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.
Choosing the right dog food is a beginning and the end of caring for your pet dog. We, as dog lovers, also know that quality dog food is not only positive for the health but also for the overall well-being of the animal. When choosing the dog food,...
Do you have any favourite books you would recommend your friends to read? Are any books about pets among those? Today, I will share with you the names of six books about dogs any animal lover shouldn’t miss in my opinion.
Who didn’t want an animal companion as a child? Keeping pets can be valuable experience for children. An animal companion also brings a lot of joy to the household. But taking care of a pet also brings many duties and responsibility. How to choose...
“You look so sad, you’re definitely hungry, here you are.” This is the sentence I often hear when my dog shows one of its dog faces. And he deserves “little something to eat” doing it before I even manage to do anything against that. To feed a dog...
Do you like travelling? And do you like travelling by plane? You don’t have to leave your dog or cat at home during your holidays. Some airlines allow small pets on the board if they are in a crate. What other conditions you have to meet?
We, as cat lovers, can’t get enough of cats and that’s why we also like to read books about them. Look at some of them you shouldn’t really miss.
Miniature dog breeds have specific requirements for nutrition and care in general. Their physical development is much faster. Besides from their subtle composition of body and jaws, it is therefore also necessary to take into account their fast...
It would probably entirely unnecessary to describe the appearance of the German Shepherd. Probably everyone, even non-dog-lovers, have seen the German series Inspector Rex.
Getting a cat doesn’t mean only buying a cat toilet, bowls, a bed and a couple of toys. You also have to realise that the animal will also need certain care and count with this already before getting it. Each breed has its own specifics. While some are...
The Persian longhairs have most likely descended from the Turkish Angoras, were bred in England at the end of the 19th century. Since then, they have undergone great changes, and today they have a much more compact body in comparison to the original...
The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a dog, with which you will definitely won’t get bored. The owners say that it’s often a great adventure with them. They are mesmerising animals and they definitely can’t deny their wolf ancestors. What is typical for all...
Do you take your dog or cat regularly on trips and holidays across the Czech Republic? Is travelling with your dog or cat fun for you and not a horror? Have you got a destination in mind, where you’d like to stay for longer or you’re even planning a...
