If you want to reward your dog and not to cause any harm by doing so, you need to take it responsibly and think about it. It doesn’t matter if it is about a treat, caressing, compliment or a game.
For most dogs, positive motivation works. You can have brilliant results with it in obedience or practising new tricks. It doesn’t matter how you decide to reward your dog or if you change the types of rewards. It isn’t probably a surprise that the most common reward is a treat. Caressing, a favourite toy, a short game or a simple compliment and showing you’re happy might also work well.
With regard to treats, the most important thing in order not to mess with your dog’s health is to pick suitable treats. Your dog might be very obedient if you have a pocket full of bacon or biscuits but you might cause obesity or other health problems to your dog because of this. Fortunately, there are many healthy dog treats and even treats specifically designed for training on the market nowadays.
A treat pouch is practical for treats. When you have the right rewards prepared in it, you can start with training. However, you need to remember that not only the form of a reward but also its timing is very important. It has to come immediately after doing the requested task and the dog needs to know why it got the treat. A clicker might be great for this as you can do this signal even from a distance. You can read here about how to work with it.
It also needs to be mentioned that rewards shouldn’t be regular. It’s very appropriate to change it. And it doesn’t matter if you change the kind of reward or just a kind of treat. It needs to be unpredictable for the dog and therefore more attractive. The size of the reward should also equal to what we ask the dog for. So, if it obeys your command “Sit”, the reward won’t be the same as for catching prey.
Regular rewards are good for the stage of explaining and learning. And when the dogs know the commands well and definitely knows what you want it to do, it is time for variable rewards. The expectation provides the dog with the necessary energy, increases its activity and even releases dopamine.
For some dogs, even the activity itself might be a reward. It mainly applies to sports during which adrenaline is released (e.g. jumping within agility). This is because adrenaline is an addictive substance and the dog can easily become addicted to it. However, this might be also harmful if it crosses a certain line. If the dog rewards itself by doing a certain activity, we lose control over it and it loses its concentration. See the videos of dogs that run across the playground after agility like crazy. :)
For the end, remember that a dog should always exercise with joy. If it isn’t in the mood or the activity bores it, take a break. Do not force your dog to do any task. If it is needed, find a way to make training more attractive for it. It might be rewards, the environment or also inviting another dog companion to join you.
Temperatures exceed thirty degrees Celsius, but not many people want to stay inside for days. And, to be honest, it often isn't much better inside. However, it's harder for our four-legged friends to bear the heat. How can we relieve them?
Do you have a pregnant cat at home? Is this stage slowly coming to an end and you are starting to panic about the birth? Let me take you through it from the beginning to the end. Let's take a look at when it is necessary to intervene, when the help...
July is the time to prepare for autumn kittens. It's good to remind ourselves what cat pregnancy entails, when and how to prevent it and why.
Outside temperatures suggest that the boater season is just behind the corner. Many people take their family and children on a water adventure. Some boaters even take their four-legged friends along. What can you do to make sure your trip goes...
In the summer, most of us move to the garden, whether at our home or cottage. Of course, we also want to let our rodent friends loose, and simply bringing the cage out won't do it. How can we make a comfortable, safe outdoor enclosure?
Does your cat wander outside? Are you tired of constant meowing and scratching on doors, or constantly opened windows? Then it's time to get your cat a door.
The nutrient requirements of each dog varies depending on its age, physical condition, lifestyle and size. There are many aspects, and you need to take them all into account when choosing your food.
Cats can take a cold a lot harder than we do. For them it's a relatively serious and very contagious viral disease. A cat cold is a combination of diseases, whose symptoms include a cold.
What elements play an important role in cat nutrition, why do they need them and in what proportion should they get them? This is the alchemy behind the preparation of quality cat food.
Although traveling is fun, it can also be stressful. We have to make sure we don't forget anything and that everything goes according to plan. But what if you decide to travel with your little friend, a guinea pig? Let's take a look at what you...
It is a well-known fact about cats that they like lying in the sunlight. However, that doesn’t mean they are never hot and the risk of overheating is not real for them.
The fact that there are different cans and dry food for dogs and cats is not a marketing stunt. Both beasts have their specific nutrition needs which vary in certain aspects and if you give them the wrong food, they will start suffering quite soon.
