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Working with hard to motivate dogs
Below are some suggestions based on what I have learned as I struggled with the challenges of training my own hard-to-motivate dogs:
1. Go on a quest of discovery to find all the things your dog really loves—which food, toys, touch, activities, games, and sounds. You and your dog will enjoy the hunt.
2. Use a mixed pot of games, activities, toys, touch, sounds and foods during training to keep your dog’s motivation as high as possible. Be creative. Try animal hides (from fly fishing stores), cat toys & treats, Vienna sausage, sardines, parmesan cheese, zap balls (electronic dog toy), lure games (chasing toys on string), etc.
3. Find several things that your dog gets the most excited about. Use them all as rewards. Keep alternating them; then it will always be a surprise. Even mealtimes can be an incentive.
4. Let your dog investigate what he is interested in; it’s one of the best rewards! This works well for heeling exercises. If the dog lags or forges, quickly switch direction, but if he heels for even 2 steps, reward with letting him free-sniff or explore while on lead.
5. Assess your dog’s attitude before each training session. Find what is motivating your pet the best on that day, that hour, or that minute. Don’t assume that the same thing will always work. Don’t train if your dog’s mood is not receptive.
6. Use decent sized pieces when using food rewards. Make it worth it!
7. Spend more time rewarding than training.
8. Keep training seasons short (approximately 2 to 5 minutes, but not longer than 10). This discourages boredom. 1 - 3 sessions per day seems fine, provided your dog isn’t having a bad day. Remember how long each minute can seem to you when they are unpleasant minutes.
9. End sessions as soon as you achieve some success. Success does wonders for motivation-- dog and human. Only extend sessions if your dog seems enthusiastic. (Don’t get carried away, though.)
10. Don’t be unreasonable about expectations. Limit the length of time for sits, downs, & stays. Use what you’d expect from a toddler (human) as a guide.
11. If on certain days your dog just seems unwilling, don’t train! Training battles can set you back for months and cause breakdowns in your relationship.
12. Short vacations away from all work can give dogs a more enthusiastic attitude—and that goes for the handler, too.

I hope my tips will help others who have the privilege of sharing their homes with dogs like mine—amusing, beautiful, loving and consistently inconsistent.

Sigrid Mirabella: canine behavior advisor and trainer.


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