The instant reward you choose for your dog will be your primary reinforcer. A primary reinforcer is something your dog definitely loves.
Another form of reward is known as a secondary reinforcer. This is something your dog must learn to love and be motivated by. Praise is an excellent example. Puppies are not born loving a phrase such as “Good boy!” After all, that means nothing to them. They must learn to associate that noise with love.
A popular form of secondary reinforcement is clicker training. A clicker is a hand held device that makes a distinctive clicking sound. That sound is basically a substitute for verbal praise. When used properly, your dog will learn to associate the clicking sound with love. Personally I prefer using verbal praise and not a clicker, simply because your voice is something you’ll always have with you.
Consistency is the Key
The most effective way to train your dog is to use a combination of primary and secondary reinforcers that are consistent.
If you use your voice, for instance, choose a phrase and use it consistently to convey the same meaning. Dogs are not people, remember? Words are just noise to them. They have no idea that “Good girl,” “Great job,” “Way to go Molly” or other phrases all mean they did the right thing. Pick your praise phrase, and make sure you (and any others in your family) use that exact phrase or word every single time.
Then, several times a day, say your praise word or phrase and immediately give your dog the primary reinforcer (such as the treat you know he loves).
Do about five repetitions, two or three times a day, for two days. You can also use your praise word or phrase when rubbing her belly, when she’s eating his dinner, or any other time you’re sure she’s enjoying something she loves. Within a few days, she’ll learn to love the secondary reinforcer (the praise phrase or word) and will be eager to hear you say it.
During early training, the combination of the primary and secondary reinforcers will be extremely powerful and effective… more so than using either form of motivation alone.
Treats Won’t be Needed Forever
Don’t worry that you’ll have to carry treats around in your pocket all the time to get your dog to behave. As your dog learns, his obedience will eventually become a habit. You won’t need to consistently use treats or other primary reinforcers for those behaviors beyond that point. You will need to use them consistently, however, whenever teaching something new.
It will always be a good idea to continue using the secondary reinforcer.
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