Fading the Reward & Finished Exercise
i. Fading the Reward
When you are teaching a dog a new behaviour you reward 100% of the time until the dog ‘get’s it’. You then immediately start to stagger the reward. When a reward is staggered (in behaviour terms it would be a varied reinforcement schedule) a dog will actually work harder for the reward, simply because it never knows when it will be forthcoming. Demo this in two different ways:-
i. Two and Three Fors. Using the combination exercise of Sit, Down Stand, you can request two exercises in a row and then praise and treat. Then do 3 exercises in a row and then praise and treat. Mix up the order of the exercises to avoid habits
ii. Using work to earn type exercises. Call the dog, as for a sit/down/watch – take a few steps away and again call the pup and request the exercise – praise and reward. Mix these up and sometimes 5 or 6 steps and then praise and reward and other times perhaps reward twice in a row – the pup does not know what to expect and works harder.
Points to bear in mind o Don’t only have training sessions, start to bring the behaviours, such as sit, down etc into everyday life by asking for a sit before playing, sit and wait before going out a door etc.
o Practice in different locations. You may have a dog that sits perfectly every time you ask in the house, but does that dog do the same in the garden or on a walk?
o This method can also be used in more advanced training where the dog will only be rewarded for ‘the fastest, the best, and the closest’ etc.
ii.Finished Exercise If the pup does not respond to your cue, wait 10 seconds, then take treat, waves right in front of pup’s nose says ‘finished’ and walks away, wait about 10 seconds, call pup and again requests the cue. If the pup complies, jackpot – lots of verbal praise and 2 or 3 treats. If pups ignores again, repeat and wait about 5 minutes before repeating.
If pup goes to you without being requested to after you have walked away and performs the exercise– pup is ignored and not treat given – then moves away a few feet and then calls and requests exercise again – if pup complies – jackpot again.
i. Fading the Reward
When you are teaching a dog a new behaviour you reward 100% of the time until the dog ‘get’s it’. You then immediately start to stagger the reward. When a reward is staggered (in behaviour terms it would be a varied reinforcement schedule) a dog will actually work harder for the reward, simply because it never knows when it will be forthcoming. Demo this in two different ways:-
i. Two and Three Fors. Using the combination exercise of Sit, Down Stand, you can request two exercises in a row and then praise and treat. Then do 3 exercises in a row and then praise and treat. Mix up the order of the exercises to avoid habits
ii. Using work to earn type exercises. Call the dog, as for a sit/down/watch – take a few steps away and again call the pup and request the exercise – praise and reward. Mix these up and sometimes 5 or 6 steps and then praise and reward and other times perhaps reward twice in a row – the pup does not know what to expect and works harder.
Points to bear in mind o Don’t only have training sessions, start to bring the behaviours, such as sit, down etc into everyday life by asking for a sit before playing, sit and wait before going out a door etc.
o Practice in different locations. You may have a dog that sits perfectly every time you ask in the house, but does that dog do the same in the garden or on a walk?
o This method can also be used in more advanced training where the dog will only be rewarded for ‘the fastest, the best, and the closest’ etc.
ii.Finished Exercise If the pup does not respond to your cue, wait 10 seconds, then take treat, waves right in front of pup’s nose says ‘finished’ and walks away, wait about 10 seconds, call pup and again requests the cue. If the pup complies, jackpot – lots of verbal praise and 2 or 3 treats. If pups ignores again, repeat and wait about 5 minutes before repeating.
If pup goes to you without being requested to after you have walked away and performs the exercise– pup is ignored and not treat given – then moves away a few feet and then calls and requests exercise again – if pup complies – jackpot again.
