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Do you bribe your dog?
Posted on December 4, 2009
If you train your dog with treats I’m sure you have heard comments along the line of “Your dog only does it cause you have food” or “Why do you bribe your dog?” Don’t let them intimidate you!
There is a big difference between a reinforcer and bribing!
When I was working with horses, I was totally against treats and would never feed my horse out of my hand. On one hand because I had heard from old experienced trainer that it makes them more likely to nip or bite you. On the other hand because it felt like bribery to me. After researching a lot into learning theory, I somewhat changed my mind.
A positive reinforcer, e.g. treat, pet, play, is reinforcing wanted behavior. It is a reward, not a bribe. The key is not to show your dog that you have a treat to get him to do something. THAT would be a bribe and chances are your dog will only do what you want if you show him a treat again next time. A reinforcer can be exchanged or phased out after time, once your dog has understood what you want him to do.
How do you train your dog? What are your favorite rewards and what are the coolest tricks you have taught your dog using this reward? Feel free to leave your comments below!
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