# What do you use to train?



## JunoVonNarnia (Apr 8, 2020)

Do you train with treats? What treats? Are the treats part of the dog's meal? Do you use any particular treats (hotdogs, cheese, kibble, salmon etc).
Do you reward with love/ affection? 
Do you do both? Do you use a clicker or marker words?

Please share... I am very curious as I was taught to reward with affection only. I have also been told that you should make your dog work for their meal? Not sure what that means.... 

Lots of useful information on this forum


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

No treats.

I use voice and physical touch and will end the lesson with a game of tug. 

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

When my dog was a puppy I used treats to shape and lure while teaching basic obedience commands at home. Occassionally I brought treats along when out on walks, but only occasionally. 

Now that she's older we've switched to using a toy or tug while out and about, and sometimes even at home. 
But that's just primarily, I use praise and pets as well. And I've taught many many dogs without treats as well. But food is a great motivator!

I don't and never have used a clicker, but don't have anything against their use. I just didn't want to have to try and remember to always have it onhand.

For treats I use small pieces of hot dog, cheese, chicken or other leftover meats.


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## CeraDean (Jul 9, 2019)

I have an eight month old male. 
We train with kibble for over half his meals and I use kibble if I need to get precise or calm work from him. I use cheese or hotdogs in high distraction areas, like busy streets or club/class. We use a tug chuckit and a bite tug for high drive (these toys are only used for work). I use affection always. 🥰
I don’t use a clicker but marker words.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

I don’t train with treats at all but I sometimes reward with treats if I want to reinforce a behavior the dog knows. I use repetition and praise, toys, and variety. So I work on something for a short time then switch it up and do something else.


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## JunoVonNarnia (Apr 8, 2020)

CeraDean said:


> I have an eight month old male.
> We train with kibble for over half his meals and I use kibble if I need to get precise or calm work from him. I use cheese or hotdogs in high distraction areas, like busy streets or club/class. We use a tug chuckit and a bite tug for high drive (these toys are only used for work). I use affection always. 🥰
> I don’t use a clicker but marker words.


Can you please elaborate on how you train with his meals? My GS gets so focused on her toy that I don't know how to use it for a reward.... And my rescue hound loses all focus when it's dinner time. He will literally go through every command I have eve taught him. It's hilarious but annoying.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Affection alone isn’t inherently rewarding for all dogs. Some enjoy physical contact, some don’t. I prefer to use what the dog finds most reinforcing, which may vary depending on the circumstances. Cava works extremely well for food until she’s in drive and then she doesn’t care about it at all. I use marker training - sometimes with a verbal marker, sometimes marking with a clicker.

I recently taught Cava about a dozen new tricks for her AKC trick titles, all of them with food. At flyball practice she works for a tug or a ball on a rope. I could try to hand her a piece of cheese at flyball, normally very high value, and she’d refuse to take it. 

Regardless of whether I’m training a brand new behavior, reinforcing a known behavior, using food or play as a reward, and what kind of marker, I always use my voice and demeanor to praise and encourage.


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## CeraDean (Jul 9, 2019)

I very much agree with @Cassidy's Mom. Use what works. Dogs have different motivations in different situations and we have abilities to motivate our dogs. 
Meals: I am with my dog all day and training for service. So I scoop out his meals in my hip pouch and hand feed when he does the behaviors that I need. 
Toys: Working with toys does have a learning curve and I may not be qualified to give advice on this, I’ll try. Your GSD is enthusiastic, that’s great. So start with small expectations and the dog winning easily. Build confidence in the dog so that if they do what you want, awesome toy things will happen.


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## Jorski (Jan 11, 2019)

I voted "Yes" but really the answer is all of the choices.
Yes.... I use food to teach new behaviours.
NO...I don't exclusively use food
OTHER.... I also use toys, play, balls, tug, and affection.

As was mentioned above every dog is different. My main goal in raising a pup is to teach the pup that I am the center of their universe and for them make a connection with me that leads them to be excited enough by my attention and affection that they are thrilled to work for it!

