Reward dog training allows us to control our dog’s behaviors by controlling his most desired resources, including food, affection, toys, freedom, play, access to people, access to other dogs, and much more.
For reward training to work well, we must first identify what our dog likes. Then,
- We encourage desired behaviors by giving him a reward (positive reinforcement), or
- We discourage undesired behaviors by taking away a reward (negative punishment).
Some common myths about reward dog training –
- Reward dog training does not work with dominant, stubborn, or aggressive dogs.
My Shiba Inu is all of those things and reward methods worked much better on him than aversive dog training. Aversive methods just made him more aggressive. - Using food in dog training is bribery, because the dog should be doing the command for us.
Dogs, like us, are motivated by a variety of things. Some of them are more food motivated, while others are more people motivated. We should use the rewards that are appropriate, based on the temperament and preferences of our dog.
Note that in aversive dog training, the dog is not doing commands just for us either, but rather to avoid the aversive stimulus (e.g. pain). - Reward dog training does not show my dog that I am the boss or pack leader.
The truth is, reward methods allows us to become a better pack leader than aversive methods. In fact, alpha wolves primarily control their members by controlling the pack’s resources – which is basically reward dog training.
Reward Dog Training – Good 1
Reward Dog Training
Helps to build a relationship based on trust.
One of the biggest advantage of reward dog training, is that there is little danger of losing our dog’s trust, even if we make some training mistakes. If we do not do dog obedience training for a living, we may not always execute our techniques perfectly, or even close to perfectly.
Some mistakes will be made, while we learn how to effectively train our dog.
If we are using reward dog training, a mistake may get our dog a bit confused, as to why he is receiving a reward. A string of continuous mistakes, may inadvertently encourage unwanted behaviors, such as jumping, but that is about as bad as it gets.
Aversive dog training, on the other hand, can very easily cause loss of trust. It may even lead to aggression.
In fact this University of Pennsylvania 2009 study shows that at least 25% of the dogs that are trained with confrontational methods, exhibit aggression during training.
“This study highlights the risk of dominance-based training, which has been made popular by TV, books and punishment-based training advocates,”Herron said. “These techniques are fear-eliciting and may lead to owner-directed aggression.”
Reward Dog Training – Good 2
Will not damage our dog either physically or mentally.
With reward dog training, the worst that happens to our dog is the removal of a reward. He may look at us cross-eyed, but he will not go home with a hurt trachea or other bodily harm. In contrast, this type of physical damage can occur, when certain aversive methods are not implemented properly.
Note that prolonged use of choke collars may cause harm to our dog, even when the collar is fitted and used as directed.
Reward Dog Training – Good 3
Helps to create a dog that is happy and eager to work.
When we only use reward dog training, our dog will be eager to work because work time means reward time.
Aversive dog training, on the other hand, may decrease our dog’s interest in working. Our dog may decide to just lie around and sleep, because it is safe, comfortable, and painless, to do so.
Leash training or dog training is not much fun and very stressful, when a dog keeps receiving physical corrections, even when he does not understand what is required of him.
Reward Dog Training – Bad 1
May not always solicit a prompt response to our commands.
For most dogs, a reward may not be as strong a motivator as pain (e.g. leash jerk, slap on the muzzle, finger jabs). In fact, some dogs may dislike an aversive stimulus to such an extent, that they fear it.
Fear is one of the strongest motivators for dogs. Most dogs will respond more consistently, and more promptly to it, compared to a reward.
Consistent and prompt response to commands becomes important, when our dog is involved in a life or death situation, for example when he is running into traffic. However, it should be pointed out that with proper management, we can prevent our dog from being in such dangerous circumstances.
In addition, pain based aversive training is risky, and does not guarantee full behavioral control. In fact, training mistakes and inaccurate timing, may result in even poorer command control, and increased aggression. Therefore, the best way to prevent a dog from running into traffic, is through proper equipment (e.g. doors and leashes), and proper management, similar to how we prevent children from running into traffic. After all, putting a shock collar on a young child, even to prevent the possibility of a traffic accident, would be unconscionable and against the law.
Reward Dog Training – Bad 2
May sometimes require creativity to out-think our dog.
