[NAGDU] food rewards and guide work

Mon Sep 20 18:42:52 UTC 2021

Food rewards are such a fantastic tool for dog training, and I love
seeing their use maximized for guide dogs. Handlers may not have been
taught to use food rewards regularly until relatively recently, but
guide dog programs have been using food rewards for decades to varying
degrees in formal training. I could go on and on about all the finer
points of using food rewards, but here are a few important take aways.
* Food rewards should be brought right to the dogs mouth with the dog
facing forward in heel position, or given against a desired target in
most cases. Letting the dog curl in front of you, jump up, grab at the
food, eat dropped food on the floor, or rewarding when the dog is
looking back at you soliciting food should be avoided, as this is
where 99% of the issues with food rewards occur. If you want to click
while moving, the dog should also have a nice pace and pull.
* A clicker is one example of a marker, which tells the dog you like
the exact behavior it is performing at that exact moment. Markers are
incredibly powerful tools for shaping precise behaviors and I use a
marker frequently. A marker is perfect for teaching targeting, but
also really any other behavior you want to be clean and precise. You
can certainly give food rewards without using a marker as well.
* Food rewards are a supplement, not replacement for, praise.  Always
praise the dog even if giving a food reward.  If you are having
trouble with a dog thinking they get food every time they are praised,
stick to using a clicker or verbal marker before giving the food.
* Most dogs in most situations are happy to work for their normal
kibble. Even dogs with sensitive stomachs can benefit from food
rewards because it is literally the same thing they would eat in a
meal. Subtract the amount of food the dog gets as rewards from their
next meal to prevent overfeeding. High value food rewards can be used
for particularly challenging behaviors or dogs that are not very food
motivated, but high value treats don't need to be the norm for most
dogs.
* Reduce the rate of food reward for a new behavior gradually. Maybe
you give a food reward every time today, three out of four tomorrow,
half the time the third day, and continue reducing gradually until
food rewards are just given on the rare occasion. If a dog responds
well to a cue when food is present but not when food is not present,
it usually means either 1. the dog doesn't truly understand the cue or
2. food reward was removed too quickly. In either case, it is always
helpful to go back to basics as if you are teaching a new behavior.
* Just because a program starts using food rewards, it doesn't
necessarily mean corrections aren't used anymore. It really doesn't
have to be all food or all corrections. Balanced training focuses
heavily on minimizing force as much as possible but uses correction
sparingly, which is the most effective type of training in my opinion.

Danielle

On 9/20/21, Michael Hingson via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> No. You aren't missing anything. To describe it again, the clicker is an
> absolute demarcation for something your dog does right. As you suggested,
> putting his nose on a doorknob and immediately clicking tells him he did a
> good thing. Following that with a food reward greatly emphasizes our
> approval.
>
> As far as using food rewards during guiding, again, not all the time. When
> you are trying to get your dog to do something, possibly something they are
> hesitant about doing, when they perform well deserves a food reward. You may
> even do it two or three times, but never constantly. If you have to use a
> food reward several times to get the behavior you want, you must gradually
> decrease giving rewards. The reward should be to acknowledge good behavior,
> not something that should always be expected. Again, you may find that
> getting the desired behavior may also be reinforced by using the clicker and
> then a food reward. Again, not forever. You must back off both as the
> behavior is accomplished.
>
> I hope this helps.
>
>
> Best Regards,
>
>
> Michael Hingson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Al Sten-Clanton via
> NAGDU
> Sent: Monday, September 20, 2021 7:10 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Al Sten-Clanton <albert.e.sten_clanton at verizon.net>
> Subject: [NAGDU] food rewards and guidework
>
> Greetings, wag wag, and the like!
>
>
> First, Mike Hingson, you made a great presentation yesterday on mutual trust
> between our dogs and ourselves.
>
>
> Second, if I heard correctly, Mike suggested that there are times when
> you can use a food reward during guidework.  If I'm wrong, please
> correct me.  If I'm right, can anybody tell me what situations might be
> good for that?  I was leery of clicker training when I first heard of
> Seeing Eye doing it because of the food involved, but, other than
> teaching my dog to take me to a particular place or thing, I did not use
> the clicker, and I did not use food at any time as a work reward.  Since
> class in 2018, I've used food as a reward only during the bit of clicker
> training I've done--for example, in trying to get him to put his nose on
> the knob of the front door.
>
>
> I was leery of clicker training because, as you might expect, I wondered
> how long that training would stick after the food ran out.  Praise is at
> least something I always have, with no danger of putting it in my pocket
> for the trip.  I've also seen that, with the doorknob I used the clicker
> for, he will eventually respond to the magic phrase associated with the
> clicker, but without the food and the clicker I almost always have to
> use it two or three times.
>
>
> What do people think?  Am I missing something?
>
>
> Best!
>
>
> Al
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> NAGDU mailing list
> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> NAGDU:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/mike%40michaelhingson.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> NAGDU mailing list
> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> NAGDU:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/dsykora29%40gmail.com
>