Ultimately, we are in search of a connection with our dogs. Just do what works.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

It depends what I'm training and the age of the dog. Pretty much for the first year, it's food. Food is quick and there is virtually no break between reward and starting again. I use their meals to train with because you need them to be hungry and if you feed them and then try to train them, their food drive will be down (unless you have pigs. I have pigs) but then they are overfed. There are dogs out there with little food drive. It's hard to train but it can be done.

Once the foundation is solid, I move to balls and tugs. I have specific toys for some exercises. the send out has its own reward. it's the only time they see that toy. Obedience is a ball. Secondary obedience is a tug. 

Treats = I find a whole food that is soft. FreshPet is my go to for convenience. 
Clicker = Yes, for foundation work or when I really want to drill something.
Reward = The reward should always be playing with me. The food or toy is an extension of me. I can, and have, rewarded with a snowball. I've pushed them and let them jump and push back on me. The reward is interaction with ME. Some dogs you have to work with more than others to build that relationship. My female has super high possession and is independent. it took work with two balls and teaching her she must bring the 1st ball back and drop it before the game restarted. If you can afford it, Ivan has videos on that. I learned from someone that teaches his method. And because of her high possession I usually hide the ball/tug so she isn't laser focused on it and her brain is engaged.


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## xthine (Nov 9, 2018)

Voted YES for treats.

Josie is 16 months and I've always used treats for training. Our trainer before said that I tend to 'over treat', yup very guilty of that. 
Treats we use are mostly freeze dried raw, Stella and Chewy's Chicken Hearts are a favorite, Papa Psuka is another high value treat. 
When we work on learning new behaviors I use the clicker and lots of treats, then switch to verbal markers and intermittent treat dispensing. 
Right now, she can finish a rally novice course without any treats until we finish. I did not think that was possible since I am like a treat jackpot machine 🤩😉
I give verbal praise/touch every now and then but that seems to get Josie excited and eventually get distracted so I save that for when we are done with the exercise. 
There are times I use a tug as a reward, e.g. when we work on some obedience while playing tug.
On walks and hikes I carry some treats as a reward.


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## Kathrynil (Dec 2, 2019)

JunoVonNarnia said:


> Do you train with treats? What treats? Are the treats part of the dog's meal? Do you use any particular treats (hotdogs, cheese, kibble, salmon etc).
> Do you reward with love/ affection?
> Do you do both? Do you use a clicker or marker words?
> 
> ...


Agreed with jorski. I do use food, but not only food. I use tugs and balls as well. I use his dinner kibbles and the occasional store bought treat. There's a brand called Vet dogs that seems really nice. I reward with a "yes" as a marker word or "good boy" and then either reward with a treat or a toy or play a game of tug.
I fully believe the dog should work for his meal, but it's kind of opinionated. 
When I feed his dinner (only one meal a day) I usually do it by handful and have him work for each handful, which I then feed from my hand. Usually I'll do that for 1/2 to 3/4 or so of the bowl, then I have him do a few commands then send him to his crate and give him the rest in his crate.


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## islanddog (Jun 27, 2016)

I voted yes to 'treats', but as above, it depends. I have an adult rescue/ex-street dog, toys did not interest him, so treats were it for awhile, but now, as the others have said, there are times when his toy (which equals a chance to chase something) is the thing he works for, so I have to really guess/think what is important to him at that time.
For some things, teaching a new thing, especially tricks, treats are it, as you can get a lot of repetition. Toys are great, but they take time & energy to enjoy and sometimes you want your dog to put his energy into the activity.
I try very hard when using treats to remember that I am a human, not a pez dispenser & take the time to speak to, stroke and scritch my dog in ways he loves--for him this is important and probably lowers my own intensity of wanting him to do something (think tiger mom).
Because I use a lot of treats/food I make sure most of it is regular food, but extra yummy. I use Freshpet (which is a cooked food) and his regular kibble marinated in some nice sauce. Sometimes we save the marinade from meals for this. If I'm short on time, cat treats make good emergency treats, plus all the other usuals of hotdogs & cheese sticks.
I train new things by shaping or luring. Sometimes I use a clicker, but also my voice to 'mark' the moment in time. I'll use a clicker sometimes if I've accidentally over-used my 'marker' voice and/or feel I need precision.


