Hi all, I’ve been teaching Lucky to check in regularly because when we aren’t doing something together he trots along 10-15m ahead looking for something interesting to do and wondering why I’m so slow. For training, I’ve been clicking and treating if he makes eye contact or walks next to me. Then I release him to keep walking with “Let’s go”. I’ve also been trying to be unpredictable and changing direction, then click and treat for catching up with me. On the last few walks, he has been checking in so often that I started to run out of treats, so I stopped rewarding every check in. He found this frustrating, and walked directly in front of me looking back every 2 metres. So, those of you who’ve trained your dogs to check in like this, did you reduce the rewards? If so, how quickly did you reduce the rewards, how often do you reward the behaviour now, and how often does your dog check in with you? Did you selectively reward only certain check ins because you had a specific behaviour in mind? I’m just not really sure what the next step is now that he is checking in so often, or what exactly I want the final behaviour to be.
Interesting question! I've been dogsitting this week and working on his recall (he currently doesn't have one) in the same way. We are getting to about the same point. So far he gets a treat from me every time he does comes back to me from a longer distance (say 10 meters) but if he's just turning around after less than a meter wanting another cookie, I'll praise him and pet him, but no cookie. At first he did get a treat for every check in. I think of it more not as reducing the rewards, but increasing the ask for the same reward. For example, this dog didn't know "sit" at the beginning of the week, but now he's a pro. He used to get a cookie (and a real cheer) for sitting, now he has to sit and look me because I want to add a "wait" to the sit and watch he was already doing (and even the sit just started with watch). He still gets the same cookie for sitting, but now the ask is bigger - sit, watch AND wait. I think that reduces frustration and boredom, too, because you are keeping them moving forward without always expecting the same big payout for a behaviour which they've now mastered. I have no idea if that's the right way to train (I'm kind of using this poor dog as a guinea pig), so I'm interested to hear what others say.
In theory all behaviours (the check-in for example) should be put on an intermittent reward system This just means you might reward the first check-in, then the third, then the fourth and so on or throw in a jackpot reward. The theory is once the behaviour is well developed the intermittent schedule keeps the dog guessing when a reward is coming so will keep offering check-ins. It sounds as if Lucky has learned his check in if he stops every couple of metŕes. Before switching to a full intermittent schedule spend a few days switching to every other, then every third so you gradually break the schedule. On other checkin just offer a good or nice or something such like to acknowledge and continue walking with your 'let's go'
I try to mix up treats with a play or some pets and a hug. Sometimes he'll get a jackpot of every reward I can offer, which includes a throw of the ball. Sometimes just a pet and a "Good Boy." To start I did treat with any of the above, except the ball throw which is the top value thing I can offer.
I'm interested in the replies to this too! On most individual walks I am actively training Jess's recall, so she gets a treat after responding to a whistle command to come back. I reward her for the check-ins that you are talking about when I take her on a pack walk with other dogs, which is something we've recently started doing. But then I reward her well and almost every time for checking in: I see it as a very desirable habit and want to cultivate it as much as I can (mine's a spaniel though, maybe different priorities). She is 11 months and I've not done much yet to phase out the treats in an organised fashion. I do change the value of the treats though! But I am rewarding checkins where she has been a bit ahead - maybe 10 metres? - and then comes back, or where she has left the pack of dogs to come back and check-in with me. If she was pestering for treats at 1-2m then I might get her to do an off-lead heel for a short section so that she "earned" the treats, or encourage her to relax with your "go play" command and then reward her after the check-in. My goal was to use establish a zone of control, so that Jess can roam a bit but not too far from me. I used a whistle to get her to turn/recall and use that cue to keep her turning back towards me if she threatens to get too far ahead. The check-ins are her doing that on her own accord, unprompted by the whistle. So when she does it I really reward it. I'm not sure that this is good practice but it's what I've been doing! And I do - for now - have the behaviour that I want, which is that she checks-in beautifully and regularly, and though she likes to explore a bit ahead or to the sides she is always aware of where I am.
Thanks everyone for your replies! This is really helpful @Emily_BabbelHund I hope you're having a nice time with your doggie visitor! I think you're right about keeping things moving and frustration. I'm also not sure if he was frustrated because I'm using the clicker, and we do some shaping sometimes, so maybe he thinks no click, and just verbal praise, means keep trying but do something different. So maybe I'll stop using the clicker now he understands, and only use verbal praise. I did the same as you, and didn't reward (other than a good boy) when he kept looking back for another treat after only a couple of metres! I took more treats today, so we didn't run out, and I didn't have him walking right in front of me. I was really proud because he checked in very often in the dog park, which is hard because he is very dog friendly and there were a couple of other dogs and lots of doggy smells. So, now that he is able to do this in distracting environments, I'll start reducing the treats for the easy check ins, when he's close and there aren't any distractions. And try to add in some jackpots and other rewards that you all suggested. He's not really interested in toys, which makes it a bit harder to find non-food rewards!
When Holly was starting out we changed direction a lot to get her to check in. Her reward was a little bit of a fuss when she came back. As she grew older we played hide and seek; one of us would hide and the other would say "Where's Phil". She got a treat for finding me. This gave her the instinct for checking where we are. We've never had to develop this any further as she instinctively turns to check on us. She doesn't expect a reward, but sometimes she gets lucky and one of us is hiding so she gets a game and a treat.
