[Lexus]

Come on dobe-lovers, survey time....... (did I spell "survey" right? It looks funny.....)

Who uses treat motivation?

Clicker?

Toy reward?

Other?

Me- I use the old standby - treat reward (gradually shifting to toy reward also) :boldblue:

 

[doberlover]

I've been using treat reward ever since I can remember. I always wanted to use a clicker but old habits die hard I guess. One thing I heard long ago that with Dobies you have to make them work for everything. My hubby does not train the dogs, I do. So every time he gives them a "snack" I have to remind him to make them do something, sit, lie down, shake, give kiss etc., but sigh he forgets (bad puppy). Then he wonders why they listen to me and not him

 

[TakirasDad]

Well the trainer that she went to as a puppy does not believe in treats at all. He believes in correction and praise. So my girl really does not eat treats (shhh....dont tell sometimes I stuff her Kong with carrots and PB) so her reward is either praise, or her tennis ball.

I recently completed the same course with her that she had when she way a puppy with the same guy and he still doesnt use treats or clickers. The course was really to train me, she knew it already it was I that did not know how to communicate with her.

DA

 

[Gracie's_Mom]

We use high pitch good girls or good Gracie. What ever words we use it is always in a high pitch. When she does something correct and we start telling her good girl she gets very excited.

 

[thoroughbred]

hiya

flat collar, treats and toy, verbal praise or clicker (if you can manage it with bouncing puppy, leash, toy and treat in only two hands!!). Nothing else needed. My dobes do agility and obedience.

long leash walking does take time, hower the irratic weaving walk, stopping when tension put on collar by dog and keeping sessions short but plenty, does the trick.

 

[whiteandblue]

well i use verbal, treat and physical reward... and it seems to be working great... except pottying continues to happen indoors... am trying crate training now... nothing else has worked didnt wanna do it but darn it rewards arent helping...

 

[TracyJo]

Am attempting the whole "clicker" thing and am impressed with how well it's working... Chi will sit and stay as I prepare her food and set it down (sometimes she's quivering through the process she's so excited to be getting FOOD!). So far it's pretty easy and tons of fun. Problem is there are no clicker trainers on the island or none that speak English anyway so I'm not so sure how far this is going to take us... Up til now I've not worked too much with her on walks but after school starts next week I'll start bringing the clicker and hopefully click my way to a nice heel... I'll let you know how it works

 

[Dobe_Paws]

I use the clicker with Ava because I find it much easier for her to understand what I want from her, one small step at a time. It usually doesn't take long though with her. Scooby, my other dog, he'd take forever to catch on but then again he's not a Dobie. :lol2:

So treats are the main thing that gets used for training but when we're doing tracking Ava perfers toys as her reward. In the begining, I'd offer her a treat if she found what she was set out to but she'd spit it out. I think she was too excited. I found that giving her a toy, perferably a floppy one, once she completed a task worked better than a treat.

 

[TomAndKing]

Im reading a clicker training book right now. King is so into food that he doesnt care what i try to teach him. So im going to try this.

 

[Lil Arrow]

I will be going into the clicker training. Right now I have a pocket full of treats and will use that until I get my clicker. Maybe King and Pyer can learn together. After all they are 'buddies'

 

[Molari]

GKar's only motivation is play so I have to use toy reward.

 

[CoAl-s-Mom]

Treat and praise.

 

[shadeslane]

I use either/or training. The dog's action gets one of two reactions - either I'm happy with what they did or I'm disappointed. And I show both to the EXTREME during early training. Most puppies HATE to sense disapointment/sadness from their people and will pay twice the attention to find out what they need to do to get the "happy voice". I give them a distinct choice and show them exactly what they have to do to hear that "happy voice". But after they pay attention, work well for a few minutes, we take a "play break" and they find out just how good they have been. My dogs get their fair share of treats, but not in training situations. I do use a prong collar on my 100#+ male when we go out in public. I call it power steering. He's well trained, friendly, but I'd rather have it and never use it than not have it the one time I need it. Too many things can happen too fast.

 

[Prettydobie]

I use a toy reward but only when we are in public places because trinity response better to her toy in public then she does to treats or something but when i am at home I use treats or positive motivation. More positive motivation then anything else.

 

[whiteandblue]

Pretty... i tried that with my babies but the only one that works is the squeeker and that thing im so not taking anywhere with me or prince would squeek it all the way...

 

[doberkim]

i use primarily clicker and some treats combined with verbal praise. bowie cannot tug, so that was out.
but mya tugs and i like to use my fleece braided tug on her, since she has a soft mouth. both work best for some verbal praise, i try to wean off treats after we learn the behaviors.


whiteandblue, when you train with the toy, your dog shouldnt have unlimited access. he only gets it when rewarded, he gets to play, and then game over and you get it back until he earns it again.

 

[whiteandblue]

hmmm... okay i understand what you are saying... i am working with his toy right now like when he sits i throw it and he runs and gets it and runs around the house then brings it back to me... then he rolls around and i say sit and he sits so i throw it again and he is learning quickly and ill remember that so he doesnt always have his fav toy... but socks are his all time favorit. LOL... and he pulls them off my feet when i sit down LOL so i guess socks will be what he gets when he listens LOL

 

[doberkim]

when you want to use a toy for training, it is best to never let them have that toy to play with around the house - the toy should be very high demand, and something they REALLY want, and it should be used only during training.

for instance -- if we are heeling.
i set us up, get attention, we take off. i get nice attention, we get a few steps down, dog has been in perfect position, eyes on me, i click and out comes the toy!

i dont recommend using toys that dont involve you - things that get thrown can be hard beacuse the dog runs off and doesnt NEED you in the end. i use toys that involve the handler - a tug, a frisbee to tug on, balls on ropes -- right after that click, YES!!! out comes the fleecey and she gets a brief (5 or so seconds) of hard tugging and is happy and then she outs and we start working again.

the toy is only out during training, and its only brought out by me for rewards you get your high desire toy by completing things that are less fun, but a necessary precursor to said awesomeness.

its the premack principle.

 

[Prettydobie]

Whiteandblue thats what trinity does but everyone thinks its so cute so I deal with it.

 

[Twinkletoes]

I use a treat and a big kiss lol which has worked so far.