Magnetic Ball - I Love This Thing!

The magnetic reward system can be a really fun and convenient tool to use in our work for the toy motivated dogs. It's easy to manage, easy to conceal, and fun to get creative with. It also helps us minimize our body language following our terminal reward mark (as you'll see in the last video on teaching our dogs to be a thief).

If your dog is motivated by a ball on string, it may be of interest for you to explore the magnetic reward system as reinforcement option in your obedience work. 

The following video gives a brief overview of this tool. Keep in mind a couple things when considering its use:

• Wear 2 layers of clothing. The first layer can be used to attach the magnets to. The second layer covers the outside magnet. Your ball will actually attach to the outside magnet over your second layer of clothing. This keeps the magnet from being exposed and protects the assertive dog from accidentally ingesting the magnet during acquisition
• Practice unloading and reloading techniques away from the dog so you can get a good feel for this reward. The better we become and managing it, the smoother our training can go.
• Experiment with different reward placements depending on your individual dog. Just playing around with different options can be a lot of fun.
• There are other ball options available from Top-Matic (the company that makes this toy). The orange ball is sturdier and harder. There is also a blue ball with is softer and sometimes more appealing to the gentle-mouthed dog. There are smaller versions, too, for the puppy or small dog.

    MAGNETIC REWARD SYSTEM OVERVIEW 

 2 min 33 sec

Various Placements

Here's a quick demo of some placement options to consider when using the magnetic reward. We've talked in length about how particular placements can benefit your dog, so no need to expound on that. But do keep in mind how the placements illustrated here affect your ability to facilitate a smooth training session. Some placements are harder to reach than others, and should be considered along with your dog's needs when making a choice of which to use.

DIFFERENT MAGNET POSITIONS TO CONSIDER

 3 min 41 sec

Right-Side Placement

Perhaps my favorite magnetic reward placement, this position allows you to easily load and unload the ball to its magnetic attachment. It compliments both the back alley presentation and delivery methods and allows you to easily keep the toy out of the heeling picture.

RIGHT-SIDE MAGNETIC PLACEMENT

 1 min 52 sec

Confident Thief!

An idea that we sometimes play around with in protection circles is this idea of encouraging our dogs to take things from us. It's a mentality best encouraged in the context of obedience training - else your dog might start helping themselves to chicken wings or sandwiches while they're still in your hand. We have to have some basic rules, a clear context, and a dog that feels like they have the right!

This idea falls in line with the concept of creating a dog that takes responsibility for the obedience work. I want my dog to know their job, perform it with confidence, and understand that it's fun and rewarding to do so. For certain dog - dogs that need a little boost in self-confidence - teaching them to help themselves to toys can be very gratifying and confidence building. Especially an inhibited dog who could benefit from some impulsive behavior.

Of course, the thievery has to be permitted - usually by way of terminal mark. This video touches on this concept a bit. The magnetic reward is an ideal reinforcer to use with this concept because we can mount it in a position where the dog can easily access it themselves. Our job is only to work with our dog and let them know when they're perfect and toy is ready for the taking!

STEALING TOYS - NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING

 1 min 17 sec