Training Requires Motivation

For training to occur, your dog has to be motivated. Your dog will naturally respond to the most motivating thing in its environment. Our goal is to be the most motivating item in the dog’s environment.

We, as guardians, achieve this by creating an environment where the dog can be successful. This is done by:

• Minimizing distractions in the training environment

• Identifying and utilizing items as a reward that the dog finds motiving – i.e toys, people, dogs, food

• Providing the appropriate mental and physical stimulation to help them achieve a balanced state of mind

• Using Positive Reinforcement so that training is a fun and rewarding experience that the dog looks forward to participating in

It is useful to have a variety of lures and rewards (sizes, shapes, textures, and tastes) and to identify which of them are the highest value. When training alone in your living room, kibble may be motivating enough. However, outside in a busy park, your dog may require hot dog/liver/cheese or other higher value treats in order to maintain his or her focus on you.

What is motivating will be unique to each dog so testing out a variety of items to determine what they find most motivating is important. What is motivating can also change from one environment to the next as well as change day to day depending on how the dog is feeling. Their preference will also change as they age. Identifying what motivates your dog isn't a static process it is a dynamic one that we have to keep up with.

Remember: Performing a behavior can itself be a rewarding activity and therefore, increase the prevalence of that behavior. When trying to eliminate unwanted behaviors, it is important to manage your dog’s time in between training sessions so that there are minimal opportunities for him or her to perform the unwanted behaviors.