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TREAT DELIVERY OPTION #3: toss treats when teaching walk-by-our-side position
Over the past two weeks, we’ve been discussing different treat delivery strategies, including WHY we choose a specific way to deliver treats in specific contexts. You can find those previous links ➡ HERE and ➡ HERE. A number of wonderful DD members piped in with super ideas.
Today, I want to mention another idea I like to use when introducing loose leash walking, before the leash is even on the dog! (This means the dog is working safely in a roomy indoor area or in a fenced yard.) The first step is to simply have the client notice when the dog happens to be walking by their side and then ‘paying’ the dog for being in that position. The circle in the photo indicates the desired zone. And while a treat can certainly be delivered right to the dog’s mouth when they’re in that position, it can be fun to toss the treat a few feet away, too. When tossed, two things happen:
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The dog has fun chasing down that treat, which can make the training game extra rewarding
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The dog is reset and then has to catch up to the handler and RE-FIND the paying position, which I think is an important aspect of this training
Do you use treat-tossing to reset a dog when teaching this skill? How about with other skills?
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1 Reply
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Love this specific idea of tossing treats away to bring the dog back… this could be useful for LOTS of exercises, anywhere the dog can be either off lead or on a long line. That extra little chase-the-treat game is super fun for dogs who like to move.
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