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## Biscuit (Mar 24, 2020)

For me I train tricks and obedience in the house using her kibble as reward. She has great food drive for this. But once we are put at the park the kibble doesn't cut it (partly interest/partly having to chew it). I use hotdogs/chicken to reward good behaviour (and recall) and the ball for rewarding her tricks/obedience. I find the transition from food drive in the house to the intense ball drive hard to handle sometimes. But once we work through it she is magic.

In the house I mark with a clicker and a yes. Outside just yes. I'm thinking of bringing the clicker out and seeing how that goes.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I use these.
Not only are they easy to carry but they are also nutritious.








Muenster Freeze-Dried Beef Bites | Muenster Milling Company


Description Nutritional Info Feeding Instructions Reviews FAQs Description Our beef bites are complete & balanced with the ability to be




muenstermilling.com


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## chuckd (Jul 16, 2019)

My dogs are raw-fed, so portioning out their meals for use in training is not ideal. I use Hebrew National hotdogs and string cheese as my high value treats (recalls & focused heeling). Recently, I started using Ziwi Peak air-dried raw food as the main treat. It's like mini squares of beef jerky. The dogs love it and it makes it easier to track their food intake.


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## Justjo303 (Aug 31, 2020)

We use voice, affection/pets as a reward and hand gestures with voice until she can get down to just the hand gestures to do what we ask w.o saying a word. Have trained many dogs this way and plus side is we do not have to break them of a constant treat after doing what is asked of them.


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## Squidwardp (Oct 15, 2019)

My girl is very toy-driven, so I use mostly a ball on a string. She would respond to most any toy, though. 

Secondarily, I use treats at times. When I play two ball fetch, and I am trying to get her to come right back to me, lining up in front of me and close to my chest, I have a piece of treat in my mouth and spit it out for her to catch--a trick I've seen one of the people at our club use. 

I also say, "yes," " good girl, " good fuss, good sitz, etc. 

I have a clicker, and she seems to respond to it. But honestly, it often dangles around my neck and I forget to use it in the moment. Guess I need clicker training too.


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## NiabiTheGreat (Jul 14, 2019)

I use treats for trick training, and sometimes if I have it on me to reward for obedience. Otherwise, he works for affection, a toy, or a release(on walks). I hand feed all his meals so I usually use kibble as a treat, he isn't super food motivated though so If i am starting to train a new command I will use real meat. Usually, I save leftover cuttings(off raw meat usually, sometimes cooked) from dinner and just throw them in the freezer until I need them.


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

I used treats when my dog was a pup, but only rarely now. The difference in response time with treats compared to "not" was staggering. With treats she snaps into position for sits and heel, throws herself to the ground for down. I want that without treats and when she wasn't doing that. I think she was training me. So now just hand signals, voice, touch.


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## Damicodric (Apr 13, 2013)

Gwyllgi said:


> No treats.
> 
> I use voice and physical touch and will end the lesson with a game of tug.
> 
> Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk


Perfect.

Might splash in treats at the very END, but not ongoing.


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Justjo303 said:


> We use voice, affection/pets as a reward and hand gestures with voice until she can get down to just the hand gestures to do what we ask w.o saying a word. Have trained many dogs this way and plus side is we do not have to break them of a constant treat after doing what is asked of them.


That's where I ended up too. In a public situation I won't always have a treat pouch with me. If I need my dog to reliably react, by hand signal/voice command, I feel like treat free is the way to go.


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

Damicodric said:


> Perfect.
> 
> Might splash in treats at the very END, but not ongoing.


