by Kay Green

Tally-Ho: September/October 1983

In this article I will present my case for using the guidance and motivation method of training, using food. In addition I will go into some discussion of Novice exercises. As you might expect, there is a right and a wrong way to use food in training. In order for you to achieve the maximum benefits, you need to understand how it works.

Although it is difficult for me to understand (as I am strongly motivated by food), I realize that not all dogs are so motivated. Obviously, using food as a training aid for these dogs would be totally ineffective. I believe that, for many of these dogs, loads of praise and guidance (along with a little psychology) would be enough motivation to get the dogs trained. However, there are some dogs where pain avoidance (force) is the only answer. These dogs are not the subject of this article.

Almost all of the dogs I have worked with love food, and I probably wouldn't choose to train the one who didn't. I am not a physically violent person by nature, and so therefore I have never enjoyed jerking my dogs around. This has been true ever since I first started training in obedience some 9 years ago. In fact, I probably would have dropped out of obedience if I hadn't discovered a less physical form of training. I would rather use my brains to find the motivation to get my dogs to work for me than to beat them into obedience. This, of course, is my personal opinion and I am aware that there are those who do not share my views. Life sure wouldn't be interesting if everyone agreed with me.

Using food as a motivational training aid isn't a new idea. However, in this area (Denver) it has just recently become an acceptable alternative to force training. When I started training in obedience, the use of food was rarely mentioned. When I stumbled upon the fact that my basset Brandy (Ch. Winnwars Brandywine UDTX) was willing to do almost anything for food, i started using it in training. I was ridiculed by my instructor at training class when I showed up with chocolate cookies (Brandy's and my favorite--this was in the days before I knew that chocolate is poisonous for some dogs) and fed us both during the heeling and recalls (our least favorite exercises at the time). I was told in no uncertain terms that if I persisted with this madness, my basset would never work for me in the ring where I couldn't use food. However, for the first time, Brandy was really enjoying obedience and was a pleasure to train. Since the instructor didn't have a workable alternative to using food, I decided at least to give it a try for a few months. After awhile I asked for a run-thru in Open so that I could see where Brandy was working, and sure enough he wasn't interested in doing much of anything without the constant reward of food. My instructor said, "Ah hah! I told you so!" and ordered me never to use it again. I have to admit that I hadn't stopped to consider the implications of suddenly withdrawing food and hoping he wouldn't notice. I should have known better; after all, I had gotten an "A" in Behavior Modification. Sometimes I am a bit dense.

At about this time I was fortunate to find another instructor (Barbara Handler) who was willing to work with me using food, although she didn't use it herself at the time. A whole new world opened up for my dogs, and my life hasn't been the same since. It was because of Barbara's open-mindedness that I learned to be flexible and creative in my training methods. After all, as with humans, not all canines are the same (even within the same breed).

Over the years I have modified the ways I use food in training and have adapted these techniques from dog to dog because of each dog's special needs. I am always experimenting and coming up with new uses for food and probably always will as long as I train dogs. I have also experimented with different times and ways of withdrawing food so that the dog will continue to work for the few minutes necessary in the ring without food. I have had considerable success using food with my bassets, a wirehaired dachshund (no. 2 dachshund in the Delaney system for 1981), a smooth fox terrier (different from training bassets, but certainly not easier), and I recently started training a beagle. I am also a trouble-shooter for a beginner obedience class where I work with the hard-to-train and problem dogs of all breeds. I have spent so much time using food in training and working with many different breeds of dogs that I feel this method of training has been sufficiently tested to recommend it to others, especially those with basset hounds.

I am sure that those of you who use force training are asking yourselves why change when jerking the dog seems to work for you. My answer is that generally, I believe that all dogs will tolerate only a certain number of corrective jerks. When you exceed the dog's limit he will quit. I have seen this pattern many, many times and have had it happen to me with one of my bassets (before I used food). I believe that some dogs may have thousands of jerks in them while others may have only a few. When that final jerk comes, they make a decision about how they feel about obedience and working for you. This is especially true with many basset hounds as well as dogs of other breeds who are shown competitively in Open B and Utility B for an extended period of time. The dog works well until one day he starts to slow down and begins to look untrained. The more the trainer jerks the dog the worse he gets. Once dogs reach this point there is usually nothing left for them but retirement. Most dogs who are stressed this much in training have a very short career indeed. Many people have come up to me and said that they use the force method of training and their dog works just fine. What I tell them is to come back and tell me the same thing in 3 to 4 years. I know force training works with many dogs, but my argument is that if you want to show a dog who enjoys obedience and has a happy attitude for an extended period of time you need to have that long range goal in mind when you train.

