Does Your Dog Need a Raise?
There’s a phrase in dog training that goes a little something like this, “don’t ask your dog for hundred dollar an hour work and only pay them $20 an hour”.
So what does that mean?
It means you wouldn’t do $100 an hour work and only take $20 an hour pay, and neither should your dog.
I see many dog guardians expecting really difficult behaviors in really difficult environments and either not reinforcing the behavior at all, reinforcing to infrequently, or reinforcing with a lower value food that is needed for the environment that the dog is working in.
The result? Dogs not being able to perform the behaviors requested of them and then getting labeled as “Bad “, “naughty”, or “stubborn”.
So, what’s considered “hundred dollar an hour work” when it comes to your dog?
-Recalls outside
-walking nicely on a leash while there are distractions present such as other dogs, people squirrels or anything else that floats your dogs boat
-not jumping up on visitors when you’re really excited to do so
-Learning a new trick
-Not chasing the cat, when you really want to
-Performing a “easy” behavior like a sit, down, or hand target in a high distraction environment
-Working in a group dog training class
Now let’s look at some food and where it ranks on a dog “pay scale”:
$5 an hour:
Crunchy biscuits, milk, bones, or low quality kibble (this is why I do not allow these things to be used as reinforcers in my training classes)
$20 an hour:
High-quality kibble, soft training treats
(Again, this is why I do not allow these things to be used as reinforcers in my training class)
$50 an hour:
Cut up food roll, stinky cheeses, hotdogs, liver, peanut butter
$100 an hour:
Real meat! Chicken, beef, meatballs, sausage
So the next time you find yourself, labeling your dog as “stubborn”, “only doing things when he or she wants to”, or “not listening”, please consider that it may be time to give your dog a raise.
Sara Sokol is owner of Mr. Dog Training in Brunswick Maine; A positive reinforcement dog training facility, offering both virtual and in person classes, that has been voted best training in Maine for 9 years in a row.