With reward dog training, we may need to get creative and come up with our own obedience training methods. This is especially true when we are trying to stop bad behaviors such as jumping, leash biting, or hand biting.
While there are many reward methods for stopping these behaviors, they may not always work with our dog. I.e. he may decide that the reward from his bad behavior, outweighs our offered reward or negative punishment. As a result, we may need to experiment with a variety of methods and reward systems, before finding one that works well with our dog.
In contrast, fear is a more universal strategy. The same pain based aversive method, for example the leash jerk, can be applied to a wide variety of situations.
Reward Dog Training – Bad 3
May require that we bring along some food or toys when on walks and outings.
Remember though, that dogs do not care about the monetary cost of a reward. Many dogs consider sticks, pine cones, and leaves to be quite exciting and awesome. When I find myself in a situation where I need a quick reward, some are usually readily available in the environment around me.
In fact, it is often very desirable to use the dogs and people we meet during walks, as rewards for our dog. For example, if my dog does not jump, he gets to go up and meet the new person. Once he starts jumping, I move him back, do a sit, and restart the greeting.
As our dog training lessons progress, we can begin to phase out the food rewards. Be careful to phase the rewards out slowly, so that our dog stays motivated.
Reward Dog Training – Bad 4
May cause our dog to gain weight.
Obesity can sometimes become a problem, if we give our dog too many dog treats.
This issue can be easily resolved by –
- Using part of our dog’s regular meals as training rewards,
- Using smaller sized treats, and
- Using a lower calorie food or treat.
All dogs have to eat. It is much more effective to make our dog work for his food, rather than giving it to him for free in a silver bowl.
I started out with aversive dog training but now, I use reward methods almost exclusively. Aversive methods made my Shiba Inu develop even more behavioral issues, including aggression.
In my opinion, it is much better to start with reward dog training because it is safer, builds a stronger bond with our dog, and is easier to implement without harmful side effects. Reward training takes a bit more time, and may not be as visceral as aversive mathods, but it is a more comfortable, fun, and effective way for dogs to learn.
Reward dog training is just better dog kung fu!
I just adopted a dog. At the shelter we were told she was a shiba inu mix of some sort. I’ve been able to teach her sit, laydown, and shake in the month I’ve had her. Some real problems that I am having with her are biting and when we are out for walks and she doesn’t get her way, she will jump at me and bite me, my ankles or she will try to get my shirt or dress that I am wearing. Do you have any tips on how to stop this sort of behavior? Right now, when it happens, I pick her up and walk a couple of minutes holding her. Then I set her down and give her another chance. If it happens again I will hold her for longer and if it keeps happening when we are close to my apartment I will put her into her kennel when we get home. These little attacks have been happening more often so clearly what I am doing is not helping her.
Yeah, my Shiba Inu was very mouthy when I first got him. For biting, I did-
1. Bite inhibition training.
2. No-bite conditioning.
3. Structure and self-control.
More on what I did for my Shiba’s biting behavior.
For walks, my Shiba used to do leash-biting, which later escalated into jumping on me and biting on clothes.
More on my leash-biting experiences.
I also did shorter but more frequent walks, in quiet areas where he is less likely to get reactive. I walk him inside the house first, we practice door manners, and we do not leave until he is calm and following my commands.
http://shibashake.com/dog/pack-leader-to-an-aggressive-dog#walk
I have a 1 yr & 1 month old husky named Kona. My partner and I have been working on training her using rewards and most of the time it goes well. Do you have any advice for us when it comes to getting her used to grooming and handling? We started taking her to the groomer at 14 weeks for baths and to get her nails clipped and ground down, just to get her used to it (we take her once a month.) However, when we took her in this month she wouldn’t let them clip or grind her nails (she has no problems with baths though.) Even when I tried simply lifting her paws at home, she freaks out and tries to “death roll.” She’s always been nervous of people handling her (vets, groomers, us, etc.) Most of the time it’s okay and we have no problem giving her the space she needs, but when it comes to her nails (and vet visits,) we really need to build her trust so that we can care for her properly and keep her from injuring us and our family with those sharp claws. I just don’t know how to modify this task to make her comfortable or to show her that she’s safe and okay. The only option my friends and such have been giving me is to have Kona’s vet administer some sort of sedation and grind her nails. I know this can be traumatizing as well, so it puts me in a tight position.