I have tried to use treats but she is not interested, she would spit them out and leave them for the other dogs in the class


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

Fade from food to a toy. You belief that she was training you has no basis in reality. If you are satisfied with lackadaisical obedience, keep doing what you are doing.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

If your dog has no interest in treats you are probably using treats that are low value to your dog and feeding her too much. There is a genetic component to food drive as well.


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

Chip Blasiole said:


> Fade from food to a toy. You belief that she was training you has no basis in reality. If you are satisfied with lackadaisical obedience, keep doing what you are doing.


Not satisfied with lackadaisical obedience at all, I wanted to use treats as markers but she demonstrated no interest. It was her trainer who told me to try and use a toy with praise and touch, to which she responded to.



Chip Blasiole said:


> If your dog has no interest in treats you are probably using treats that are low value to your dog and feeding her too much. There is a genetic component to food drive as well.


I have tried liver, hot dogs, tuna fudge, cheese etc but she seems not to be driven by food, she is the only dog that I have owned where food seems of no interest to her, she will eat her meal but that is it.

I feed her less than most because she has HD and I want to keep her lean, she gets around 24oz of food per day.

Do you think I should feed her less to build up her food drive and what would you suggest as a high value treat?


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

I train with a variety of things. I will use whatever motivates the dog ultimately. Some things are easier to teach with treats, some with toys, some with leash pressure, ect. This idea that dogs trained with treats won't work when you don't have them is ridiculous. If your dog only obeys when the reward is presented, then your dog isn't fully trained. I live in downtown. I go on hikes and other things with my dogs. I train my dogs for IGP as well. Whether I have a reward or not, my dogs obey the commands given.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

If your dog is motivated by a toy that is fine. What you do you use and how do you use it? Some dogs just have very low food drive. The advantage of food in foundation training is that you can reinforce with food at a very high rate of reinforcement and do better luring.


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Chip Blasiole said:


> Fade from food to a toy. You belief that she was training you has no basis in reality. If you are satisfied with lackadaisical obedience, keep doing what you are doing.


Ha Ha, here ya go again 😄 Thought we were gravitating towards civility? She's no longer dependent on food or toy, never required a clicker, and ultimately progressed better. That's the only reality that matters. It's a pretty broad brush stroke to surmise that a given dog is lackadaisical, especially when that dog has not been observed first hand.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

You said there was a staggering difference in response time when treats were used and when they were not.


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Bearshandler said:


> I train with a variety of things. I will use whatever motivates the dog ultimately. Some things are easier to teach with treats, some with toys, some with leash pressure, ect. This idea that dogs trained with treats won't work when you don't have them is ridiculous. If your dog only obeys when the reward is presented, then your dog isn't fully trained. I live in downtown. I go on hikes and other things with my dogs. I train my dogs for IGP as well. Whether I have a reward or not, my dogs obey the commands given.


I'm not saying 'all dogs', or 'a dog' or even 'my dog' won't work when treats are withheld. I'm just stating my preference, and what works for me. If that makes me ridiculous, wouldn't it also make every combat dog handler that moved thru an operation with his dog, and DIDN'T stop to reinforce with a chewy snack also ridiculous? I'm not ridiculing the use of any training aid - just stating my preference, for the purpose I use my dog. In conformation or working trials, maybe life is very different so I defer to all you sports people on that.


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Chip Blasiole said:


> You said there was a staggering difference in response time when treats were used and when they were not.


Yes sir, she was 4 mos old at that point. She's 26 mos old now and very different. I guess I could have included the fact that her maturity also factored into her development, but I fear I might even be marooned on a thought island with that notion too. No harm - no foul. There are things that motivate her to move quicker, I don't dispute that, but I have seen lots of working trials videos where dogs move no better, often slower than mine. And I don't regard those videos as wholly definitive. Dogs are not machines. Environment, experience, health and fatigue probably factor into a dog's response on a given exercise.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

Rionel said:


> I'm not saying 'all dogs', or 'a dog' or even 'my dog' won't work when treats are withheld. I'm just stating my preference, and what works for me. If that makes me ridiculous, wouldn't it also make every combat dog handler that moved thru an operation with his dog and DIDN'T stop to reinforce with a chewy snack also ridiculous? I'm not ridiculing the use of any training aid - just stating my preference.


