Reward Placement - An Overview

This video is about 1.5 years old now. It represents some of the concepts I was playing around with at the time relative to Reward Placement. Some of the skills are basic, while others presented in the video are more advanced. Themes central to the video include: Reward Placement (of course) and fluid transitions between 'work' and play or reward event.

One of our overall goals when training this way to is make obedience training and play feel like one in the same. By making obedience an extension of our play through blending the two together (at first more play than obedience and eventually more obedience than play) we can accomplish this.

SOME FUN WITH REWARD PLACEMENT

 4 min 44 sec

'LEFT OUT'

-A solution for the high-drive, pushy, animated, dog that has a tendency to forge or crab...

Disclaimer:

***If your dog is highly motivated, you anticipate mitigating forging issues in the future, or you're currently dealing with forging or crabbing in your current heeling, the 'Left Out' Reward Placement Information in this segment will be a great resource for you***

*If your dog does not fall into the category of traits or behaviors listed above, I would still recommend going through this information as it will only add to your overall knowledge on modern training techniques.

However, if you would prefer to spend the week focusing on a reward placement that may be more beneficial to your individual dog, feel free to proceed through the week toward a placement which is a better 'fit'.*

As already mentioned, the 'Left Out' reward placement is a great maintenance option for our expressive, high drive dogs. It is these zealous dogs that tend to suffer from excess energy. That excess energy often bleeds into our training program in small pieces over time - pieces so small they're hard to detect. Before we know it, our dog's understanding of heel position may be 4 inches forward from where originally taught. 

Releasing a dog to the left and back is a great way to polarize a high-drive dog's energy between criteria for behavior and where they expect reward to be delivered. Often, a reward placement such as this can ease the conflict that may exist within a dog as they work hard to temper themselves in the very controlled position that 'heel' is. 

Here's a brief overview of the 'Left Out.' Before trying this reward placement with your dog, it's a great idea to practice both the presentation and delivery away from your dog, to make sure you've got the mechanics down.

'LEFT OUT' REWARD PLACEMENT OVERVIEW - PRACTICE W/O DOG

 4 min 41 sec

Practice from Static Position with your Dog

Once we're feeling confident in our ability to present a clear 'Left Out' reward placement (toy and food), we can invite our dog into the training. Practicing from a static position, we can again cycle through our presentation and delivery options to ensure the dog can confidently and safely receive the reward from us. This work tends to be far more complicated with toy than with food, so if you're using toy for this work, be sure to spend the necessary time to master this delivery.

While a bit long, this video covers a number of pieces needed to execute this specific reward placement. Demonstrated with both food and toy, you can begin practicing these techniques with your dog now.

Remember:

• Best to have rehearsed these skills first without your dog
• When adding the dog, practice again from static position before adding movement
• When adding movement, keep your pace slow and steady, ensuring you are capturing the right behavior from your dog. When body position, head position, and eye contact are correct, use your terminal marker and successfully execute a clear reward placement

FOOD, TOY, AND PROGRESSING THE 'LEFT OUT' REWARD PLACEMENT

 5 min 44 sec

Demonstration with Ball on String

It's the same reward placement, only executed with a ball on string. We've talked about how a ball on string can challenge the dog's targeting technique, so it's important that we continue to rehearse clear and safe targeting skills whenever it (the ball) is being used. 

A couple strong advantages of using a ball are that it's easier to conceal within your hand than a tug or other novel toy and it can be easier to manage when transitioning back and forth between 'work' and play. Also, for those considering the use of a magnetic ball reward system moving forward, it's a real advantage to have these play skills ironed out. This video does a nice job of discussing these concepts.

REHEARSING 'LEFT OUT' REWARD PLACEMENT WITH BALL ON STRING

 5 min 29 sec

Indirect Reward - Toy or Food on the Ground

Another way to execute a 'left out' reward placement is to already have toy or food planted in position on the ground. Working the reward placement this way requires us to be aware of where the reinforcement is relative to ourselves when we do release the dog. If we release the dog while the incentive is in front of us we are no longer rehearsing a 'left out' placement. Working this way requires the ability to multi-task and remain aware of our position as well as the reward's position.

Like many of our other behaviors, to begin rehearsing this indirect reward placement, we'll set up our training in a way that allows the dog to easily succeed. We'll also be sure to practice from a static position and keep the criteria simple. Like the rest of our program, as our dog becomes proficient with one step of the training, we'll raise our criteria and move onto another.

INTRODUCING OUR DOG TO AN INDIRECT REWARD SYSTEM : 'LEFT OUT'

1 min 45 sec