The other bad side effect from lots of jerking on the live ring of a metal choke collar (if the dog doesn't freak out right away) is that he will start to ignore the corrections and you will have to use harsher and harsher corrections in order to achieve the same response. Dogs seem to develop physical and mental calluses to being jerked. When you reach this level of force, and you are stuck, where do you go?

Now, if you had used the guidance and motivational method of training (food), which admittedly is a slower learning process than pain avoidance, and you needed something stronger, you could always give a few pops on the dead ring of the collar, or (something stronger yet), a few live ring collar corrections. Believe me, a dog who hasn't been trained by force will certainly notice it! Once you have achieved the desired response, you then go back to guidance and motivation.

Now that I have stated my case for guidance and motivation (using food), I will get down to the mechanics of this method.

What Kind of Food to Use And How to Carry It

It is important to use only food that really motivates your dog. Don't use dog food, or goodies that take the dog a long time to eat (such as dog biscuits). You may need to experiment with many different kinds of treats before you come up with just the right one that really motivates your dog. Also, since you may be carrying the bait in your own mouth, it really helps if it is something that you can stomach yourself. I use of a variety of different goodies and alternate them often so my dogs don't become bored with any particular treat. Some people I know use chicken hot dogs and their dogs seem to like them. However, my dogs know the difference between cheap hot dogs and the good expensive stuff like salami, summer sausage, tube bologna, and the different hard cheeses. The will eat the cheap stuff, but they seem to think I'm holding out on them and so their enthusiasm isn't as great as when I use the more expensive food. I don't use cooked liver during training though, because I like to hold that luscious item in reserve for a particular training problem, as well as to warm up my dogs just before we go into the ring at a show. You would be amazed at how attentive they can become when they get something really wonderful just before being put through their paces at a show.

Carrying food can be a problem unless everything you own has pockets. Also, tight jeans can create squished blob when you bend over, and the food can be hard to get to quickly. One other problem that can arise out of carrying goodies in a pocket is that the dog will quickly learn to look and come toward that side of your body. One alternative to this, of course, is to carry goodies in both pockets and alternate feeding him from first one pocket and then another. I do this when I am wearing clothes with pockets, but more often than not I don't have pockets, so I use a homemade bait pouch or plastic baggie clothes-pinned (centered) to the front of my jeans.

I also like to carry several goodies in my mouth while training and then let the dog see me take one at a time out of my mouth to feed him. This stimulates him to look at my mouth and really helps in teaching straight fronts as well as attention.

"Watch Me" Command

I think it is very important for a trainer to be able to get his dog's attention on command. Many trainers who have not taught this as an exercise will have trouble getting their dog's attention while in the ring at a dog show, or wherever there are noises and distractions. If your dog isn't paying attention to you on any part of an exercise, you could not only lose unnecessary points but non-qualify as well. Considering how easy it is to teach attention on command, I'm sure you will find the benefits well worth the effort.

Start teaching the WATCH ME command during the first training and use it often with all exercises. To teach it, simply hold a goodie in your right hand and tell the dog, "WATCH ME." As soon as he is looking up at you, praise and feed him. Remember, never reward or praise him for inattention. Real foodaholic dogs will usually catch on to this very quickly. For the average dog who loves food but doesn't become a maniac at the sight of it, you may need either to (1) reach down and pull the dog's head up so he is looking at you, or (2) tell him "WATCH ME" and take a quick step to the right while giving him a pop using the lead on the dead ring of the collar. As soon as the dog is looking at you, feed and praise him lavishly. Use this command before you start any exercise so you are sure your dog is mentally prepared to work.

