Dog Training Coventry - Reward Based Training
You will probably have heard the term “reward based dog training”. This article explains how these techniques work and why I’m so passionate about using this method.
What is reward based training?
Old fashioned dog training methods were all about teaching the dog to avoid punishment. Reward based dog training is focused on making your dog feel good about the choices they make and setting them up for success. Your dog learns to respond to cues because doing so makes him or her feel good.
How does reward based training work?
Dogs are mammals, just like us which means that the chemicals in their brains and bodies work in the same way as ours – it’s just their language, behaviours and communication that is different to ours. At a very basic level, our behaviour and the way we feel is largely determined by hormones or chemicals within our body.
If something is exciting or stressful, our bodies release adrenalin– the fight or flight hormone and cortisol which helps get our metabolism ready for action. These chemical responses evolved millions of years ago so that when a mammal needed an energy boost – eg to hunt for food or to run away from danger – it was there. However, modern lifestyles mean neither we nor our dogs need to do either and so the metabolic response to stress just makes us feel anxious instead.
When something makes us feel good, we will release dopamine. Dopamine is associated with feelings of bliss and also increased concentration and motivation. It’s also addictive. It’s why we find it so difficult to give up the things that make us feel good, like chocolate, coffee or wine. It’s the same for dogs in that the things that make them feel good quickly become habits.
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Contact meDog behaviour training Coventry - how reward based training works
If your dog is consistently rewarded for a good behaviour – say for example every time he is not pulling on the lead and walks nicely beside you, a little bit of dopamine is released. Loose lead walking makes the dog feel good and because it’s associated with a reward (the dopamine hit) it becomes engrained as a behaviour.
You, as the trainer, can then teach the dog to associate that feel good behaviour with a cue (a word or a hand signal). Bingo! You have trained your dog to do something.
It was easy and painless, however it does need lots of repetitions so that your dog’s brain can make the association.
The old fashioned training method would be to bark out a command that the dog didn’t understand and then use physical force like yanking a collar to create the behaviour; that released adrenaline and cortisol and induced feelings of anxiety. Some will try to make this type of training seem less harmful by rewarding the dog after punishing them, but sadly this leaves the dog fearful and even more confused. The dog would learn to associate training sessions with pain and distress and – well – you can see why I won’t even entertain the old ways.
Repetition is Key
Asking your dog to learn something that involves several different behaviours is like a baby learning how to feed itself. Each part of the behaviour and/or the cue that is associated with it needs to be taught separately and then you can add the segments together.
A simple retrieve would be a good example. Ultimately you will be asking your dog to
- Sit and wait for the cue to “go”
- Go find the object
- Pick it up
- Carry it back to you
- Place the object in your hand
When we teach the retrieve, we start with the delivery, then the hold and then the search and collect. A bit like a baby learning to put a spoon in their mouth before it perfects the art of spoon to mouth and load a spoon with food.
For more information on how reward based training could help your dog contact me.
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