I also feel like I should note that we had used calming collars and a thunder shirt when she was younger for social anxiety and it worked wonders! She couldn’t walk into stores or go up to a stranger at all. Now she’s come a long way! She’ll greet most people and, unless they approach her abruptly, she’s fine. Normally if someone does startle her or she senses mysef or my partner are uncomfortable, she just barks but it’s never aggressive and she generally stops once they walk away. (We generally can’t draw her focus away from the person without actually removing ourselves from the situation.) I guess I feel it’s important to let you know that she’s a nervous pup.
With my Shiba Inu, I had to slowly desensitize him to nail grinding. I start small, very slowly build up his tolerance, and always make sessions short, fun, and very rewarding.
More on how I desensitized my Shiba to nail grinding.
More on how I desensitize my dog to touches.
I do all my dogs’ grooming at home, so that I can take my time, make experiences fun, and slowly build up trust as well as confidence. With our Huskies we do nail clipping, but we space it out over time, and only do one every few days rather than all at once. They really didn’t like the sound of the grinder and they have bigger nails, so clipping ended up working best for them. I try out both (grinding and clipping) with each dog and see which they are most comfortable with.
ASPCA article on desensitization and counter-conditioning-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/desensitization-and-counterconditioning
Hi, I recently look for a shiba trainer in my area New Brunswick or Princeton New jersey. Do you happen to know any experienced shiba trainer around this area? My shiba is really good at home, but he totally doesn’t know who to react to other shiba or even kids running around. Need a trainer to introduce how to be with other dogs for him…
In terms of training my Shiba to be more calm around other dogs, I had some very good sessions at my local SPCA. We did 3-4 short (30 min) sessions per week there, and they had many different dogs that they brought out to train Sephy with (under the direction of one of their trainers). Then, at the end, Sephy got to play with a dog that suited his temperament. It worked out very well.
I have also done this type of training at a good daycare, where they also have access to a variety of dogs that they can use to help during training. The daycare environment is very chaotic though, so the environment at the SPCA was better because it was more controlled.
When Sephy was young, I also brought him to puppy classes that focused on play and socialization. We went to SIRIUS puppy classes. That was also very helpful.
Hello! My family is looking for a new dog and I am the person picking out the pet for the family. I’m very interested in Shibas, and I’m willing to understand and deal with all the cons and quirks that come with owning one. However, I’m kind of concerned about the training in one aspect: one of my parents can tend to become… aggressive(-ish?) towards dogs. The parent likes to cower over to intimidate dogs who misbehave around their presence (from what I’ve seen), but otherwise they wouldn’t really care what the dog does.
I’m a high school student. One parent works away from home while another works from home (the parent who I’m concerned about). If I get a Shiba, he/she will be around this parent a lot. I’m wondering if the cowering and intimidation will negatively affect a Shiba and delay the training. From my understanding from what I’ve read, if the cowering over happens with this dog I feel like the Shiba may defend himself (feeling like an animal backed up in a corner).
Any dog may defend himself if pushed too far. Here are the results of a study from UPenn which show that “If You’re Aggressive, Your Dog Will Be Too”
http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/if-youre-aggressive-your-dog-will-be-too-says-veterinary-study-university-pennsylvania
Does everyone in the family want a dog? Consistency is very important in training my dogs, so I get everyone in the family to use the same type of training and enforce consistent rules. I involve the entire household in their training and daily routine, so that they form a positive and healthy bond with all the people around them. In addition, if I need to be away, there will be others whom they already trust, who can properly care for them.
Are you planning to go to college? When you leave for college, what will happen to the dog?
Here is a story of my childhood dog.
Hello,
Let me just start by saying that I’m very glad I found your website. I’ve been trying aversive techniques with my now 4 month old GSD mix, and all it is doing is making us both more frustrated than we need to be. Until I read some of your articles, I thought she was just hyper and would have to grow out of it before I could effectively train her, but now I understand that it is my frustration that is making her act out more. I have been using a shock collar with little to no success. I have decided to start reward training tomorrow, but first, I’d like to ask you a few questions.
