Episode #157 Motivation Matters

Are you ready to unlock the true potential of your dog training efforts? Join our host Amy Jensen as we uncover the power of motivation in shaping your dog's behavior. Embrace the science of positive reinforcement, discarding the myths and fears, and tap into the desires of your four-legged friend. This episode is a treasure trove of practical wisdom, revealing how understanding your dog's unique preferences and motivations can be game-changing for your training sessions. We're about to take you on a journey that will not only improve your dog's behavior but will also strengthen the bond you share.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This is the Puppy Training Podcast, episode 157 Motivation Matters. This podcast is designed to help you on your journey of becoming best friends through love and learning, as you train your own dog from home, and I'm here to help you every step of the way. This is the Puppy Training Podcast and I'm your host, amy Jensen. Hey everybody, how are you today? I've been thinking about a lot lately as motivation. Dogs do what works for them and they stop doing what doesn't work for them. That's just science. Dogs are motivated by something to do something, and that motivation can be key in figuring out how to change their behavior. Now, today I want to talk about motivation and why it matters. I also want to make the scientific jargon of animal behavior simple and easy to understand. Sometimes, getting caught up in the language of behavior I feel like can be overwhelming, and I find it easiest to understand through examples. So today let's talk terminology, but also I want to toss in some examples so that it makes it easier for all of us to understand. Sounds good, all right, first things first, though.

Speaker 1: 1:08

So we know that positive reinforcement training has emerged over the last decade, I would say, as a highly effective method for shaping desirable behaviors in dogs. We emphasize encouragement and rewards rather than punishment right. So here at Backsternbella we follow what's called Lima, meaning we use the least intrusive, minimally aversive methods possible to train our dogs. We feel this is the most humane way to treat animals. So central to the success of this approach is the concept of motivation. Understanding the importance of motivation in dog training and exploring what motivates our dogs, also learning how to enhance their motivation, are really important aspects of creating a cooperative, healthy relationship between us and our dog. So that's our goal here at Backsternbella is to help you build a relationship with your dog, and motivation matters. So motivation is a driving force. We know that for all dogs. It serves as this driving force behind a dog's willingness to learn and engage in training activities. Now, unlike methods that instill fear, positive reinforcement relies on the dog's desire to earn rewards and approval. So this motivation driven approach establishes a positive association with training, making it a more rewarding experience for the dog.

Speaker 1: 2:24

Now, for example, I might praise my dog for sitting or give them a belly rub for rolling over. Right, my dog is motivated to sit or roll over because they know that the positive reward is on the way. Something they like is on the way, in these cases, the praise or the belly rub. Baxter loves the roll cue because he loves belly rubs. Now, there are some things we need to understand about canine motivations.

Speaker 1: 2:47

Dogs, like humans, are individuals and they're unique. That's what I love about dogs. Right, there's not one that's exactly like another, though there are some generalizations that we can use to help them learn good behavior. So they all have unique preferences and motivations. I want you to think for a second.

Speaker 1: 3:04

What are common motivators for your behavior Like why do you do what you do? I choose to make cookies because I want to eat them. Right, that's. A good motivation for me is, if I make a chocolate chip cookie, I get to eat the cookie. I choose to exercise every day because of the way it makes me feel afterward Not necessarily during it, but afterwards I feel good. I choose to go to bed early because I know the next day that I'll have a better day, like I'll be able to get done what I need to. Because I'm well rested. I'm willing to purchase airline tickets and spend money on those tickets to visit a warm tropical location. Ah, because you know what? In February in Utah, I'm ready for some warm, sunny, tropical beaches. So we all do things because there's motivation behind it.

Speaker 1: 3:45

Now, common motivators for dogs include food Dogs have to eat, so food is a great one Toys, social interaction and praise. Identifying what resonates with your dog is really important so that you can tailor the training experience and ensure effectiveness. Now, some dogs may be food driven, while others may respond more enthusiastically to play or affection. Right, maybe your dog is super motivated by a tennis ball. They just want you to throw the ball. If I try to motivate my dog with something they don't like, it will not be effective in achieving the behavior I'm looking for.

Speaker 1: 4:20

Now, make sure what you are using as reinforcement is, in fact, motivating to your dog. Here's an example. So sometimes I see clients pat their dog on the head while saying good dog, now. They think that they're rewarding their dog, that they're motivating their dog to do better behavior in the future or good behavior, that same behavior in the future. Because they are patting their dog and they're saying good dog, now I want you to take your hand. I want you to try reaching over your dog's head quickly and see what they do. Oftentimes your dog will move away from that hand that's going over their head. So patting your dog on the head then would not be a good motivator for future behavior. In fact, you may think you are rewarding your dog with that patting on the head when in fact you might start to notice that their behavior changes in a more negative way because they want to avoid the pat on the head. So make sure the reward that you're thinking as a reward is in fact motivating to your dog, right, it's in the eye of the beholder. So what is motivating to your dog is dependent on your dog. Your dog gets to decide that, not us, right? So keep that in mind.

Speaker 1: 5:20

Now it's also helpful to use variety in reinforcement. So there's going to be several things that motivate your dog and you might be able to create a hierarchy of the level of excitement that your dog has around certain motivators. So I like to introduce a variety of reinforcement options, just because it helps maintain the dog's interest and enthusiasm during training. I like to rotate between treats or food rewards. I rotate the toys, maybe I change up how I verbally praise them. It just prevents monotony and it keeps the dog engaged and eager to participate. So this variety caters to diverse motivational preferences and enhances the overall training experience. Now, we all say, or we've heard before, that variety is the spice of life, right? So keep training fun by mixing things up for your dog. Mix up the reward like what is the reward, whether it's food or play or praise, and then also mix up when you give it. That different timing can make things unpredictable, and the more unpredictable you are, the more your dog is excited to see what happens next.

