Everyone should know what their dog likes. This is important because if you don’t know what he likes you can’t motivate him. It is also good to write a list of things he doesn’t like (some of these might surprise you). So I am going to write a list for my dogs, and I would like you to do the same. You will pretty much be able to poach my list as dogs don’t tend to be unique in their likes/dislikes. However, if you come up with more I would love to hear them! So here is the list for my dog, Ripley.
LIKES: Meals , Treats, Sticks/Balls (chasing), Running (off lead or on), other dogs, games, Clicker Training, sniffing, grass, Kong/Chew Toys, evening massage, cuddles on the couch.
DISLIKES: Getting patted on the head, Strangers (especially in the house but anywhere we aren’t “expecting them”, Kids who stare at eye level, Strangers who stare or reach over head, being “handled” by the vet.
There are actually quite a few things on both lists! And some may be surprising. Many people don’t realize how little, dogs like being petted around the top of their head. Many can get used to the experience, but few really see it as enjoyable. And you should never great a dog you don’t know that way. The point here is don’t use a head pat or ear ruffle as praise/reinforcement.
Some on the list are probably exclusive to my dog, or dogs with similar “stranger danger” issues. For instance he will play slap paws with anyone, but if that same person stared at him on the street I sure he would react with defensive barking .
This list is important because it shows me what things I can use as reinforcement. Treats aren’t the only way to reinforce (although frequently the easiest and fastest). A reinforcement can be ANYTHING the dog likes. This list also shows me what we still need to work on. Because of his past, Ripley will probably never be the social butterfly my other dog is with strangers, but there are a lot of things we can do to get strangers off the “dislike” list and at least move it over to the “ambivalent” list. Some of them eventually may even be moved to the “Like” list!
Tags: positive reinforcement, reinforcement, training, treats
