Dog Training Tip - Phase out the Treats!
This is a reprint from the August 2024 newsletter
Please note that I am talking about Training in this article, not Rehabilitation. For an explanation of the difference between the two please see this article: September 2023 - The Difference between Rehabilitation and Training
It is important to phase out the treats when training your dog because you don't want the treats to turn into bribes.
A great misconception is that positive reinforcement/reward based training is about giving your dog treats. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Positive reinforcement/reward based training is about rewarding the dog (not giving treats) for desired behaviors so that the dog is more likely to repeat the desired behavior. The rewards can be anything positive such as treats, the dogs regular food, toys, praise, etc. Whatever motivates your dog!
Why and when do we use treats?
Treats (I actually prefer to use the dogs meal fed by hand, but for simplicity in writing this article I will use the word "treat") are used in the very beginning for two reasons. First, they are used as a lure to guide the dog into the positions we are trying to teach them such as sit, down, heel, etc. Second, they are used as a reward so the dog will associate doing what we are asking of them with something good, this way they are more likely to repeat the desired behavior. When we are teaching the dog, not only should we be using the treat to lure the dog into the position we are teaching, but we also need to use the word ("sit" for example) so they will also learn the word and what it means (we need to teach the dog English after all). We also need to remember to use praise when the dog gets it right (Good Boy! or Good Girl!). This is very important!
Note: If your dog is not food motivated, you can use something that does motivate them. This may be a tug toy, or a ball, etc.
How do we phase out the treats?
When the dog has learned the task we are teaching and understands and performs the instruction word ("sit" for example) reliably in any environment (the living room, kitchen, back yard, on walks in the street, etc.) we can then start phasing out the treats. This can be done as follows:
Step 1 - Increase the time between when the dog does the desired behavior and gets the treat (or toy if you are using toys instead of treats). This time delay can be anywhere from 1 to 3 seconds, but no longer than 3 seconds. You will want to start with 1 second and then gradually increase the time to 3 seconds. Be sure to always praise immediately, but the treat can come later.
Step 2 - The next step is to decrease the frequency of when the dog gets the treat (or toy) for doing the behavior. Start by giving the treat every other time, then every 3rd time, every 4th time, etc. This may take some time to accomplish, but keep at it, you can do it! After you accomplish this, you can give your dog a treat randomly as a reward, but at this point the treat should not be needed anymore as a reward, your praise will be the reward!
Important Note: Remember, even though you are decreasing the frequency of the treat, you need to continue to praise the dog for getting it right immediately, and praise them every time they get it right. Verbal praise is the best and most powerful reinforcer, much more powerful than food or toys, etc.
It is important to phase out the treats, because if you don't, they can easily turn into a bribe and if that happens, your dog won't do anything unless you show them the food first!
Phase out the Treats!
You'll be glad you did!
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Note and disclaimer: All information in the blog posts on this site is my opinion based on my own experience rehabilitating an aggressive dog. I am not a professional behaviorist or otherwise involved in the Veterinary profession. If you are dealing with an aggressive dog, I recommend you seek the advice of a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist.
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