One, in regard to resource control, I am going to make her work for her meals, as you suggested. However, she is a big puppy and eats quite a bit during the day. I was just curious how you portion your dogs’ meals between their actual needs and what you can be expected to give them during training. Do you feed them a certain amount and then use the rest in training, or do you take what they need for that day and give it to them in the form of rewards until the day is over, then give them the remainder of their food?
Two, as for food puzzle toys, I am currently a little short on cash and can’t afford to buy her many toys. I’ve been making a lot of toys for her out of old tube socks, but those and even her store-bought toys don’t seem exciting enough to keep her occupied for very long. I assume that in order for this reward training to work, I will need some relatively interesting things to redirect her. So what I’m asking is are there any homemade food toys you’ve created that are safe but also easily made with common household items?
Thirdly, how do you work training into your daily schedule? Like most people, I have responsibilities I have to attend to, so I’m not sure how much time I will be able to spend with her every day. What do you estimate is the minimum amount of time I would need to spend with her on a daily basis for this type of training to be practical?
Also, as she gets older, what should I look for to know when to start reducing her food rewards, and what do I replace her food rewards with? I assume it would be verbal rewards and petting and such, but if so, should I also reduce toy rewards and simply give her free access to her toys in favor of the aforementioned verbal and contact rewards?
Lastly, do you have any tips for training a dog that likes to chase cats? She has a problem with jumping and snapping at my cats, and even if she’s just being playful, it sort of scares me because I don’t want her to hurt them. I feel that the snapping is a result of her hyperactivity and hope for it to naturally fizzle out after I start reward training, but I know she will still try to play with them, which wouldn’t be an issue if she wasn’t so much larger than they are. The biggest problem is that they won’t try to defend themselves at all. They just run from her, which I feel only encourages her. How can I teach her to respect them?
Thank you for your time, and thank you for introducing me to reward training. I feel that it will be much better for me and my puppy in the long run. I’m sorry if I ask a lot of questions; I just want to be sure that I do this right.
Hello Kim,
First off, note that dog behavior is very context dependent. I talk about what I do with my dogs on this site, but each dog and situation is different, therefore I always adjust techniques to suit my own situation and my own dogs. When in doubt, I get help from a good professional trainer and I also look things up for myself from multiple different trustworthy sources.
More on where I get my dog training information.
1. Food
I have a fixed daily routine, so I use about the same amount of food for training every day. I just subtract that from my dog’s total daily food, and then divide the rest into two or three meals. I feed my adult dogs twice a day (mornings and evenings), using interactive food toys. I feed a younger dog more often, depending on age.
2. Toys
Toy safety is also very dependent on the dog. For example, I used to put food in cardboard boxes and let Sephy or Shania have fun tearing up the boxes. They both love shredding the boxes but they are not interested in eating the cardboard. On the other hand, Lara (youngest Husky) seems to like eating cardboard, which is not good for her digestive system, so that kind of “toy” is not safe for her.
Even bought toys are not always safe, so I always supervise especially for toys where my dog can shred. I always supervise my dogs during meal times. I only leave them with chew toys that I am very sure of safety wise, such as the strong Kong rubber toys.
3. Time Training
I find that puppies need a lot more supervision and training time. The more time I can spend with my puppy, the better it is.
As for minimum training time necessary, that again will depend on the dog, the trainer, and surrounding context. For example, both my Huskies are more easy going dogs, so it was easier for me to train them, and get to a good state. However, they are high energy, so I spend a lot of time walking with them, playing structured games, etc.
My Shiba Inu is a very stubborn, independent minded dog. I spent practically all of my time learning how to train him, and learning how to deal with his behavioral issues, in the first 8 months of so. However, I really didn’t know what I was doing back then, so a lot of the time was spent training myself and learning more about animal behavior, so that I can better “read” Sephy and communicate with him. If I had been more experienced, and didn’t make so many mistakes, it probably would have been easier and taken less time.
4. Cats
I don’t have any house cats, so this is not an area that I have done much training in. This article from the ASPCA has some good information.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/introducing-your-cat-new-dog
In general I find the ASPCA website to be a good source of information.
Big hugs to your puppy!