Sits and Heeling

I like to teach the sit before teaching heeling. The way I go about this is to hold a piece of food in my right hand while my left hand is holding the lead and move my hand with the food under the dog's nose, then draw it slowly up and back over his head while telling him "SIT." Usually, the dog sits with no problem. However, for smart-alecks you may need to have them stand with their backs in a corner so that they can't keep backing up to avoid the sit.

After the dog knows what SIT means (which usually doesn't take very long), I start to teach heeling. I tell the dog to "HEEL" and then feed him immediately. I tell the beginning dog to "HEEL" while I praise and feed him about every five steps. The dog needs to see the goodie in my hand and get it frequently, or he will start to disbelieve that he is ever going to get it. If you follow this approach, you will go through a very large amount of food during a training period, so be sure to bring enough. Treats do contain calories, so for the portly dog, remember to cut his meals down proportionately. I feed and praise the dog frequently during the learning stage of heeling until I know that he really understands what heeling is. Then I gradually reduce the number of times I tell him to "HEEL," and feed and praise him. This is called intermittent reinforcement for the behaviorists among you. However, one time I will always give the dog a goodie (even through Utility) is on the halts. I want my dog conditioned to look up at me each time we stop so that he will do so automatically.

Stand for Examination

To teach the stand for examination simply hold a piece of food in your right hand (between the thumb and index finger, while holding the last three fingers out). Hold the goodie in front of the dog's nose and slowly move your hand forward while telling him "STAND." Once the dog is standing, give him the goodie immediately and tell him "good." Some dogs will try to sit after eating their goodie. However, just keep feeding him while he is standing and tell him "STAND" and that he is very good. The reason for holding the last three fingers out while teaching this exercise with food is that eventually when you eliminate the food you will hold your hand in front of the dog with all your fingers out and move it forward as your signal to the dog. Teaching it this way merely conditions the dog to respond to the hand signal from the beginning.

Figure Eight

This exercise is one that takes a long time for the dog to learn and do correctly. The object of this exercise is for the handler to move around two objects approximately eight feet apart at the same speed. This requires the dog to speed up on the outside turn and slow down on the inside turn. He must not swing wide or bump you or leave the heel position.

I like to start out by putting the lead over my shoulder (to get it out of my way, but to have it handy in case I need it for guidance). This allows both of my hands to be free to hold the goodie and to pat my leg or reach down and fondle my basset's ear. (Yes, you can walk and reach down and fondle a basset's ear; it just takes practice on your part to learn the timing and coordination.) Show the dog the goodie just before you go into your turns and then give it to him immediately after you come out of the turns. You must give it to him every time, or he will stop believing that he is going to get it and start to lag on the outside turn. Using food on the inside turn teaches him to pay attention to you and not to forge ahead, thus tripping you. Again, always give the dog a goodie on the halt, to condition him to look up at you automatically and be ready for the next command. After the dog has learned the figure eight you slowly use less and less food until you reward the dog only occasionally, after the outside turn.

Down

To teach the DOWN exercise, have the dog sitting in heel position while getting down on your left knee. Hold the goodie in your right hand in front of the dog's nose. Then slowly lower and move your hand with the goodie forward (still close to the dog's nose) while telling the dog "DOWN." Most dogs will go down without a fuss; however, you may have one who doesn't want to get into that submissive position (usually the very dominant dogs will object to this exercise at first). If this occurs, simply hook the finger of your left hand in the collar under the chin and pull down at the same time you are moving the food away and down. If you still meet resistance, then use your left hand just behind the withers to press down and to the left side while moving the food away and down. Withdraw the food from this exercise gradually when you are positive that he knows what is expected of him.

Front for the Recall Exercise

Once your dog has learned what COME means and will stay until called, you are ready to introduce the front. Hold a goodie between the thumb and middle finger of your right hand while putting the thumbs of both hands together and extending both index fingers out in front of you. Then lower your hands, resting them on your knees. This creates a target, which is the goodie, in the center, for immediate reinforcement for coming to the right spot every time. After awhile, alternate between (1) having the goodie in the middle of the target, and (2) making him sit and wait for you to give him the reward from either your pocket or mouth. I like to hold the goodie in my mouth on this exercise, because the dog learns to come to the space between my knees and then look up at my mouth.