You're not getting it. A finished dog does not need a reward or reinforcement to perform. If I am on the street, and I tell my dog to sit, he sits. There is no reinforcement. The dog simply obeys the command. You are stuck on this idea that you use treats to train, you will always need them. That is wrong. Your preference isn't what I find ridiculous. Its the premise you based it on. Tell me this, how are detection dogs trained. What is the reward? How are patrol dogs trained? What is the reward. In my experience, the smell detection dogs are trained to look for is associated with their favorite toy, usually a ball. When the dogs are looking for that smell, they are really searching for their ball. When they make a find, they are rewarded with a ball. This how police detection dogs I know of work. I can't tell you how combat ones go exactly, but there is some one who can. I watched David's videos on scent work with Valor, and he started off with associated the reward(food) with the scents. As for patrol or protection dogs in general, the bite is usually the reward. I'm no expert, and I'm more than open to hear your experiences with working dogs. You talked about wanting to do SAR, what does the group or person you looked at reward their dogs with.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Rionel slow down a little!You're taking bits from posts that are responses to other members and taking them as personal criticism of yourself.That's not what's happening. Trading thoughts and philosophies is all that's going on.


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

dogma13 said:


> Rionel slow down a little!You're taking bits from posts that are responses to other members and taking them as personal criticism of yourself.That's not what's happening. Trading thoughts and philosophies is all that's going on.


I see. I'm not offended at anyone. Mr. Blasiole quoted me directly. That seems something I should be allowed to address.


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Bearshandler said:


> You're not getting it. A finished dog does not need a reward or reinforcement to perform. If I am on the street, and I tell my dog to sit, he sits. There is no reinforcement. The dog simply obeys the command. You are stuck on this idea that you use treats to train, you will always need them. That is wrong. Your preference isn't what I find ridiculous. Its the premise you based it on. Tell me this, how are detection dogs trained. What is the reward? How are patrol dogs trained? What is the reward. In my experience, the smell detection dogs are trained to look for is associated with their favorite toy, usually a ball. When the dogs are looking for that smell, they are really searching for their ball. When they make a find, they are rewarded with a ball. This how police detection dogs I know of work. I can't tell you how combat ones go exactly, but there is some one who can. I watched David's videos on scent work with Valor, and he started off with associated the reward(food) with the scents. As for patrol or protection dogs in general, the bite is usually the reward. I'm no expert, and I'm more than open to hear your experiences with working dogs. You talked about wanting to do SAR, what does the group or person you looked at reward their dogs with.


Bearshandler, I think we're talking past one another. I agree with much of what you state above, except I think you are ascribing too much weight to my intended first post on this thread. As far as SAR, I am friends with a leading SAR handler who utilizes Malinois and Border Collies. She does mostly cadaver work because her top BC ended up with drug injury (nasal impairment) although it doesn't seem permanent. She also goes out on search for missing people and travels well outside of Indiana. So that's a bit of the hold up in the past, because of my business obligations, and the need to be accessible for SAR. I've owned working dog breeds for decades, so much of my interest is on breed health and sustainability. The concern I have is that even in a rudimentary discussion of dog snacks, so many hackles stand up and AGAIN the moderator addresses me. I was told I am 'ridiculous', my dog is 'lackadaisical', and my belief is not 'based in reality'. How that means I need to slow down is paradoxical to me. Sorry I offended so many by mentioning 'MY DOG' is no longer trained with treats. Have a nice day everyone.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Rionel the posts you refer to were'nt addressing you.Please re read them!The lackadaisical comment was a general comment, not about your dog. Nobody said you were ridiculous! Bearshandler thought a general concept ( not you!) seemed ridiculous TO HIM.You are somehow misinterpreting some things.People here are interested in your thoughts.


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## Damicodric (Apr 13, 2013)

The beauty of print ......


