The Aussies 2019 - Members version

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How do you reward your Aussie? There are lots of op-ons. It could be a walk, a chance to sit on your lap, play with a favourite toy, a new toy, or a tug game with you. But a growing body of research says the easiest and most effec-ve way to train is using treats. The research goes on to suggest that the other methods don’t work as well and can even harm your dog and owner rela-onship. Erica Feuerbacher, Virginia Tech USA, undertook a study to compare a food rewarding a dog to rewarding by penng and praise. The results were very clear - the dogs involved preferred food to social interacDons. Quite simply, if you want a fast reacDon – then food was the best reward. Our dogs do love to be with us, but our words of praise usually don’t mean that much to them. Feuerbacher’s research found dogs will stay near a person who’s praising them for the same amount of Dme, as if they’re being ignored. If you want your dog to obey just because they love you, get real it’s not going to happen. It’s Treat Time MoBvaBng your Aussie Zazie Todd is the author of the soon to be published book enDtled “Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy” She explains in the book, “If your boss stopped paying you, you’d probably stop going to work pre2y quickly. You need to moDvate your dog just as much.” Her research supported the same principle. Dog trainers talk about “life rewards” like genng to play, or go for a walk. These can be useful, especially to maintain behaviours you’ve already trained. However, if we want to teach our dog a new behaviour, one of the tricks featured, food wins every Dmes as a way to reward. Most modern reward-based methods used by trainers involves food. Punishment training Punishment can be used to change behaviour. This isn’t just the obvious of harsh treatment. For example, a lead jerk can sDll be regarded by your dog as a punishment. Although in the wild, animals that don’t avoid painful experiences aren’t going to live long, the domesDcaDon process has changed the way our dogs relate to punishment. How many Aussie owners are aware that even telling off their Aussie results in the need for you to almost apologise to them, or they show signs of being totally morDfied. This area has been researched and the findings indicated punishment in dog training does have serious side effects. It can introduce fear, anxiety and stress as well as an increased risk of aggression, because the dog may react badly to punishment, or the threat of punishment. Also, it affects the human-animal bond. One study found dogs trained with aversive methods looked at their owners less frequently than dogs trained with posiDve reinforcement. That’s the opposite of what you want when you’re training. You don’t want your dog to become fearful of you. Building Bonds If you have a dog that is fearful of something, using food is especially important because it builds a posiDve associaDon through Pavlovian condiDoning with the person providing it. The way to a dog’s heart really is through its stomach. Some pet owners say their dog won’t work for food. Yes - there are some dogs that are not good eaters. Although for many it depends on what is being offered. They ocen need something special and this is called a high value reward. It is something not fed all the Dme and is worth having. Experience shows you need a selecDon of high value rewards, as the dogs do get Dre of the same flavour all the Dme. But remember, food used for training should be part of their daily raDon of calories, not an addiDon. So feed a li2le less to make sure your dog doesn’t get overweight.
With such a wide range of treats available and even more appearing on the shelves in the run up to Christmas as possible presents for our dogs, what treats will you be giving your Aussies? And have you thought about where to keep the treats when out and about? The Aussie makes some suggesDons. There are a wide range of treat bags with prices ranging from £1.99 to £15 and more. Many have added pockets where you can store mobile phones, keys and poo bags. Dog walking clothes invariably required the need for pockets to store the basic dog walking essenDals, so consider a bag which means no more bulging pockets! What type of treat is best? You have to remember that dogs and humans have different views on what is the best treat. Turkey and Cranberry treats might appeal to us, but they are not necessarily the number 1 favourite for our dogs. With the makers of treats trying to appeal to our taste buds and human preferences like ‘healthy’, ‘organic’ or ‘gluten free’. What interests a dog as a reward for an acDon may be totally different. Size of the treat makes no difference, is it something that makes your dog think this is worth the effort. Large treats that can be broken onto smaller pieces are ideal for an Aussie. It means that there are fewer calories per treat and that is even be2er. A li2le can go a long way. Soc treats are also great, compared to crunchy ones, they’re easier and faster for your dog to eat. Biscuits are OK, but waiDng for your dog to find every piece that’s crumbled to the floor is really not helpful when out and about. Just as your dog likes certain treats more than others, he might also like a variety. Dogs can become bored with the same old treat. If you noDce your dog’s enthusiasm is fading, change to a different reward of equal or greater value. You can even use several different treats, so your dog never knows what type of delicious morsel is coming next. There has been an increase in the use of home-made treats. Liver cake recipes abound on the internet and are shared between friends. Others just buy cocktail sausages from the supermarkets or just cook up liver. Then there is cheese in tubes and you can even buy from Arden Grange a liver based product in a tube. Many believe the licking of the treat is more rewarding. All that we can say is every dog is different and the key is finding the ulDmate treat that the dog will do anything to receive. That is your high value reward and you keep for when it is really needed. Your dog will enjoy your experiments to find which one really floats its boat. But do remember every treat has calories and home made treats don’t always contain balanced nutrients for your dog. Treat Bags You may never have thought of these. But wrestling with plasDc bags in a pocket. Forgenng treats are in a pocket and experiencing the result of washed treats from the laundry, well the treat bag does seem to be an opDon to consider. There are many treat bags in the stores and these could be something to add to your Santa’s Christmas list. But do consider a few basics. Where the treats are stored should be washable – whether in a washing machine or handwash and should dry easily. Aussies are pre2y shrewd and if you leave the treat bag una2ended are really clever at finding their way into the treats. So look at the fastening. Equally, you want a bag that opens easily for you and you are not fumbling for the treats with one very over excited Aussie jumping up for their payment.
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Page 41 and 42: FINAL WORD In the last ediDon of

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