# Help! Dog doesn't seem to like any rewards



## ktaylor320 (Jul 15, 2015)

Hey all!
I'm running into some training trouble. I am trying to find a suitable high value treat or reward to give Rex for things such as recall, etc (I am participating in Susan Garrett's brilliant Recall program) and Rex just doesn't seem to be interested in ANYTHING. I have treats, which he likes fine when he's hungry enough, but he doesn't seem to get a high level of arousal from them. I also have to have something he can have a lot of for training without upsetting his tummy, or making him fat. I also have tons of toys, which he loves to play with, but a lot of the times I have to entice him to get him in the mood. A lot of the time, he just seems pretty "meh" about a lot of it, and I want to transition from reward to intrinsic motivation, but to do that I have to get him to the reward stage first. He's super laid back, which is great except when I want to get him really excited about training and me! The only things he does seem to like are my clothes, and birds and I can't exactly let him have one of those for doing a good trick. Any tips/ tricks to get my golden really excited about what we are doing? Thanks!!!!


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## SwimDog (Sep 28, 2014)

tell us about your play and kinds of toys? If he likes clothes maybe he needs more floppy toys (strips of fabric tied together vs braided tightly?)

What kinds of food items have you tried? 

The cool thing is that typically as you do more and more training the dogs get more interested in rewards and in the training.


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## ktaylor320 (Jul 15, 2015)

So far, with treats, I have tried the Bil Jac small chicken liver training treats, science diet training treats, freeze dried chicken, and other small treats that are concentrated "meat" flavors. I am trying to find something that will REALLY motivate him, and even the chicken would be met with "meh" on occasion(although with freshly cooked chicken, that's a different story, but I don't have time to constantly boil chicken). I've also tried cheese, but that upsets his stomach so I quit. 

and as far as toys go, I have an assortment of nylabone toys, a soft squeaky fox(the kind that isn't stuffed, a stuffed pheasant that he cuddles with, an antler, a tire, a kong, a small petstages freezable toy with fabric, a ball, a tug toy with rubber and rope handles, and a couple others I am probably forgetting, but those are his favorites. He loves to play, he's just not over the moon about them to the point of distraction like some dogs are.


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## SwimDog (Sep 28, 2014)

Cut some strips of fabric (fleece is great for this...scrap bin at the fabric store) and tie them together.

Treats: MEAT. boiled chicken, hamburger, fish.

If you really don't want to cook it (I hate cooking meat and don't do it for myself), cook a lot at once and then freeze it in small portions. You can buy pre-cooked meat in the salad or frozen food sections of stores (not lunch meat) - more expensive and some additives.


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## ktaylor320 (Jul 15, 2015)

Okay! So just make toys out of fabric strips? Maybe like fabric tied to a stick or something? kind of like those cat toys with the feathers?

And okay, I will just have to start making a lot at once. Also, any ideas for good and easy homemade treats without all the preservatives?


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## SwimDog (Sep 28, 2014)

There are lots of recipies online for treats...but honestly I mostly just do meat. More simple and the dogs seem to prefer it over the other things.


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

You said you are working on recall? What is it he likes more than coming to you? For Casper, it's people. I have to find something as good as people, or I need people.


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## Pilgrim123 (Jul 26, 2014)

Oh, how I feel for you! Pilgrim was the same - nothing seemed to make him excited, except my son and chasing cats. Since neither was available, obedience classes were a nightmare and he had stomach problems, too, so food rewards didn't work. The best thing, though, was that he did learn the basics in his own time and he was the most accepting and laid-back dog I've ever owned.


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## ktaylor320 (Jul 15, 2015)

More than coming to me? Birds, water, eating the grass. He'll come to me just fine inside, but we get outside and it's almost as if he likes ignoring me. I'll call him, and he'll look at me, and then just go chase a bird. Or hell just run right past me excitedly lol. 
And are there any suggestions for good dog food that doesn't hurt his tummy? I'm wondering if that may be the problem


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## Bwilson (Mar 25, 2014)

Will he do it for his regular dog food? That is what we ended up using for are golden she had not interest in treats.


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## ktaylor320 (Jul 15, 2015)

Umm sometimes. I'm just nervous that if I use a moderate value reward, he will transfer moderate value to me when I tansition from reward to intrinsic motivation, so I want my pup to really love what I'm doing. I bought him a squeaky fabric dog, and he seems to love it if I get really excited, so maybe I just have to match our energy?


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

If he likes birds, you might look for a toy that makes a bird sound. We have a dog in our dog class that's pretty mellow, but apparently has a thing for birds. The owner pulled out a dog that make a bird sound and that dog went nuts! He was like a completely different animal.