Common Problems

One problem that often arises with the foodaholic dog when the trainer first introduces food is that he becomes an instant acrobat, doing great feats in the air, totally out of control. Not to worry. In fact, this is usually the kind of dog who really responds well to food training because it is so reinforcing to him. Just remember only to reward (with food) for the behavior you want, and withhold the food, guiding the dog with the lead, when you are receiving behavior you do not want. It is important to remember that no matter what exercises you are teaching, only praise and reward when the dog is doing it exactly the way you want it. The foodaholic dog quickly learns that he must control himself if he is going to get the food. I have never had this problem take longer to solve than one training session.

Another problem (and I can't emphasize it enough) is that you must reward the dog frequently during the learning phase of obedience. It does feel awkward to hold the lead in one hand and the food in the other, while praising the dog and being conscious of your footwork, but believe me the more you work on this, the better you will become. One day it will be as natural to you as breathing.

One other problem that some dogs have is that they don't think they can do more than one thing at a time, like walking and eating. Usually, they will slow down or stop as soon as you give them the goodie to chew it and swallow. No problem, simply move a little faster just after you give the dog the goodie, then clasp your hands and gently guide him up to you with the lead (on the dead ring of course). It doesn't take the dog long to learn that he can walk and eat at the same time without even missing a step.

Food Withdrawal

After your dog thoroughly knows all the Novice exercises and you are anticipating entering fun matches and eventually dog shows, it is time to teach him that he can work for the few minutes necessary while in the ring without food. This is taught gradually by doing lots of run-thrus, first using food frequently then slowly reducing the number of times he is rewarded during each exercise, then every other exercise and so on until he receives goodies only at the end of the entire run-thru. When you are at this stage, you warm the dog up using lots of goodies (just like at a show). Then make a big deal out of removing the food from your pocket or taking the pouch off and putting it on a table or chair at the edge of the run-thru area. Then proceed to do the run-thru and when finished, run (don't walk) to where you left the goodies and lavishly reward and praise him. When I'm through with a run-thru or the exercises at a dog show I clap my hands and tell him "Let's go get a goodie," and then move quickly to where I left the goodies.

If you find you have a problem that suddenly pops up during the run-thru, don't correct it there. Move along to the next exercise, doing each one only once. After the run-thru, grab your food and concentrate on that particular problem.

Some dogs will break away from you during the off-lead part of the run-thru and run to where you left the goodies. Don't get upset or discipline the dog. Slowly go back to him and take him by the collar and lead him back to where he was when he broke. Finish the exercise then go and get the goodie. He needs to learn that the goodies are there and that he will get them as soon as he has finished working.

One other problem that may arise with many dogs is that as soon as the food and praise stops, the dog becomes insecure off lead. Don't make the mistake of putting him back on lead and jerking his head off. He isn't being naughty; he is simply not secure with this exercise. The symptoms are usually that the dog starts out heeling for a short while then starts to lag or stops altogether. Don't make a big deal out of this. Slowly walk over to him and put him back on lead with no corrections and continue the exercise. Just having the security of the lead back on with a little praise usually eliminates that problem. However, you may need to bring the food back into the heel-off-lead part of the run-thru until he feels secure again.

At a match or dog show warm your dog up the same way you did just before the run-thrus (except this time you will be using cooked liver). Then, when it is your turn to go into the ring, take the food and put it on the judge's table as you are going into the ring. I have never had a steward or judge object to this. However, if you do find one who objects, put the food on a chair near the ring. It doesn't really make any difference. The dog knows where you left the goodies and will be ready to head for them after he has finished his work.

One last point that is very important to remember is that you must never feed your dog his meal before you work obedience or show him at the dog show. If you dog has a full stomach he will not be particularly motivated by food and many will throw up after vigorous exercise.

Although all dogs may not respond to food, I have found it to provide an effective, positive way to train most dogs in obedience. I have seen it work for difficult-to-train dogs of many different breeds, and I have had consistent success with this method with my own dogs. This technique is not the final answer. No obedience trainer/instructor has the single, corrective approach. However, if you apply this technique as I have described, to those dogs who love food, I'm sure you will find that it has a place in your training program.