Common Reasons Make Dogs Slow Responding to Treat Training

In previous dog training posts, I've gone over why trainers use alleviates or food when clicker training, and went over a number of non-food reinforcers as well. But maybe you live with a dog that appears not to be food encouraged. Lots of trainers will laugh at that claim. "If the dog was not food-motivated, he 'd be dead!"

While this might be true, it's also real that there are numerous dogs who seem unenthusiastic in alleviates, or significantly less thinking about them than the typical dog is. Why? Here are a few reasons, starting with the most likely. Obviously, frequently numerous factors are at play.

1. The Dog Is Too Fat

Obesity in canines, as in human beings, is an epidemic in much of the Western world. In fact, weight problems in pet dogs is so common, I 'd say that many well-intentioned dog owners do not even recognize an overweight dog when they see it. Regretfully, as a dog trainer, I typically see these pets. When I talk about the significance of a healthy weight with my clients, they typically inform me, that their veterinarian didn't say his weight was a problem.

My friend Tena Parker at Success Just Clicks, who is way better at making crafty images than me, wrote a great post on ways to determine whether your dog is obese, utilizing the exact same technique I reveal my clients.

Getting your obese dog back to a healthy weight is crucial for his physical and behavioral health. Ask your vet prior to starting a new workout regimen, and have your veterinarian dismiss any contributing medical aspects like thyroid concerns or diabetes. Also, my personal choice: Avoid diet foods. As with people, the option is not exactly what you (or the dog) normally wishes to hear-- consume less, exercise more. There are no magic pills, foods, or creams.

2. Your Treats Are Gross or Inadequate

Frequently, pet dogs are called "persistent" or deemed to be lacking food motivation when, in fact, they've actively been trained to shun all but the highest-value reinforcers. This generally develops when a handler gets in a training circumstance with a dog and first takes out the lowest-value reward possible, like a Cheerio. The dog blows off the treat like a teenager offered 50 cents to mow the yard. The fitness instructor then pulls out a slightly higher-value reinforcer, like a biscuit or kibble. That's still not interesting enough, so we then launch into a food roll (like Red Barn), then sandwich meat, then liverwurst, then steak-- till ultimately the dog is even shunning that, persuaded that if he simply holds out long enough, his owner will take out something even much better!

This is reverse training-- the dog is actually training the handler to continuously offer much better things. Far much better would be to do some reinforcement sampling prior to you begin training, to discover what your dog will enthusiastically work for in a given training environment. A gifted trainer must be able to help you reconstruct value and produce a support structure for food that gets your dog back on the best training track.

3. Your Dog Is Too Stressed

A healthy dog's ability and determination to eat is a sign of his emotional state. With afraid and reactive pets, refusal of food might be an indication that we've crossed a limit. The ability to eat is a barometer that suggests how safe a dog feels. A dog who can't consume is typically a dog in distress. While distress is one kind of stress, there is also "eustress," or tension came across in situations or activities that are actually extremely exciting (believe taking the kids to Disneyland).

Required to the severe, eustress in dogs materializes as arousal concerns. For instance, the dog that begins lunging and barking (while refusing food) when approaching the dog park or seeing a squirrel stumble upon the field. In scenarios where the dog is too aroused or worried to accept any handler-offered support, chances are good that the only thing the dog is finding out is how to tune his handler out in favor of the environment.

4. Your Dog Sees Food as a Trap

Sometimes, I'll see a dog that immediately launches into avoidance and appeasement habits when food is presented-- turning away, repeating yawning or lip licking, or plastering ears versus his skull. This sad state of affairs frequently happens when dogs have actually found out that great stuff is a trap. This happens when well-intentioned owners attempt to utilize food (typically very high-value food) to "deceive" the dog into doing something he is terrified of, like entering the tub, having his ears cleaned or nails cut, or being picked up.

While classical conditioning is a reliable behavior modification method, doing it successfully implies presenting a diluted variation of the "frightening thing," generally by controling distance, and pairing the discussion of food with direct exposure a la "Open Bar, Closed Bar" training. In any case, the dog has actually come to discover that "food anticipates frightening things," instead of "scary things anticipate good things (food).".

These pet dogs can be retaught to accept food as a good thing, through another application of classical conditioning: teaching dogs that the presentation of food is followed by things they currently love, like play or scratches. If you have a dog like this, find a good fitness instructor to teach you how to remind your dog that "food is enjoyable!".

5. Your Dog's Breed Isn't Food-Motivated.

You'll find all personality types within a provided breed, but some characteristics are more common in some breeds, including food inspiration, victim drive, and play drive. Labradors and Beagles are specifically widely known for their interest in food, while many terriers, herders, and guardian breeds tend to be less food-motivated. You can enhance the value of food as a reinforcer by thoroughly matching food with things that are already important to the dog (play, prey, sniffing, etc.).

6. Your Dog Just Isn't Hungry.

Canines that are "free fed," or given consistent access to food, might be more difficult to inspire. The value of reinforcement trusts just how much the animal desires it when you provide it. I may like cheesecake, but may not be interested in it, or might actively avoid it, if my belly is full of Thanksgiving dinner. Feeding at designated times permits you to compute when your dog is probably to be starving and, for that reason, most going to work for food.

7. Your Dog Is Sick.

Finally, if your dog generally enjoys treats and begins refusing them, it's time to schedule a see to your veterinarian.

Do you have a dog who isn't food-motivated? If so, how have you been successful at training him or her? Let us understand in the comments!