[nagdu] Question about using Treats

Tue Nov 11 14:24:34 UTC 2014

Danielle, 
This is how I did it with Soleil, just like Raven described.  I mainly stopped using treats for my own convenience, because it was hard to keep my other things together, my water and food, and meds and whatnot, and I knew treats would fall through the cracks.  So I gradually reduced the number and timeing very slowly.  I will use them if we're going into a high distraction environment, like a guide dog convention, or if we are doing a lot of walking because my dogs have always had this ability to lose weight if worked hard with no increase in food, and treats throughout the day are more callories.  
But what you decide to do is up to you.  So people continue using them daily throughout their partnership, some stop using them once a behavior is fluent.  It just depends. 
Good luck! 

 Rox and the kitchen Bitches: 
Mill'E, Laveau, Soleil
Pawpower4me at gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 11, 2014, at 8:17 AM, Danielle Burton via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Thank you, I got her in June so not even 6 months. I do think I went too fast and she isn't as responsive. I was thinking of gving her treats like I did in the beginning for a while and then gradually back off. 
> 
> Danielle and Willa 
> 
> 
>> On Nov 11, 2014, at 9:07 AM, Raven Tolliver via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Danielle,
>> I don't know how long you've had your girl. There is no reason to back
>> off treats completely if you don't want to. I agree with Sherry, that
>> treats are a great way to bond, and are a primary reinforcer for
>> behaviors.
>> If you would like to phase them out though, you must do it slowly. So
>> if you give treats at every street crossing, start phasing them out by
>> giving them every other street crossing, then every 3. Then make food
>> rewards irregular. If she doesn't know when to expect them, she will
>> not expect them as much. Using petting and verbal praise in place of
>> treats will help a lot.
>> I phased treats out within the first 6 months I was with the Golden Guy.
>> 
>>> On 11/11/14, Sherry Gomes via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> Hi Danielle,
>>> 
>>> Here's my thoughts on treats. And just for background, I got my first dog
>>> from GDB in 1975, long before treats. In those days we were told never ever
>>> ever use food. So, when they started doing it, I balked and called the
>>> trainer on it. But he encouraged me to try, and now I'm a huge convert.
>>> It's
>>> so nice to use food rewards, helping to motivate the dog with something it
>>> loves.
>>> 
>>> For dogs, food is one of their primary drives, probably the number one
>>> drive. They aren't people, and they don't think like people. So, I feel
>>> that
>>> using food rewards to help us bond, with me as the provider of the thing
>>> the
>>> dog loves best, especially before it's really bonded to me, well, it's one
>>> of the greatest tools I have to help my dog bond and learn. As for backing
>>> off, if willa doesn't get overly excited over it and continues to behave
>>> nicely, why back off. Maybe cut it back, but even using a kibble or two or
>>> three or a few on a route, why not? My dog Bianca, now deceased, was the
>>> first I really embraced food rewards with, and I continued to use them with
>>> her to the end of her guiding life. Certain street crossings that were
>>> absolutely terrifying to me but necessary to get to the job I had at the
>>> time, I gave her kibbles or carrots every single time we got across that
>>> street safely. I always use food in conjunction with verbal and physical
>>> praise of course.
>>> 
>>> Now, Petunia, my golden girl, she was not much motivated by food when we
>>> were first together, and the trainers had to give me some high value treats
>>> to encourage her. Even now, she wants pets and hugs and praise first, but
>>> she will take food from me. And to help her learn new things, like finding
>>> light poles, I actually get a sighted friend of mine to help, and she goes
>>> ahead and puts peanut butter on the thing I want Petunia to target. Works
>>> every time!
>>> 
>>> So, in my opinion, as long as you and your dog are happy, what you're doing
>>> works for both of you, and her behavior is consistent in regard to food,
>>> maybe decrease it a bit if you feel you should, but no need to back off
>>> completely. Dogs love their food, and if I'm the one, or you're the one,
>>> providing that oh so loved thing, it only makes the dog bond more.
>>> 
>>> Just my opinion of course.
>>> 
>>> Sherry
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Sherry
>>> 
>>> "The day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our
>>> friends
>>> and break all bonds of fellowship, when the age of men comes crashing down.
>>> 
>>> But it is not this day! This day, we fight!
>>> By all that you hold dear, by this good earth,
>>> I bid you, STAND! Men, of the West!"
>>> Aragorn, Lord of the Rings, Return of the King
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielle Burton
>>> via nagdu
>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2014 5:33 AM
>>> To: the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List
>>> Subject: [nagdu] Question about using Treats
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Hi everyone,, for those of you who use treats with your dogs or has used
>>> trts and transitioned them out is it easy to back off too quickly? I
>>> believe
>>> I may have done this and I don't seem to be getting the responses I want
>>> from my pup. I know some of you have  a strong disagreement to treats and
>>> that's fine but we were trainged with jreats at the school and I had been
>>> trying to phase them out. and just to clarify I take her treats out of her
>>> morning kibble so she isn't getting extra food from the treats.  But I was
>>> wondering if maybe she is the dog that may need them. OR if I backed off
>>> too
>>> quickly and she  can't do that. We honly been a team since June so the
>>> bonding is still taking place. I know some dogs get overly excted about
>>> treats and therefore treats aren't effective for those dogs but she isn't
>>> overly excited but will wait till I give it to her  and she won't try to
>>> reach in friendnt of me to get at them but she does severm to do beter with
>>> the treats. Any advice would appreciate. I am going to try to use the
>>> treats
>>> like I did in the beginning for a week or and then try to back off again.
>>> But has anyone ever had this problem?
>>> Danielle and Willa
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Raven
>> "if God didn't make it, don't eat it." - John B. Symes, D.V.M.
>> http://dogtorj.com
>> 
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