Tonight, I worked with a client’s 5-month old pup. Jumping on people was the behavior we needed to change. I’d told her to save his evening meal for our dog training session, and she did. But when we started the session, he was not the least bit interested in his kibble. And we were getting no where fast.
His motivation to jump on me was much more rewarding than the possibility of getting a piece of his same ol’ kibble. So we upped the ante. My client had a bag of dried venison that caught this fuzzy kid’s attention, and woke him up. His demeanor changed, his eagerness to work for what we wanted, because we had what he wanted, was in sync, and the session moved along well.
At a later point, I was demonstrating an impulse control activity and after I ran out of my client’s treats, I opened the baggie of a very stimulating fish-based treat I had in my bait bag. That treat was just too tantalizing for the fuzzy kid. It took him out of the performance zone and into the over-stimulated zone. I sealed the baggie and went back for more dog training treats from the owner’s stash and we once again came into sync as a team.
Working to find motivation that’s just right reminds me of the story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears. Except instead of beds that are too soft, too hard, and just right, we have treats that were not interesting, too interesting, and just right. It’s all a matter of finding that “just right” level for the dog you’re working with at the time you’re work with them.
My personal dogs will usually work for kibble, but when I buy pre-cooked chickens, I use the drippings on the bottom of the container to cover cups of kibble in. I shake them together in the container, then store in freezer bags in the freezer for training only. It’s my dogs’ usual with a little added flavor kick to it. And it works. For them. Most of the time. Every dog has his own “just right” level, and this can change from day to day. So when working with your own dog, be aware of that, and adjust accordingly.
By Helen Verte
Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Trick Dog Instructor
Motivational Dog Trainer , Broward County Florida
