May Training Tip
A 2018 Study Showed that dogs Responded better in training to their preferred rewards.
Sausage Meatballs, like these, were the top choice!
Are you in a rewards rut?
If your dog was once doing very well in training but his interest has fizzled out, it’s possible he’s lost his interest in your rewards, or never really found them super special to start with. Either way, he’s found it’s not worth his while to pay attention to you in training.
Learning our rules and new behaviors (that are a complete 180° from pretty much everything your dog would rather be doing) is hard work for your pup. How to get his attention back?
Discover his favorites
Studies show that you can get better training results by using your dog's preferred food reward, and adding rewards variety to longer training sessions.
A 2018 study at the University of Bern looked at whether dogs prefer variety in food rewards during training. (Previous studies have shown that dogs prefer and respond better in training to food rewards than they do to petting or praise.)
During the study it was discovered that human-grade sausage was the most commonly preferred reward, followed by cheese and liver treats. The research dogs responded more quickly when running back to their handler for their preferred reward.
The study also found that the longer the dog was in a training session, the more they began to prefer a variety of food rewards. So even a steady stream of sausage will lose their interest after a while.
This can be dog-specific: Some dogs may work hard for sausage for 15 minutes, while others tune it out after five. That’s where my next tip comes in.
Mix it up with a new variety
Now we’re talking variety: diced chicken breast, chopped deli ham, freeze dried minnows, tripe kibble, diced dog treat meat logs, and super-fancy coated kibble.
Photo courtesy of my colleague Ruby Beish.
What that means for you and your dog: If you're finding that your dog "doesn't hear you" or responds slowly when you ask for a behavior, consider upping your rewards game. Increase the value of the food to people-grade, and add some variety. This is why I show up for training sessions loaded with a variety of people-grade, aromatic food rewards ... Asiago cheese, boiled white meat chicken, tuna fudge, warm meatballs, hot dogs, and so on.
So see what your dog really goes for, add some variety, and keep your dog in the training game!