For the May Positive Reinforcement Pet Training Week blog hop, the theme is reviewing products that we use in positive reinforcement training. As you guys know, I’m a pet products junkie. I love testing stuff and figuring out what’s best for my guys. It helps that I write two articles a month for Pet Age Magazine about just that – the best products and trends for dogs – but I really love scoping out pet products.
Well, in my experience, when it comes to positive reinforcement training, simple is best!
In fact, I think one of the misconceptions with this type of work is that it requires some secret set of scientific skills and equipment that mere dog owners can’t master. Which, of course, it doesn’t. You really only need three things.
You need a reward, whatever appeals to your dog – typically food or toys. Use what you already have in your fridge: cheese, hot dogs, lunch meat, bits of scrambled egg, whatever motivates your dog. You really don’t need to buy expensive refrigerated logs of training foods or specialty “training treats” if your dog can be motivated by inexpensive stuff you already have. Since Cooper is allergic to nearly everything, we make most of his treats, though we did get these in last month’s BarkBox* that are 100% lamb. They’re stinky and easy to break into bits, making them the perfect training treat. As you can see, the bag is nearly empty. (We’ve been working on a super fun game…)
You also need a marker, something to tell the dog YEP! That’s right! The clicker is obviously the most widely used and for lots of good reasons. It’s a novel sound. It can be crazy precise. They’re inexpensive(ish – there are expensive ones on the market, but you can usually even get one for free if you ask at a big box pet store – or I’m happy to send you one). But, frankly, a clicker isn’t mandatory. You can use a word or a cluck of your tongue or whatever. Sure, it’s likely to be less precise, but most dogs catch on whether you purchase the equipment or use your own sound/word. We use both the clicker and “yes” because training happens everywhere. All the time. Literally. We are constantly training, and we don’t necessarily have a clicker with us all the time. The “yes” is a conditioned backup plan for us.
Finally, you need a sense of humor. I do worry that the severity of some trainers’ attitudes turns people off from even attempting to train their dog positively. Training should be fun! It should be rewarding for you and your dog. Keeping a lighthearted, positive attitude will help you and your dog feel comfortable.
There are some amazing resources on the internet for how to get started and how to teach specific behaviors. If you’re trying to use positive reinforcement to troubleshoot a problem behavior – first off, good for you! – but you might want to consult with a trainer before implementing a plan.
Otherwise, training your dog positively doesn’t have to cost you a dime! Just an investment in quality time spent with your pup!
*I’m a BarkBox affiliate, which means if you click that link and buy something, you won’t pay more – in fact, you get a bonus toy in every box – but we get a small commission. I always forget to post about this, but writing about these treats triggered my memory!
And patience…lots of patience. 🙂 I struggle with having to high of expectations, I have to remind myself to be patient, and to take baby steps.
YES! Such an important point. I tend to lose my patience when I expect something to be easy, though I have to remind myself that I’m looking at it from my perspective instead of theirs. Thanks for making that point!!
Thanks for joining the hop! A sense of humor is mandatory. I always find it funny when Mr. N tries to outsmart me but then I think a sense of humor is generally necessary when you have terriers!
Oh, my gosh. These guys outsmart me ALL the time! 🙂 Can’t wait to make my way around to read all the other posts in the hop! Thanks for hosting!
We use a thumbs up, too! I started doing it while saying “yes” so that I could still give positive reinforcement even if I couldn’t talk directly to her, especially since a lot of our training now is about focusing through distractions. Now if I’m on a call or walking down the sidewalk, I can give the thumbs up to say, “Keep doing what you’re doing!” and not be totally rude to another person.
That is completely genius, Amanda. SUCH a brilliant idea!!! I think you’ve inspired me to work on that with Cooper. He does so much better with hand signals anyway, but it never occurred to me to use a hand signal as a “yes.” Thank you!!!
I saw someone arguing positive reinforcement on FB earlier today, saying “what if you don’t have your clicker? then you are SOL” which is so far from the truth. It’s easy to have a marker word even if it is less precise. I usually can’t help myself from saying “yes!” even when I have the clicker, it’s just second nature at this point.
We really like those Sojo’s treats, too. I’ve started adding a few crumbled single-ingredient treats like those to the Ginger Sisters’ kibble in the evenings – my own “raw boost” mixture!
Thanks so much for joining the hop, Maggie – you always have valuable information to share.
That is such a good point, and I think it’s one of the big misconceptions that positive reinforcement isn’t only clicker training. I think that idea turns people off, and that’s unfortunate.
Thank you for hosting the hop!! I haven’t had a chance to read through the other posts yet, but I plan on making the rounds this week. Can’t wait!
I’d love to bend your ear in Nashville. :-)…Delilah is SO food motivated, it is hard to get her to settle down to the business of training.
Oh, Emmett is SO much like Delilah! We will absolutely chat… about that and probably a million other things! 🙂 Can’t wait!
Can I butt in on that conversation? That is Cricket as well. She sees no reason she needs to do anything other than be cute in order to get a treat.
Great list of things you need for positive reinforcement. I really enjoy using the clicker. At first my dog was scared of it. After a week of feeding her with the use of a clicker, she now gets excited to hear it.
What a great picture of your dog, congradulations on teaching him those new tricks. Positive reinforcement training makes me think of what we can learn with teaching out children. I am looking at getting a dog, but I am not sure what kind, probably something a little smaller though.
I realized when I was here for the June hop, I never left a comment for the May hop. Bad host. Ah, clickers. I have dozens and yet I can never find one when I really need it. And like poop bags, there is one in every pocket of everything, ever. I will have to check out those treats. I am always in search of yummy and also simple one’s, as all trainers are, and I like flavors the cat may enjoy as well. Thanks for being a part of the hop! It’s always great to have you.