Coming! What’s my reward for coming back, though? (Photo: Australian Shepherd running towards photographer)
Is your dog overweight because your last trainer told you to feed her hotdogs? You fed her as strangers approached, as dogs walked by, and every time you saw a squirrel. You fed her every time she sat, every time she lay down, and every time she barked out the window. Sometimes when you fed her, you thought, “Am I reinforcing her for barking at the window, though?”
Your gut instinct was right. Your dog learned that when she barks at the window, the next thing she should do is run to you and get a nice piece of hotdog. Since your trainer didn’t show you what to do next, your dog took the lead and ran back to the window to bark some more, and then came back for more treats. What an awesome game!
Bark. Treat. Repeat. (Photo: two dogs sitting on a balcony)
Now your dog is overweight and your veterinarian says if she doesn’t lose the weight, she’ll need knee surgery.
How are you going to get your dog to listen to you? This is the only way you know how to “train,” so now what do you do?
You read on.
One of my newer clients called me to help with her rescue dog. She’d been training with food, but quickly realized that when her dog is outside and fixated on another dog she could “slap him in the face with a steak and he wouldn’t notice.”
Sound familiar?
Is it impossible to get your dog to come back to you when you don’t have food? (Photo: two dogs running together off-leash)
Here are some tips to help you reach your goal of a friendly family dog who is nice to strangers and doesn’t pull on the leash…and is a healthy weight too:
WHAT DOES YOUR DOG LOVE? — Your dog loves YOU! She will likely work for your praise. You should use your voice to praise your dog. Be aware that dogs who are very high drive and excited already don’t need your “Good sit!” to have as much enthusiasm as if your child just got into the university of their choice. All dogs are snowflakes. Figure out whether a calmer tone helps your dog know she’s done a good job, or if you need a little more enthusiasm (because your dog is a little bit shy and requires more encouragement.)
TOUCH — Along with your voice, some dogs are very happy to work for being petted. We’ve all seen a police dog getting thumped on the rump for a job well done. That doesn’t mean YOUR pet dog enjoys that much enthusiasm and force. Some dogs like that and some dogs don’t. Your dog may be a little shy and likes a gentle chest rub. Bottom line, know YOUR dog. Again, this is NOT a one-size-fits-all blog. We are BEYOND dog training because we help our clients learn how to best reach THEIR goals with THEIR dog.
Find the reward that works best for YOUR dog (Photo: German Shepherd-Akita mix being rewarded with petting)
TOYS — Your dog loves tug o’ war. Use this to your advantage. Your tug toy is now your dog’s reward. Ask them to heel, lay down, or sit and reward them with a bit of tug. Before using this method, teach your dog a reliable “drop it” command. Check out this video on IGTV where I work with a new rescue dog named Odin. His owner was spending LOTS of money on treats. Watch this beautiful boy work for his favourite toy here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHvBASansZR/
Tug o’ war is a great reward for dogs who love tug (Photo: German Shepherd puppy playing tug o’ war)
We hope you have lots of fun learning about what motivates YOUR dog. Drop a comment below and let us know what your dog loves to work for.
If you want to learn how to wean your dog off of treats gradually, we can show you how to do that. Give us a call (for FREE) and we’ll get you on the path to a healthier dog.
Schedule a free call with us today: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/take-action or click the TAKE ACTION button below.
We would love to hear about your dog’s unique needs.
We are in no way against using treats while working with dogs. This blog post is designed to help those of you who have a dog who REFUSES food in certain situations and either shuts down with fear or explodes out of excitement (and or aggression.) This is designed to help those of you who are being yanked to the ground (or into traffic) by your dog when your dog sees another dog, squirrel, or jogger while you’re out walking.
Hope it helps!!
Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders!
Alyssa
Photos by: Free Upsplash Image (Australian Shepherd running towards photographer,) Brina Blum @brina_blum (two dogs sitting on a balcony,) bantersnaps @bantersnaps (German Shepherd-Akita mix being rewarded with petting,) Vincent van Zalinge @vincentvanzalinge (two dogs running together off-leash,) Rebecca Campbell @campbellcreates (German Shepherd puppy playing tug o’ war.)