Speaker 1: 6:18

Next let's talk consistency. So consistency and rewarding desired behaviors and precise timing are really important in reinforcing the connection between the dog's behavior and the reward that's coming. So dogs learn through association, right? An immediate positive reinforcement strengthens behavior. So consistent rewards create a predictable environment that encourages the dog to repeat the desired actions or behavior.

Speaker 1: 6:43

So when teaching a new behavior to my dog, I reward immediately and consistently, right, because that new behavior needs to be immediately rewarded, and I need to do that often enough that the dog learns that behavior pattern and it starts to become habit, right. As the behavior gets better, though, I start to add in that mix of unpredictability. So, for example, when I first teach a puppy to sit, I reward every sit, every time, for the first few weeks, and then that sitting behavior gets really strong, right. So then I start to intermittently reward, meaning I mix it up. I might reward the third sit or the fifth sit, I might reward the cheerio this time, but next time I use a piece of turkey. So we are going to change the timing of the rewards and the motivation, but we do want to consistently reward our dogs for good behavior, and that consistency is going to actually change in definition. As you can see, when I'm teaching a new behavior, it's every single time, but after a while I'm going to start giving it intermittently. I'm still consistently paying them, just not every single time, okay. So we could go into that a lot more in detail, but we'll just leave it at that little snippet for today, okay.

Speaker 1: 7:48

And then, finally, building a strong bond with our dog. So this use of motivation and positive reinforcement training really strengthens our bonds with our dogs and it builds that relationship that I talk so much about. So positive reinforcement training not only shapes behavior but also strengthens the bond between me and my dog, and that's ultimately my goal. It's so important to me. So the positive association. It fosters trust and cooperation. My dog wants to work with me, they want to train with me, and it creates a positive feedback loop, if you will. So motivating a dog through positive reinforcement builds a relationship based on mutual respect and understanding. I want my dog to see me as a treat, not a threat. I want them to be really happy that we're working together and training. If they're outside in the yard and I call them to come, I want them to want to come. I want them to be excited about that because they know it will be rewarding. I try never to do things that will break down that relationship because I work so hard to build it.

Speaker 1: 8:43

According to Lima, there are many options that we can use to motivate a dog to do behaviors we like without using positive punishment, meaning we add pain to decrease behavior. We really try to avoid that. It's really not necessary. There are so many options before we get to that point that we can encourage our dogs to do the behaviors we are wanting without it. So instead we focus on adding good things to increase behaviors, which we call positive reinforcement, as much as possible.

Speaker 1: 9:08

So if we see our dogs barking, for example, and we decide we don't want them to bark, let's start by figuring out the motivation behind the barking. Why are they barking in the first place. What's that motivation for them Like? What is it that they're trying to achieve or get or feel right? Then what can I do to change that motivation? For example, my dog is barking at me for attention. Let's say I get this one.

Speaker 1: 9:27

Quite often they want something from me, like a toy, maybe a toy. Maybe I'm holding a toy in my hand and they want the toy. So they bark right To tell me hey, I want that right now. Now they want me to throw the ball. The ball is the motivation, right. So they want to chase it. That's fun for them, knowing that I can now show them. Actually, this is how you get me to throw the ball instead of barking, right, I might teach them to sit to say please. And this is where the beauty of training comes in. You get to decide what this looks like.

Speaker 1: 9:52

So let's say, in this case, I decide I'm going to require my dog sits to say please before I throw the ball. Now I'm going to use a little piece of food or, in this case, just use the actual ball, because my dog's so motivated by it to lure them into a sit. The second they sit, I mark the behavior with a yes, or a click, if you like, using clickers, same thing. Then immediately toss the ball. That's the reward and motivation, right, and then repeat that every time.

Speaker 1: 10:15

So my dog is learning that they must sit in order for the ball to be thrown, and showing them what to do five to 10 times really helps them understand that in this behavior there's no barking, it's literally just sitting. I sit, the dog sits, I throw the ball, my dog sits, I throw the ball. And the dog's learning I sit, she throws the ball, I sit, she throws the ball. Right. And they start to understand that that's what works for them. So doing this without the barking in the picture creates this new, better pattern of behavior. Now, moving forward, my dog will sit on their own in order for me to throw the ball, because they've learned that behavior. They've learned that sitting works to get what they want. That motivation of I want to go chase the ball, she'll throw it for me if I sit first. So I use the fact that my dog is motivated by playing fetch to change their barking behavior into a sitting to say please, behavior, it's beautiful, right, and there's no punishment needed.

Speaker 1: 11:07

So to recap, motivation lies at the core of successful, positive reinforcement training for dogs, recognizing and utilizing a dog's unique motivations. And again, figure out what motivates your dog, and that might change from when they're a puppy to an adult. So always play around with that and figure out what is it that motivates my dog to do things and then try incorporating variety in that reinforcement and maintain consistency and timing. Those are all key elements in this approach in order for it to be successful. By prioritizing motivation, we can create an enjoyable and effective training experience. You guys, it's totally possible and that not only shapes desirable behaviors but also deepens the bond and that relationship that we are building with our dogs that we love so much. All right, that's it for today. I hope you all have a great week and happy training. If you have a question about anything you heard on this podcast or any other puppy training question, visit my site, baxter and Bellacom, to contact me.