Will Work For Food

How enthusiastically would you work if your boss said that she was not going to pay you anything and that, in the future, you would just receive a pat on the back? Perhaps, worse still, that, as her subordinate, you would just have to do as you were told and she took away the coffee pot!!!? Maybe you would still do the work, especially if you thought you might be punished for not doing it (fear of no job.... but would you be happy and would you work with enthusiasm? Would your work be your very best? How well would you perform under that stress?Same goes for your dog.......who says they should work for free?

Your dog doesn't come to you already trained. It's an unreal expectation to think that your dog will do what you ask just because you ask. Using your dog's food to enrich his/her life can be nearly as quick and easy as scooping a portion into a food bowl and saving some of it for training!

 

Research shows us that there are two aspects of having to work for a reward like food. The first is extrinsic motivation— the kibble or training treat and the good feeling it provides. The second is intrinsic motivation, or the feeling of achievement/pride an individual experiences by having worked for that reward. The work you ask your dog to do can be intrinsically rewarding because can create positive feelings in your dog. The reward centers in your dog's brain are wired to offer pleasure in exchange for hard effort. For these reasons, using food, toys, praise to reinforce behaviors is the best way to go.