Rewards - An Important Part of Dog Training

Rewards are a very important part of training. How you reward your dog will affect your dog's learning and performance now and in the future.

Rewards come in different shapes and sizes. A reward is anything your dog finds of a high value, in other words, something that is extremely important to him. This can be any of the following:

· Petting

· Verbal Praise

· Food Treats

· Toys

· Play/Games

What you use for a reward for your dog really depends on your own dog's likes and dislikes. The higher the value - the quicker the response.

Personally, I believe that Petting and Praise should be the main reward. You want your dog to work for YOU, not what you may or may not have. Play using toys is my second choice - above food. Interaction is a great way to reward your dog, again he or she is working for you, not what's in your pocket. Your dog has the ability to form a psychological bond with you, so use that to your advantage. Make him want to please you and try to please you for your attention, rather than what food treat you can offer him.

My dog, Hodge, will spit out food for a ball or other fetch toy. He lives for Fetch. That, along with Petting and Verbal Praise, is what I use as his main reward. Sometimes I do use food treats, but mainly we play Fetch after a training session. This is how I get him to truly work for me, not for what I may have for him. He knows that after work always comes play and that's what makes it worthwhile for him.

So, as you are training your dog, try to figure out if there is another reward you can give your dog other than food. You want your dog to work for you and listen to you when you don't have treats in your hand. Doing this will help to facilitate a better relationship with your dog and will put you on the road to having a dog who listens to you with or without food!

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