My dog won't listen unless I have treats...

Does that sound familiar, in your own voice? It's one of the top complaints I hear from clients and pet owners, in general. Do you know why that is? 

Because we train them to use the sight of the treat as a trigger to respond. We use it as part of the cue. We dangle the $100 bill right in front of them and then ask them to do something. And if we don't dangle that money, er... treat... in front of them, they decide it's not worth it. They realize that if you're not showing them the money, experience says they won't be getting paid. And hey, if I was making good money for a task and then was cut off from pay, cold turkey, well you better hope that I have something else motivating me to perform the task. Some people need external motivation while others can find the internal motivation. Dogs are the same. They're smart animals. They learn by experience. How often have you "paid" them when they couldn't see the treat itself?
​Weaning off the treats should be just that. Weaning.

Let's use an analogy from a different angle If you started playing the slot machines and won every time and then never again, how long would you continue? It probably depends on a few things
#1: How MUCH did you win when you did win?
#2: Are you in it just for the money or do you like the thrill of the game? (external vs internal motivation)
#3: Did you figure out a rigged system? Maybe you would win every 6 tries or after a long enough pause? (Ok, maybe that's a stretch of an example for slot machines but you get the idea...)
#4: How is your impulse control?

There's a reason why slot machines are addicting. They're on a variable rate of reinforcement. They don't offer any predictability and the way you play is static. The rules are the rules. And when there is reinforcement, it's usually very high value.

Train your dog to get addicted to the training game. Then wean him off predictable reinforcement and keep with what motivates him. Stick to the rules and if something stops working, reassess what his perspective might be. Are you rewarding at the right time? Are you cueing him with a hand in your pocket? Are you too predictable with when you reward (i.e. every 3rd time)? Is he getting bored with the reinforcement he's receiving? Is the reinforcement high value enough when compared to the distraction and task you're asking of him? ​

Check out this video to see Cooper, the Cavachon pup, learn the initial steps of down, including following a hand signal without the treat present.


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