Food can be a great reinforcer for dogs that can help them learn and understand, however its not the only reinforcement option we have and somtimes there are better alternatives.
WHAT IS A REINFORCER?
A Reinforcer is sometimes called a reward-it is something we offer our dogs to increase the chances that they will repeat a certain behaviour. There are different types of reinforcers and all have their place depending on the situation, goals and individual dog.
Primary Reinforcers- These are reinforcers that meet a Biological Need for survival. Examples of Primary Reinforcers include Food, Water and Sleep.
Secondary Reinforcers- These are reinforcers that earn their value after repetitive use. These include things like Clickers, Reward Makers like "YES!" & Toys/ Play. These reinforcers are learnt by association. It is important to remember that secondary reinforcers are only as strong as the value they hold for the learner. If you stop pairing your secondary reinforcer with good things, they lose value.
WHAT CAN I USE AS A REINFORCER?
FOOD
This is usually the go-to reinforcer. Being a Primary Reinforcer makes it an easy choice. All dogs are food motivated - it's necessary for survival. However, when our dogs become excited, stressed, anxious, overwhelmed or nervous - like when they're at the Vet or on a walk in a new place- they tend to stop taking food. Why? Because they have entered Fight or Flight and part of that process is "switching off" the digestive system. This means no appetite or drive for food- the brain has other survival priorities right now! If you are finding that your dog is unable to take treats when away from home, its time to assess your dogs mental state in those situations.
Pros:
Readily Available
Many Options and choices to experiment with
Easily carried in a Treat Pouch
Healthy, Balanced options available
Can be paired with a secondary reinforcer
Right value food in the right situation can help a dog focus & think or distract and redirect.
Endorphins are released when eating food
Cons
Can cause weight gain when not managed well within an overall diet
Hard to use when Fight or Flight is happening
Using the same food on repeat can be boring and lose value
High value food can be too exciting and distracting, Low value food can be not worth listening for. Getting the value right can be a little tricky!
TOYS / PLAY
Toys and Play are probably the most under-utilised reinforcer we have. For our young puppies it can help them redirect their energy and refocus, for our Reactive dogs it can relieve anxiety by physical outlet for nervous energy and for many dogs it makes Recall a fun game that they want to play! When we use toys as a reinforcer, we want the dog to be interacting with us- things like Tug & Flirt Poles are perfect! Throwing balls isnt generally recommended as a reward because the dog needs to move away from us and take their focus off us.
Pros:
Adds movement which can help anxious dogs release nervous energy
Can be exciting and fun which can improve recall
Can help young dogs and puppies release energy and help them calm down and focus
Great for distance behaviours like Recall
Cons
Can be to exciting which can make it hard to focus and regulate
Squeekers can attract other dogs and make it harder for you to get space from strange dogs
Can sometimes be hard to move on or reset after the reward making it harder to use for learning new behaviours that require repetition.
VERBAL PRAISE/ PHYSICAL TOUCH
Verbal Praise & Pats have their place as a reward, but its important to understand how it works. Both are a secondary reinforcer, meaning they learn it by association. They learn that you saying "Good Girl" means food or play etc, and its value is directly connected to how well you continue to build the association between your praise and another reward. We generally recommend holding off using only verbal praise or pats until your dog has absolutely learnt the behaviour and only in certain situations- for example- saying "Thankyou" to your dog for walking nicely beside you when they no longer need constant reinforcement to do so. Everyone likes a little reminder they're doing good!
Pros
Can be good for dogs who get overwhelmed by Food or Play rewards
Great for letting our dogs know they're doing good when a reward isnt necessary
Great for teaching Toilet Training since Food and Toys can often be too distracting for baby brains!
Cons
Hard to deliver a clear message about which behaviour is being rewarded
Often not reinforcing enough for teaching new behaviour or working with Aggressive/Reactive Behaviours
Easy to backfire- certain pats can be overwhelming or punishing for dogs. For example, most dogs dislike being patted on top of their head!
ENVIRONMENTAL REINFORCERS
These are reinforcers that encourage or allow our dogs to interact with their environment. This can be things like Sniffing for example and we often use these rewards using the Premack Principle. The Premack Principle is simple- its the theory that a more desirable behaviour can be used to reinforce a less desirable behaviour. The same as your parents telling you that you can have dessert if you eat your dinner first! Often these rewards work because they give our dogs access to things they want to do or places they want to go!
Pros
Great for reinforcing behaviours when the dog has a strong desire to do something like sniff or go somewhere
Great for Adolescent dogs who are still learning self control and regulation
Cons
Easy to get wrong and send the wrong message
Should not be used when the behaviour the dog wants to do is driven by stress, anxiety or over arousal. i.e Reactivity
Should not be used when the behaviour is not acceptable i.e letting your dog engage in an unsafe or socially unacceptable play style like body slamming
Can easily become punishing for the dog
When choosing the right reinforcer , or combination of reinforcers for your dog it is important to remember a few things:
The LEARNER chooses the reward. Just because you think a pat is sufficient, doesn't mean your dog agrees. They will show their disagreement by not repeating the behaviour you're asking for or by choosing to do something else they find more reinforcing - like pulling on lead or barking at a dog !
What works one day, may not work the next. Thats normal. On Monday I might REALLY want to eat Pizza for dinner and be happy to work extra hard to get home and get a pizza after work, but on Tuesday that Pizza might not be so worth it. The same as us, the things our dogs feel like eating can change day to day. It's worth figuring out a few different treats your dog likes so you can swap between them
The more often your dog gets a certain reward, the lower its value will be. Try to save your high value treats like Cheese for extra good behaviour and keep toys you use for training away from their free access toys.
If your dog is unable to take food, play with a toy or hear you then they are struggling. They're either too excited, stressed or anxious and they need your help to move away and calm down.
If you are struggling to find a reinforcer your dog loves or to even get your dog working for rewards, reach out to a Qualfied Fear Free Trainer in your area. You can find many fantastic Trainers through the Pet Professionals Guild.