Motivating Your Pup!

So motivation is definitely key when it comes to teaching your dog new tricks and skills! Unfortunately, what a dog is most motivated by varies depending on the dog! The Pasco Paws therapy class didn't allow 'cookies' to be given to the dog while in the facility, however we did use treats during the initial training at home. Green beans, cheese cubes, bits of bread, and hotdogs are all great treats! (The green beans are useful if you are watching your dogs weight because they are very low-cal!) Unfortunately, Mandy's interest in these treats would wain after only a few minutes. I soon found that although treats were a good starting point, she seemed to enjoy my praise and attention just as much! Alternating between treats and praise proved to be the most effective form of motivation! I've also heard of people using a favorite toy or game to reward their dog. Mandy loves to fetch the ball, however she loves fetching the ball so much that she would focus more on the toy than on the task I was asking her to complete! I still use the ball as a reward, but only after we have completely finished our training session!