hello.
i'm new to all this competition stuffs... and i'm doing basic heelwork etc with my pet dogs and i was wondering how or when or do you ever 'transition' to no food/toy?
for example, on trial day you can't carry food/toys...
does the dog 'think' you have one on you...
and, my dog seems like he's way MORE motivated after he 'knows' i have something in my pocket. (or if he can see it)
is it compulsion or cueing? or all of these ?
would appreciate comments from anyone who has exp in trials.
I'm sure different trainers use different methods. What I do when training for obedience competition is when the dog knows all the behaviors/routines, I gradually start increasing the length of time between reinforcements, until I get to the point where I can leave a treat bag somewhere (the dog knows where it is), and then when the whole routine is over, go to the treat bag and give a jackpot.
This transfers directly to a trial. When I'm competing, I'll have a chair somewhere where we have our stuff, and a backpack, and the treats are in the backpack. The dog knows this. So, when you're done in the ring, you head for your gear, and jackpot.
So, the dog knows it's still going to get rewarded after working without treats in the ring. It's a very gradual process to build this up, but it works well.
I work with Toni in Agility. At first, each obstacle would require a treat or a toy. Gradually, I lengthened the time before she got rewarded.. like 2 obstacles, then 4, etc.
Toni now understands that she has to do the whole routine before she will get her tug reward. It is one thing that motivates her to go faster, I think. She always gets to tug at the end, whether it was a good run or not.
Depending on the sport, some dogs are allowed to interact with the handler between exercises. In Mondio, for example, the dogs are rewarded after each exercise is completed. This is necessary, I think, because the routines are SOOOO long, that the dogs need to be rewarded or they will lose interest. In something like Agility or Rally, it's not necessary because the run is over in a couple minutes.
I hope others with more experience also chime in. My experience in actual trials and shows is limited.
Niomi Smith Webboard User Reg: 04-20-2009
Posts: 786
Loc: Whitehorse, Yukon
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I agree with the above posts.
Just increase the time between rewards gradually, then have your jackpot ready!
On trial day, make sure you follow your same routine as always including bathroom breaks. But no food, never trial a dog on a full stomach, they work best when they are hungry and know that the jackpot is waiting for them.
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transitioning to 'no food/toy' on trial day
#283019 - 07/04/2010 04:50 PM 
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