Teaching Maxine and her owner a new trick.

[zaeva06]

So I made a new discovery this morning. I have my first play-oriented dog.

Apparently Maxine learns faster with toys then treats.

For the past few weeks I've been trying to teach her how to speak. She isn't much of a barker to begin with unless you ring the doorbell. Then she gives one long howl and barks untill she is able to see who it is.
In addition though to being a new trick to teach her and give us somthing to work on, I've found that having a dog that knows when to bark on command comes in handy around our neighborhood for scaring off people who try to break into your shed/house (Happens alot around here).

So I started off using small treats and then having another family member knock/ring the doorbell. Whenever she started barking, I'd praise and give a treat. But it she still didn't seem to connect the behavior to the command.

Well this morning I was playing with Maxine with a tennis ball and tug-rope, and one time before I tossed it, I held the toy behind my back and gave the speak command. It took her a few moments of staring at me and getting frustrated with my lack of fetch and tug playing that she barked. I tossed and she brought it back. The next time I went to toss it, I tried it again, toy behind back and gave the command. At once she barked and then went dashing after her toy.

I kept up this routine of play/command for about fifteen minutes and now she speaks like a pro.

Heh, I have a play oriented pibble. Next time I'll break out the toys before the treats and see what happens.

So what works best for your poochs when your attempting a new trick, toys, treats, or a mix of both?

[suziriot]

Toys and play rewards are a great way to train! Some dogs are much more motivated by play than by food, which is great for avoiding weight gain from "too much" training, LOL! Of course you can also combine food and play with enrichment games and toys. This is a great way to get dogs who need some coaxing to interact. We did that with Dharma when we first brought her home. As a fight bust dog, she had never played before and didn't know what to do with a toy. And food sometimes wasn't enough of a motivator to overcome her fears/anxiety. Learning to play helped her learn how to be a dog.

[loverocksalot]

Food only works here. LOL