I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD LHASA APSO/SKYE TERRIER MIX, HE IS A RESCUE DOG. HE WAS SEVERELY BEATEN AND ABUSED THE FIRST YEAR OF HIS LIFE. UNTIL WE GOT IN HIM IN JANUARY. HE IS A VERY LOVING DOG WITH MY HUSBAND AND I, HE THINKS HE IS A THIRTY POUND LAP DOG. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO STRANGERS HE SEEMS VERY AGGRESIVE. HE BARKS AND JUMPS IN THEIR FACES ALMOST LIKE HE IS CHALLENGING A STRANGER. HE DID US THAT WAY THE FIRST TWO WEEKS WE HAD HIM. HE ALSO IS ADDICTED AT TIMES TO TV. ESPECIALLY CARTOONS AND SEASME STREET. SO I USE THAT AS A CORRECTION, CUT THE TV OFF WHICH WORKS FOR A FEW MINTUES THE HE IS BACK TO BARKING AT GUEST. IM AFRAID ONE DAY HE WILL BITE SOMEONE, RIGHT NOW I NEVER HAVE ANYONE OVER. HE GOT SO BAD AT THE VET A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT TO GIVE HIM A BATH AND CUT HIS HAIR HE HAD TO BE SEDATED, I LOVE HIM TO DEATH BUT AM AT MY WHITS END ON HOW TO HELP HIM, I NEED HELP ON WHAT TO DO ANY SUGGESTIONS.
Based on what you describe, it is best to get help from a good professional trainer.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
For fear issues, I do desensitization exercises with my dogs. Desensitization helps to raise my dog’s reactivity threshold, and teaches him better ways to cope with his stress. Here is more on people desensitization exercises.
When guests come over, I put my dog on-leash *before* letting the guests into the house. Then, others will entertain the guests, while I properly manage and train my dog.
I first take my dog away and use distance to weaken the stimulus of the “other people”. Then when my dog is calm, I may bring him a little bit closer, reward him for staying calm, etc. I always have him on-leash so everybody stays safe. I use distance to keep my dog calm so that I can teach him what behaviors to use when guests are in the house. I reward him well for staying calm, and help him to make positive associations to new people.
For grooming, I also slowly desensitize my dog to touches, and then to various grooming equipment. I keep sessions very short, calm, and very rewarding. Here is more on-
Touch exercises, how I clean my dog’s teeth, and how I bathe my dog.
However, each dog is different – with difference backgrounds, routine, temperament, environment, etc. For more serious cases of aggression, it is best to get help from a professional trainer.
I have a shiba inu/ Siberian husky thats 1 year old now, but is still not trained. I find her very hard to work with and that she seems very distant and doesn’t pay attention. When I saw your website, I went through and read mostly all of it. Now I understand why she acts how she does, and some ways to solve it. But something I have problems with is treats. My dogs gets motivated with treats and does the command I give her. But with out an treat in my hand, she stares my down and refuses to listen. How do I fix that?
With my dogs, in the beginning, I have a treat in my hand. After the do a command, I make sure to *always* mark the behavior and then I reward them with a small piece from my pocket, with my other hand. I repeat that many times until they start to anticipate getting rewarded from the hand that is not holding a treat. Then, I try doing commands without having a treat in my hand. In general, I want my dog to associate the reward with my “mark”, the same way that dogs associate a reward with the clicker sound in clicker training.
It can also help to do group obedience training sessions with other dogs. Then, I reward the ones who are willing to do the work. When my Shiba sees this, he will usually do the commands also.
Once things are going well, I switch to a variable schedule of reinforcement, i.e. a random pattern of rewards. I may reward 2 times, and then not reward once, ask for multiple commands before a reward, or suddenly give more rewards, etc.
I usually reward more frequently for new commands, during the learning period. Then I switch to a variable schedule later on once my dog has learned the command. I also try using many different types of rewards and not just food (e.g. fun games, belly rubs, access to the backyard, etc.).
I follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs. I make sure *never* to reward my dog if he ignores my command. I only say a command once, but I may repeat the hand gesture. Then, I wait for a bit. If my dog is not interested, I just go about my own business and try later on when I have another break.
With Shiba Sephy we also got help from several professional trainers. It can be useful to have someone there to help with marking behavior, the timing of rewards, the hand gesture, and more. With dog training, I find that timing, consistency, redirection, repetition, observation, and energy are all very important. It is not just what we do, but also when we do it, how often we do it, and how we do it.
