Positive reinforcement training is powerful. It’s an excellent way to teach dogs what we’d like them to do and a wonderful way to build your relationship. Food treats are often the go-to reward… and for good reason! Food is king for many pups and is easy to handle and deliver to our dogs quickly. But did you know that there are other effective reinforcers you can use? In this blog post, you’ll learn about some non-food reinforcers for your dog you can use to keep your dog engaged and make training part of your everyday routine!
Toys
Play is a powerful motivator for many dogs. If you have a ball-obsessed German Shepherd or a Border Collie who just LOVES to play tug… you know what I mean! You can use your dog’s favorite toys as reinforcers during training. Incorporating fetch, tug, or even hide-and-seek games can be extremely reinforcing for some dogs.
A quick tip is to keep a favorite toy ONLY for training… If you’re not training, the toy goes away. This makes the toy that much more exciting and rewarding!
If your dog is not very toy motivated, there are often ways that we can help build that toy drive.
Praise and Affection
Praise, affection and petting can be useful reinforcers. When your dog performs a desired behavior, offer enthusiastic praise and physical affection, such as a gentle massage, belly rub, or ear scratch.
For many, many dogs, praise is not enough when they are just learning a new cue or behavior. Look at it as your boss giving you $10/hour (praise for our dogs) versus $100/hour (food for our dogs). You’re much more likely to work for that $100 rate! It’s difficult for our praise and pets to compete with many environmental distractions and reinforcers. It can, however, an be very useful in maintaining learned behaviors.
With that being said, some dogs might thrive on their owner’s attention and affection! Every dog is different and your trainer can help you understand which reinforcers your dog may value the most.
Access to Fun Experiences
The Premack Principle is an amazing way we can use our dogs everyday activities to reinforce behaviors we want to see. It makes it easy to incorporate training throughout your regular day and it’s probably something you’re using without even realizing it!
Did you ever hear “You can’t have dessert unless you eat your vegetables” when you were a kid? This is the Premack Principle at work. By eating your veggies, your parents would reward and reinforce that behavior by providing you with dessert. While our dogs might not have any trouble clearing their plate, there are so many ways we can utilize this!
Easy, everyday examples of how we can use the Premack Principle include:
- Asking for a sit before leashing your dog
- Asking for a hand target before putting down their dinner bowl
- Having your dog respond to the “drop it” cue before throwing the ball again
- Practicing a cue like down or wait before opening the back door
- Practicing a “wait” cue before he’s allowed to greet his favorite person
- Waiting for “4 on the Floor” before petting and engaging with your dog when you get home from work
- Asking for a few steps of loose leash walking and rewarding with the sniff break your pup wants
- Allowing your dog to go back to whatever activity he is enjoying when you recall him back to you
Really, anything your dog finds enjoyable and desirable can be used as a reinforcer. Your possibilities are endless! Consider making a list of what your dog LOVES to do, play with, or eat. See how you might be able to incorporate those things into your training! Whether your dog’s favorite non-food reinforcers are toys, praise or access to one of their favorite activities or people, you have so many tools to keep your pup engaged, learning and increase your bond together.
If you need help identifying your dog’s favorite reinforcers, are looking for help teaching your dog desirable behaviors or have a puppy you’d like to get started on the right “paw,” we can help! Our Oxford, CT based group classes are an excellent way to work your dog around distractions, provide them with positive experiences around new things and allows you to meet other dog people in your community. Private sessions, play groups, dog walking and other services are available, too! Take our quiz to find out what service might be right for you, get in touch, or give us a call at 203-457-6754. We can’t wait to speak with you!
Jessica graduated magna cum laude with her Bachelor’s of Science in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut in 2015. Her animal-centered coursework here included courses in animal behavior, health and disease management, anatomy and physiology, basic through advanced nutrition and feeding, genetics, comparative exercise physiology, endocrinology, reproductive physiology and equine science.
Her resume also boasts hands-on work experience managing horse farms, working with animals ranging from prairie dogs and bison to South American Primates at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, as well as care, training and management of domestic animals from hamsters to cows.
Outside of RCO, Jessica is the dog mom of five (Rocco, Luna, Owl, River), two cats (August and Willow) enjoys reading, walking and training her own dogs, visiting Disney World and pursuing further educational opportunities.
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