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

dogma13 said:


> Rionel the posts you refer to were'nt addressing you.Please re read them!The lackadaisical comment was a general comment, not about your dog. Nobody said you were ridiculous! Bearshandler thought a general concept ( not you!) seemed ridiculous TO HIM.You are somehow misinterpreting some things.People here are interested in your thoughts.


I appreciate your offering that but respectfully can't agree. But maybe we can both agree that snacks/treats/methods aren't worth falling on one's sword. If there is one take away I have, it is that nobody is actually interested in my thoughts. And that's OK. Critical reading of the above replies, in their context, shows veiled insults. Even the commenter after your comment cites "The beauty of print..." as if the text only supports the notion that I am gleaning anything other than the intended slurs. The appropriate thing to cite is the Beauty of Comprehension. Again, I am not upset with the commenters, only disappointed in their attempts to create silly disagreement. I was temporarily banned after being ambushed by commenters. I returned to further ambush by commenters. I think I'll keep my circle of enthusiasts, breeders and trainers to in-person discussions. Facts matter. Have a nice day, Terri.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

I use food early on with a puppy to teach the basics. My older dog is still food motivated. My other dog isn’t. He will leave a bowl of food to follow me if he thinks I’m doing something fun. He is toy obsessed, though, so I switched to toys early on when I needed reinforcement. Frisbees, tugs. I agree that food is faster and easier. It’s a better lure because you can cover it in your hand and the dog still knows where it is. A toy is easier to grab if they want to, though. So that is something that must be dealt with when starting out.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

Military handlers provide reward at source for known valid finds, such as training finds. On a real world find, the dog is called off and then sent on a drop hide do you know you are rewarding on good odor.

The reward schedule is typically 100% unless a trainer recommends stretching it out to get more hunt from a particular dog.

I start puppies with food rewards at 100% reinforcement schedule. Lots of reps and easy to lure. Within a couple weeks, I'm fading food rewards to a much lower reinforcement rate for everything but Nosework and recall. 

As the dog learns the rules of toys and is understanding commands, I move to a ball, tug or bumper for primary rewards and keep a few high value treats on me in case I want to trade for something.

This is just generally what works for me. Adult dogs are different. Some food, some toy, some all compulsion depending on the dog and its intended lifestyle.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

Rionel said:


> Bearshandler, I think we're talking past one another. I agree with much of what you state above, except I think you are ascribing too much weight to my intended first post on this thread. As far as SAR, I am friends with a leading SAR handler who utilizes Malinois and Border Collies. She does mostly cadaver work because her top BC ended up with drug injury (nasal impairment) although it doesn't seem permanent. She also goes out on search for missing people and travels well outside of Indiana. So that's a bit of the hold up in the past, because of my business obligations, and the need to be accessible for SAR. I've owned working dog breeds for decades, so much of my interest is on breed health and sustainability. The concern I have is that even in a rudimentary discussion of dog snacks, so many hackles stand up and AGAIN the moderator addresses me. I was told I am 'ridiculous', my dog is 'lackadaisical', and my belief is not 'based in reality'. How that means I need to slow down is paradoxical to me. Sorry I offended so many by mentioning 'MY DOG' is no longer trained with treats. Have a nice day everyone.


You take a lot of things personally. I never said you were ridiculous, I said the idea that a dog trained with treats always needed treats to perform, or a dog in general needed constant reinforcement to perform as trained was ridiculous. I never addressed you, your training, or your dog. You took a general statement and applied it to yourself. I don't have a problem addressing people specifically when I want to. I'm not responsiblefor anyone else's statements or the intent behind them. You can't attribute that to me. No one has their hackles up, at least I don't. I'm more focused on the second session of teaching my puppy to bark on que.


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## Damicodric (Apr 13, 2013)

Rionel said:


> I think I'll keep my circle of enthusiasts, breeders and trainers to in-person discussions.


Exactly why I commented “The beauty of print”.

Zero to do with comprehension and everything to do with various personalities, articulating perspectives to an Internet forum of, basically, anonymous people - who happen to have their own perspectives.

