April 21, 2011
When I switch to a random reinforcement schedule, will I still release my dog with the YES marker?
Full Question:
Hi,I have watched numerous videos from your website, including the Michael Ellis videos. I'm new to this type of dog training and everything else was perfectly clear to me except the transition phase. Moving from continuous rewarding to a random/variable rewarding schedule when training with food.
I'm using the 'yes' marker, because I prefer it over the clicker, but I just want to make sure that when I switch over to a random (and then to variable) reinforcement schedule, will I still release my dog (for example, from the sit position) with the 'yes' marker, even when I am not rewarding him? At this point, my dog knows that "Yes" = treat. So if I say "yes" and then I don't reward him until a few repetitions later, will it still be an effective "release"?
This dog does not have a drive for toys, so food has been the only high-value reward, so far.
Does variable/random rewarding mean that I would use the "yes" release marker and then ignore the dog and move onto something else, so that the "yes" release marker itself becomes the reward (in between random food rewards).
Thanks for your advice, this has been really troubling me and I can't seem to find the answer anywhere.
Damien
Cindy's Answer:
Do you own any of the Ellis DVDs? I couldn’t locate you in our database.
Thanks,
Cindy Rhodes
Thanks,
Cindy Rhodes
User Response:
Cindy,Yes, I have purchased Ellis DVDs and Ellis Video-on-Demand rentals:
The Power of Training Dogs with Markers
The Power of Training Dogs with Food
Focused Heeling
Remote Collar (3 Chapters)
The Power of Playing Tug with your Dog
Thank you.
Cindy's Answer:
I just wanted to know what material you had watched so far. A lot of people tell me they have watched the Ellis DVDs, but in reality they are just looking for step by step email instruction without buying the videos. That’s impossible for me to do, so it helps me answer if I know how much training experience you have and how much of Michael’s system you have studied.
Have you watched this? Weaning Dogs off of Food Rewards By Michael Ellis
You don’t ever use your release word and NOT reward your dog. That would take the value of the word away. If you want to stretch out the time between releasing, say moving from a sit to a stand, you simply link the behaviors together without a release in between. This is where your duration word comes in handy…
Don’t ever use YES and then fail to reward. I have this little phrase in my head all the time. “If you say it, you have to pay it.” In other words, if you use your marker word or clicker that is also a release, you must reward the dog even if your timing was wrong or you didn’t mean to say it.
I hope this helps.
Cindy Rhodes
Have you watched this? Weaning Dogs off of Food Rewards By Michael Ellis
You don’t ever use your release word and NOT reward your dog. That would take the value of the word away. If you want to stretch out the time between releasing, say moving from a sit to a stand, you simply link the behaviors together without a release in between. This is where your duration word comes in handy…
Don’t ever use YES and then fail to reward. I have this little phrase in my head all the time. “If you say it, you have to pay it.” In other words, if you use your marker word or clicker that is also a release, you must reward the dog even if your timing was wrong or you didn’t mean to say it.
I hope this helps.
Cindy Rhodes
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