Positive Training Methods

Positive reinforcement gives your dog a reason to work. Dogs are pretty simple creatures, they do what gives them a reward and avoid what causes them discomfort. 

There are many kinds of positive reinforcement, and your dog will have their own favorites. Some dogs aren’t very food motivated, while others would go to the ends of the earth for a Munchies treat. You need to figure out exactly what motivates your dog. 

Here are some examples of different rewards we’ve used.

• Treats

The trick with treats is you don’t want to be feeding your dog garbage as a reward. It’ll make them sick, cause them to gain unhealthy weight, and harm their overall health. So if you’re going to treat train with your dog, make sure the treats you’re feeding them are healthy, with clean ingredients that they can eat a bunch of. Treats are most people’s first step, and if you’re looking for high quality treats, check out our Maligator Munchies. We don’t call them puppy-crack for nothing. 

• Toys

Toys are a great way to motivate a dog that would rather play than eat. If the treat just isn’t working for your dog, consider using their favorite tug toy as a reward every time they sit or down. Toys are a great way to give both physical and mental exercise, which will wear them out faster than anything else and is fun for both of you. 

• Praise

There will be times when you don’t have a reward on you, or where they’re well trained enough that they don’t need the bribe to get the job done. That said, you still need to make sure they’re getting a reward for their work. So praise your dog in a high pitched voice to let them know that you’re proud of them. Your dog wants you to be happy, and loves it when they’re doing what you wanted them to do, so don’t be afraid of letting them know when they’re doing great! I had a client once ask, “When are we able to stop praising our dogs?” and my response was, “Why would you want to?” 

These three are probably the most common rewards we use, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t needed to get creative. Some of my favorite rewards have been: 

• Socialization

Some dogs are more interested in other dogs and people than they are in treats or toys. They want nothing more than to snuggle with the people and wrestle with their friends, and getting them to work around distractions can be a nightmare. Letting them scratch that itch can be the only way to convince them that they’re not going to be isolated for the rest of their lives. Get them to perform their task and then release them to go play. Let them get a little of their excitement out of their system, and then make them work again. Once they realize that if they just do the task you’ll let them go hang out with their friends, they’ll shape up and get to work. 

• Smells

Some dogs want nothing more than to smell. I worked with a husky once that would not heel for the life of her. We’d been working on it for weeks, and I knew that she understood the position and what we wanted, but once we got outside the smells were just too enticing for her to ignore. So I started having her do 2-4 step heels, just enough to make sure she did the task but didn’t lose focus. Then we’d release her and let her smell. After a few minutes she was lengthening the heel to ten, fifteen, twenty steps down the sidewalk before we gave her a break. She needed the reassurance that she was going to get what she wanted eventually, she just had to do the work first. 

These are just some of the ideas and things we’ve used as reinforcement for different dogs, but there are infinite possibilities. You know your dog better than anyone else does, what makes them want to work? What helps them focus? If you find that you’re yelling at your dog 90% of the time, reevaluate how you’re working with them. Though we are a balanced company, we have always emphasized that any training should be 90% positive. We always start with positive reinforcement when teaching a dog a new task, and we encourage you to resist the temptation to assume that your dog understands why you want them to do what you’re asking. Your dog wants you to be happy, and they want to be a dog and enjoy their world. So let them know that they’re absolutely the best dog that has ever existed, and give them the rewards to match it.