Doesnt want to 'work' for rewards.... does now!

[emmabeth]

So I don't think I have mentioned this specifically in its own thread...

Dilly dog, my little lurcher of the many neurotic behaviours.... does not like to 'work' for his rewards. He knows sit, down, stand, paw, come, wait, leave it etc.... thats fine, but clicker training... he doesnt see the point.

As far as he is concerned, why bother, he doesnt get a kick from getting things right, the treats are nice but theres no treat nice enough to make it worth his while. Not when he could sleep and steal something later on (which really floats his boat!).

So... well I am kicking myself for not figuring this out years ago, but there we go..

Ive started clicker training him, and he loves it.

We are using a jackpot reward, and building up the time we clicker train for.... so the first few sessions we just did two or three clicks for easy stuff... then the jackpot and end of session.

NOW, several weeks down the line, hes SUPER keen to get clicking and earning treats, because he wants that jackpot...

Whats the jackpot??

After we have done 'enough' (as far as I am concerned)... I absent mindedly wander off to do something else and i 'forget' the pot of treats (which by this point, will contain about five pieces of boring kibble and three bits of really awesome cheese), which is on the worktop, or on the table, or sometimes in my jacket pocket hung over the chair...

I trundle off and busy myself in another room (just hiding doesnt work, he knows if im busy or pretending), and he STEALS the 'jackpot'... which gives him a huge kick, and means hes keen to clicker train again next time because he figures 'stupid mommy will forget the treats soon'!

Its working REALLY well and i just cannot believe .... I have known this dog 8/9 years, hes loved stealing things all his life, WHY didnt i use what he LIKES as his reward before!!!! DOH!

[jacksdad]

oh that's funny.

I am sure you have figured this out already, but I would bet you missed this because stealing isn't a positive human attribute. though I am sure Dilly doesn't see it as stealing.

[***Melissa***]

You just made my day

That's so cool. I would never have thought of letting stealing be the reward!!

[jacksdad]

this is a great example of the dog picks the reward.

[Noobs]

I love this, Emma!

Question...So when you're training, you click for every correct action. So click...click...click...click...end of session, leave room for Dilly to "steal" reward? Interesting!

[Fundog]

Fascinating-- there are so many dogs this would backfire on-- mine in particular! It's no wonder you never thought of it before-- who would have guessed?

[Sabrina]

Aww, Dilly's such a smart boy! Emmabeth, I'm r-e-a-l-l-y impressed with how you figured out how to be craftier than him

[Sarah83]

Lol, that's hilarious!

[emmabeth]

Noobs..

I would set up a dish with some treats in it, and at first he would only tolerate a couple of clicks... so just as normal, ask for behaviour, click, treat... ask for behaviour, click, treat..... wander out of room, dog steals jackpot.

Now, a few weeks down the line, i am not asking for behaviours he already knows... hes wanting me to click and treat him because he knows at *some* point if he keeps on working with me... i will get bored, wander off and he will get to steal his prize.

Hes gotten so good now that if i pick up the clicker hes at the door waiting to go into the kitchen to train - previous to this i could click it long and hard right in his ear, he would not even wake up! I have clicker trained Rocky in teh same room as Dill in the past and he just didnt see the point!

He is a dog with a VERY long memory, i have to point this out - this is a dog who STILL checks the top of our wheely bin outside each time he leaves the house, because once... 7 years ago.... i left a dog bowl with a chicken wing up there and he got it when i wasnt looking.

He also opens the cupboard under our stairs every single time we go out of the house - because once, two years ago, someone put a shopping bag with food in it under there which he could smell.... so he broke in and stole it. He remembers such things unbelievably well, so i think eventually i will be able to do clicker sessions as normal and maybe he will only get to steal something a few times a week,r ather than every session!

[Nettle]

This is amazing and kudos to you for being such an intuitive dog trainer that you figured it all out - oh the power of the human brain -

[MPbandmom]

That is funny. Who would have thought? Congratulations on your craftyness.

[Mattie]

He is a very lucky dog, I doubt there are many people including good, well known trainers/behavourists who would have thought to do this Em, Well done for working this out.

[Wicket]

This wouldn't encourage stealing food in other places, right, Emmabeth?

[ankoi]

Wow. That is just brilliant! Congrats for figuring that out

Wicket, I guess he does not need any encouragement for stealing, he does it anyway

[emmabeth]

He steals things anyway and theres nothing I can do to discourage him, its his default 'stress relief' setting anyway, its the first thing he does when hes worried, when someone shouts, when we leave the house... so we just never leave stuff around unless we want it stolen.

He is quite an unusual dog in some respects and really does have a memory like an elephant!