# food drive: too low->too high



## starwave (Apr 10, 2006)

Well, I posted here before that my puppy had a low food drive and even not so interested in high value treat. So it was difficult to train. 

I have tried to train her in the meal time with water-soaked dry dog food. Now she becomes crazy when she sees me go to the back yard with food...

The good thing is that she is willing to do many things she didn't want to do before, to get the food.
The bad thing is that I am afraid that it will be more difficult to fade the food reward in the future. And now she is looking for things to eat all day!









I don't know if this change is just because of my training time and food reward. What do you think?


----------



## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

Your job is to do enough repetitions that the behavior becomes a conditioned response. You say sit 300 times and she sits 300 times and gets a treat and praise from the person that matters most in her life for each sit. The end result is that even if the food goes away, when you say sit she sits because her brain tells her *good things happen when I sit if I'm asked to*. You still will be able to praise her, and at that point it's enough.


----------



## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

High food drive is never a bad thing ... you can't train a dog if you can't motivate her.


----------



## starwave (Apr 10, 2006)

Yeah, I know that repetition will help to fade the food reward. I am just worried that there is something not good that she is so interested in food... She is five months now.


----------



## starwave (Apr 10, 2006)

It is helpful for the training now. But when she is an adult, I don't want to use food as reward... I want to build her interest to the ball or tug. Will a high food drive cause problem in building high "ball drive"?


----------



## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

I don't think one drive will interfere with another. Obviously you have to work to bring each drive up to the dog's genetic potential but I don't think food/prey is an either/or kind of thing.

By the way, you might be interested in this. Michael Ellis has a new DVD out with Leerburg called "The power of training dog with food". I have seen a few clips. It looks pretty good.


----------



## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: starwaveIt is helpful for the training now. But when she is an adult, I don't want to use food as reward... I want to build her interest to the ball or tug. Will a high food drive cause problem in building high "ball drive"?


Food drive and prey drive (drive she is in when chasing a ball or tug) are completely independent of one another. Don't worry about food drive messing up prey drive. A dog with sufficient prey drive will no longer work for food if a ball or tug is brought out - especially an adult. If I work either of my two using food, and then bring out a ball they will ignore the food if I try to move back to food. When the ball comes out, it kicks their prey drive into HIGH gear. Prey drive is a dogs genetic instinct to chase, catch and carry prey back to their "den". Once locked into this drive, a dogs instinct is to not eat until she's chased, caught and carried. Live prey is much more interesting than dead food. It is also why many people teach exercises with food as a dog may be a bit less hectic and can learn better on food, and then later work the same exercise with a ball or tug to add in speed and animation. 

If training in prey drive is what you eventually want to do you can start now by playing drive building and focus games with her. It's a great way to tire out a pup while establishing a foundation for later training.


----------

