Discover Your Dog's Delight: A Guide to Perfect Training Reinforcers!
When training our furry companions, understanding their taste preferences is paramount for effective learning. Before selecting treats for training, identify what truly entices your dog.
Every dog has a unique palate, and it's our responsibility to discover their preferred foods to see strong results in training. These become powerful reinforcers when teaching essential skills and behaviors.
Reinforcers Defined: Reinforcers are things that delight our dogs, such as food, walks, playtime, attention, and petting. While the learner determines what is reinforcing, our role is to uncover their distinct set of preferences. Get acquainted with your dog by discovering what truly motivates them.
Taste Test: To discern your learner's preferences, offer a variety of 5-10 different foods. Experiment with diverse options to understand your dog's favorite treats and those they may not find appealing.
Steps:
Lay out 5-10 food types on a flat surface, including dog treats, table scraps, and items from the grocery store.
Challenge: Introduce lickable foods like plant yogurt, baby food, peanut butter, or pureed pumpkin, as some dogs enjoy licking, making these excellent training reinforcers.
Recommended Treats:
Mealtime kibble
Meaty treats
Ziwi
Freeze-dried treats
Beef Liver
Beef Lung
Cooked Chicken
Bacon
Cheese
Plain yogurt
Baby Foods
Red Barn Food rolls
Preparing Lickable Foods: For convenient transportation of wet foods during training, use squeeze tubes typically designed for camping. These tubes provide a diverse range of reinforcers.
How to Prepare Treats: Ensure treats are cut or prepared for easy chewing and swallowing within 2-3 bites during training. This allows the learner to consume quickly and move on to the next click. Opt for small treat portions to facilitate rapid learning without overfeeding.
Adding Variety: Keep your dog excited by incorporating variety into their treat selection. Include 3-4 different treats in your mix to maintain high engagement during training. Rotate 1-2 treats weekly to introduce new flavors and keep the learning experience fresh.
Explore your dog's taste buds and enjoy a harmonious training journey!
Warm regards,
San Choi, KPA-CTP
