as bedtime treats; or broken up to use for Ducky’s nose work. As long as it’s a treat, she doesn’t care. 😉
With digestive, or even weight, issues in the mix, you definitely need some different alternatives! I’m glad it’s worked out well for you and the girls.
Great post. When we had a dog, she enjoyed praise. Unfortunately, cats are not that into praise- they want treats for everything 🙂
So true, so true! But some might settle for a chin scratch or head rub as a reward – maybe? 🙂
Luckily, our labs love treats! I often pair praise with them. I like your mantra!
Thank you!! Having more than one tool in our toolbox is definitely a big help.
End on a positive, is the one I like to keep. Sometimes it can be frustrating for both of us, so doing something fun, that my dog knows, really helps keep them willing to continue to train at a different time.
And it makes us more willing to do it again too! 🙂
Wow…that’s a really ‘pawsitive’ strategy. Love it. Going to try to incorporate something like that with Elsa since her neediness can be a bit challenging.
Luke is needy as well, so maybe that trait is something that makes them respond more to the praise as a reward. I hope it works for you with Elsa!
I definitely use praise with my guys, usually in conjunction with high-value treats 😉 Buzz is also highly motivated by getting playtime with his beloved ball as a reward for obeying commands.
I haven’t used toys as rewards myself yet, but it’s definitely something I want to try.
Bailie is the real treat motivated one in our family, but for all of us, praise and snuggling is the best reward around!
That is so great, since it’s something we Moms really enjoy too!
Rye is a huge fan of praise, too! We just started barn hunt lessons and we actually aren’t using treats at all because she started looking at my hands and pockets for treats instead of looking for the rat. She is thriving with just praise and gets so excited when I start praising her that she locks onto the rat even more. I was skeptical about using praise like that because Barley would be looking at me like yeah, that’s nice, now where’s the snack?
That is so great!
It’s funny how Rye has beagle in her, but she is more like Luke than Cricket. Cricket is more like Barley….she wouldn’t dream of settling for anything less than a treat as a reward! 🙂
You’ve earned yourself some treats for doing such a great job with Luke!
Thank you!
we have to work with lots of treats… seems phenny is a natural born capitalist, he avoids to do anything without getting a reward ;O)))
we currently try to find out the difference between treats and high valued treats he only gets for doing something special… but it seems like a mission impossible all treats disappear within a nano second no matter what kind :O)))
We try to use high and low value treats too, but Luke also doesn’t seem to know the difference!! 🙂