I just adopted a one year old shiba/German shep from a humane society. Annie clearly had some good early socialization and is very well-behaved inside. Outside, however, is a different story. She sees all small animals as fun moveable snacks and jumps and pulls like crazy on her leash (I use a harness). Unfortunately, she just tested positive for heart worm. We will begin treatment next week but I have been told she has to stay VERY inactive for approximately three months. I could use some suggestions on how to keep her from going stir-crazy during this time. I’ve been told her heart rate has to stay as low as possible. I’m worried that she will become destructive when I leave due to no exercise. Also, I can’t find a trainer who is willing to work with her while she is undergoing treatment. I’m working with her using positive reinforcement but could also use any suggestions on the best ways to keep her from jumping and trying to run while outside. I am already crazy about her and want to make the recovery time as easy for her (and me!) as possible. Thank you very much.
Congratulations on your new furry friend!
Yeah, I have the same problem with my Sibes during their recovery period. Some things that help with them-
1. Frozen Kongs
My Huskies are very food focused so during the recovery period I feed them mostly through frozen Kongs. This keeps them occupied for a good amount of time. I space out the Kongs throughout the day, and try to set a fixed schedule.
2. On-leash or in enclosure
I keep my dog in an enclosure during recovery. For potty breaks, I make sure to always use a leash. In this way I can somewhat control their activity level and prevent running and jumping.
Ask the vet what types of activity are ok – e.g. are short on-leash walks ok?
3. Grooming exercises
I also use this time to do grooming exercises (e.g. touch exercises, desensitization to hair brushing and teeth brushing) as well as other types of low energy training (muzzle desensitization, etc.). I only do calm activities, I start small, make sure my dog is always relaxed, and I make sure to go very very slowly so that she does not get agitated.
Let us know how things go. Big hugs to Annie. I am glad that she has found such a good home.
I have 2 sibes , female 8 years old and male 1.5 years old. The male :I used clicker training from 7 weeks of age and he is happy to learn tricks and other behaviours. The female : adopted ny me at 3 years of age, and i tried to clicker train her with success but she is not even close being as devoted and willing to work as the male is. Both of my huskies run free twice a day and they come when called weather i have treats or not. Positive reinforcement made that possible.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zot8bhCLNq8 my male, at 4-6 months of age, off leash obedience
Thanks for sharing this. Love all the pictures and videos; especially the ones with the two of them playing. Cosmo is a very handsome dude. 😀
Big hugs to your Sibes.
Hi there! ^-^ I recently stumbled across your website when I was looking for good toys for my 11 month old Siberian Husky, Mon Ami (Momo for short), and I wish I’d found it sooner. Momo is very stubborn, loveable, playful, determined, and charismatic. So far, I have trained her to “sit and stay” to wait until I tell her she can have her food bowl, she can catch things in the air on the count of three, she’s potty trained, walks on a leash fairly well (harness not collar), recently got her out of biting, and is no longer food agressive. But, she won’t come in from the backyard when she is called (she knows when I whistle it’s time). She used to but, now she plays a game where she sits at the top of the steps when the door is closed and shoots down them when I open it. I’ve tried treats like peanut butter and milkbones and it doesn’t seem to work! Any tips?
(I hope this doesn’t repost more than once, it’s not seeming to like me to much today.)
Yeah, my Sibes love being outside as well. If they could, they would want our walks to last all day! 😀
Sibes are really smart, so they quickly learn that if they come for the whistle, then they don’t get to go out anymore. In this way, they associate “coming” with something negative (loss of freedom).
Some things that help with my Sibes-
1. I call them in from the backyard many times during the day and I reward them very very well for coming. Then, if they want to, they can go right out again. In this way, they do not associate “coming in”, with “not getting to go outside again”.
2. Sometimes when they come in, I play a really fun game with them inside and then make a yummy food-stuffed toy for them. In this way, they learn that coming inside = games, attention, and other great rewards. I make things interesting by switching rewards and using things that they never get in other circumstances.
This article from the ASPCA has a great list of many recall training techniques-
http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/teaching-your-dog-to-come-when-called