I don't understand the concept of transferring moderate value treats to you. I have never heard that concept. Generally, you want the treats to be high enough value to be more interesting that whatever else is going. I'm taking a Control Unleashed class. One of the principles is that when the dog sees something interesting, he turns to you, because you have something even more interesting. But all the instructors I've worked with say we are using too few treats. They also don't worry too much about intrinsic motivation, because they don't plan to work their dogs in situations where they won't get a reward pretty quickly.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Have you tried some things like:

Whipped cream
Goldfish crackers
Cheese balls (aka doggie crack)
Cooked steak, liver, chicken -you can get precooked at the store
Liverwurst, bratwurst
Variety of cheeses including that stuff in a can
Baby food
Chef boy ar dee
Tortellini

The possibilities are endless  wander your grocery store aisles and see what looks like it might do
Keep the treats special

Good luck


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## ktaylor320 (Jul 15, 2015)

Thanks for all the tips! I will try some of these. He has a sensitive tummy so I want to find something he can eat that won't give him diarhea(?).


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## Kristen&Gunner (Dec 27, 2014)

My 10 month old Golden is not very food motivated and is not a big fan of balls and retrieving either. But he is obsessed with our Flirt Pole. He will do all sorts of commands to get a chance to play with that thing. I did a review and video of a Flirt Poll on my blog. Leash Belt REVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Squishy Face Studio - Country Fit Family


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## bixx (Sep 8, 2015)

my dog is a very reactive dog so rewards in the form of small doggie treats just doesn't work. she likes them, but she will ignore them if there's something else more interesting in the environment. 

so, even though i know it's so unhealthy, i give smoked chicken strips for recall training. Amber seems to like them enough to come back to me when on a 4 meter and 10 meter long line. she was also off leash in a field by the trainer's, and while being free was a new and exciting adventure for her, she did come (with some time lag, but she came...hehe) for the treat. we are using a whistle with recall training. as per trainer, use only one type of food reward for recall training and other types of reward for other commands well done. I also use regular salami and cut them into little pieces. Amber likes this a lot and I have her full attention when she knows the reward is salami (not the peppered salami) for paying attention to me while walking on leash. another are small blocks of ham (pre cut used for salads). I give the ham as a jackpot reward. as long as you don't reward in abundance with these food (and they are cut into really small pieces), it shouldn't result in tummy problems. i did have my doubts about the salami, but my trainer said they are safe enough and dogs really like it a lot.


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

Cheese is what my dogs love best. That's what we use for recall training.


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## ellisda1 (Jul 24, 2013)

How old is your dog?
Sounds like you can get a recall at home. Start there - recall your dog, and when he comes make it a HUGE deal - lots of praise, ear rubs, tummy rubs, whatever it takes to make him happy and excited that he came to you. There's absolutely no reason you can't train him right before his meals - he's hungry, and you can reward with bits of dinner. GRADUALLY increase distance, gradually move to less constrained environments. If you're the coolest thing out there, he'll be more interested in coming back. The younger the dog is, the easier he'll be distracted by the big world out there.


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## ellisda1 (Jul 24, 2013)

One other point - when training, be sure you are in a position where you can enforce compliance to the command, whatever it is. When working on recall, you should have your dog on a lead (short or long) EVERY time you order him to return. One command, verbal or signal, and if there is any hesitation, reel him in hard and fast. THEN praise and reward. Someone once told me that every time you order a recall and the dog does not respond, it will take at least 10 on-lead, forced correct recalls to unlearn the failed recall.


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## egodfrey (Apr 26, 2015)

Try the Nothing In Life Is Free protocol! Never feed him from a bowl, all food comes from you or a puzzle ball/game. This way he has to work for his food, it will become more valuable to him and he may be more hungry when trying to train.

Nothing in Life is Free
Dog Training: Nothing in Life is Free : The Humane Society of the United States


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Just a quick note... NILF....means that the dogs work for everything. But for me, the dogs still eat from their bowls. They just do stuff before the food bowls are placed on the floor for them.


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## mddolson (Jul 10, 2012)

I scanned thru the posts but I didn't see plane old hot dog wieners.
Cut very thin (1/16"), we have had some fussy dogs over the years but these have never failed.
We save liverwurst for pills. 

Mike D


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## geardaddy737 (Jul 4, 2014)

mddolson said:


> I scanned thru the posts but I didn't see plane old hot dog wieners.
> Cut very thin (1/16"), we have had some fussy dogs over the years but these have never failed.
> We save liverwurst for pills.
> 
> Mike D



Do you have to cook the hotdogs. They are already cooked in the package . 
When I google the answer ,it says to cook them .


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