It takes one word for somebody to misconstrue something and the egos appear.

..... It’s better to stick and move on these forums than it is to stay in the fight.


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## Gwyllgi (Aug 16, 2017)

I though the lackadaisical comment was aimed at me? that is why I quoted it in my reply.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Gwyllgi said:


> I though the lackadaisical comment was aimed at me? that is why I quoted it in my reply.


I believe it was a comment made in general.


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## Honey Maid (Dec 25, 2020)

JunoVonNarnia said:


> Do you train with treats? What treats? Are the treats part of the dog's meal? Do you use any particular treats (hotdogs, cheese, kibble, salmon etc).
> Do you reward with love/ affection?
> Do you do both? Do you use a clicker or marker words?
> 
> ...


I'm like you, I was taught reward with affection only also, and reasonable corrections with the choke chain, sort of a reminder, "Hey, pay attention" correction. I haven't obedience trained a dog for quite some time, and what little protection training I did was at least 40+ years ago, and ended up not being able to continue. I recently started researching training a dog for IPO, and was surprised at all the food/toy based training. I'm not into the 'clicker' training, nor the 'YES!' thingy, just "good boy/girl' and lots of praise. But, I may experiment with the food/toy training, interspersed with just praise.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

It's a long video, but this monologue by Michael Ellis explains why trainers have gone to marker training. He came up using traditional methods. He explains how and why the shift occurred in the sport world.


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## Shefali (Aug 12, 2020)

I use treats, toys, pets AND praise. When learning a new behavior, I always use treats coupled with praise. Once the behavior is learned, intermittently reinforce with treats, but always tell him he's a good boy. My dog only gets treats for "work" - no free treats. But I like giving him treats, so he gets several brief training sessions throughout the day. I'll make him do several reps of several commands to earn a treat. Sometimes I add toys to the mix and reward with a game of fetch or tug or flirt pole. He likes getting his ears scratched, so I also reward him that way. 

Now that he is a little over a year old, I expect more from him and he has to do more to earn treats. 

One thing I make sure to do is to praise him when he is quietly behaving well. For example, tonight the fireworks are going off, and he is quietly relaxing nearby. So every once in a while I will tell him he is being a good dog.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

One thing he said that stands out is the difference obedience then vs now. The routines you see on the world stage are so much sharper. Here is a video of the latest wusv world champion and he world champion from 2000. You can see just how much sharper and exact the obedience is these days.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

David Winners said:


> It's a long video, but this monologue by Michael Ellis explains why trainers have gone to marker training. He came up using traditional methods. He explains how and why the shift occurred in the sport world.


I like marker training. I use words because I'm just too stubborn and clutzy to get good at using a clicker. (and I suspect that small movements I make with my body and breath serve as markers as well) I like being able to release my dogs when they've done the behavior I want with the expectation of reward to come soon. Much less fumbling around on my part.


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## ShepDaddy (Jan 1, 2021)

I use hotdog pieces when training my sheps, always have. Praise when they achieve, snarles and growls to warn and tugs to end the sessions. The sessions are never more the 10 minutes for the older ones and only a minute or two for the pups. Hand and voice commands are taught from day one and are repeated by all family members. Consistent command from everyone avoids confusion in the pups... but sometimes the stubborn ones makes me have to out think them. One thing we do as a family is howl together, sounds strange but the pack bonds grow stronger when we do. The added benefit is if one wanders off or chases a deer out of view ShepDaddy calls out to them to guide them home. Neighbors think I'm nuts but my pack stays together.


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## JunoVonNarnia (Apr 8, 2020)

I have also started to use marker words with food sometimes, a toy another time, and noticed a difference pretty much right away. So interesting to see how my own understanding of training has evolved.


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## JunoVonNarnia (Apr 8, 2020)

Bearshandler said:


> One thing he said that stands out is the difference obedience then vs now. The routines you see on the world stage are so much sharper. Here is a video of the latest wusv world champion and he world champion from 2000. You can see just how much sharper and exact the obedience is these days.


Interesting comparison.


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