Dogs: Positive Reinforcement Training
Just say yes to training your dog with treats and praise
Dogs don't care about money. They care about praise … and food. Positive reinforcement training uses praise and/or treats to reward your dog for doing something you want him to do. Because the reward makes him more likely to repeat the behavior, positive reinforcement is one of your most powerful tools for shaping or changing your dog's behavior.
Rewarding your dog for good behavior sounds pretty simple, and it is! But to practice the technique effectively, you need to follow some basic guidelines.
Timing is everything
Correct timing is essential when using positive reinforcement.
Keep commands short and uncomplicated. The most commonly used dog commands are:
watch me
sit
stay
down (which means "lie down")
off (which means "get off of me" or "get off the furniture")
come
heel (which means "walk close to my side")
leave it
Consistency is key
Everyone in the family should use the same commands; otherwise, your dog may be confused. It might help to post a list of commands where everyone can become familiar with them.
Consistency also means always rewarding the desired behavior and never rewarding undesired behavior.
Positive reinforcement is great for teaching your dog commands, and it's also a good way of reinforcing good behavior.
You may have your dog sit
before letting him out the door (which helps prevent door-darting)
before petting him (which helps prevent jumping on people)
before feeding him (which helps teach him good meal-time manners).
Give him a pat or a "Good dog" for lying quietly by your feet.
The bad: Be careful that you don't inadvertently use positive reinforcement to reward unwanted behaviors.
Types of rewards
Positive reinforcement can include food treats, praise, petting, or a favorite toy or game. Since most dogs are highly food-motivated, food treats work especially well for training.
When to give treats
When your pet is learning a new behavior, reward him every time he does the behavior. This is called continuous reinforcement.
By understanding positive reinforcement, you'll see that you're not forever bound to carry a pocketful of goodies. Your dog will soon be working for your verbal praise, because he wants to please you and knows that, occasionally, he'll get a treat, too.
