Hi Odin, my yellow lab boy, 12 weeks old, gets a treat everything he has a wee / poo outside. Earlier today I said the usual "have a wee" and he did as usual, he came to me, sat and looked at me expectantly, and I gave him a treat as usual. I would normally wait a couple of minutes to see if he needed a poo but today, after his treat, ODIN went straight back to the grass in the garden and squatted, had a wee and repeated the sitting looking expectantly and receiving a treat. He did this 3 times before sitting by the door to tell me he wants to go back inside. Manipulation or clever? Either way it tickled me. should I stop/ reduce treats?
Definitely not. What's not to like? Pup does something, human approves and provides reinforcement, puppy repeats behaviour. It's the basis of all training, and very much to be encouraged. Just make sure you get your cue in when he has a wee - then later on move to no cue, no treat (at first, you associate the cue with the behaviour, much, much later you associate no cue with no reinforcement and the behaviour being repeated without a cue just gradually disappears* - indeed before you carry out this bit, you can't say the behaviour is on cue at all ). * just to be clear - he will still have a pee without you giving the cue, but will no longer do so because he is trying to earn a treat.
Nope not daft at all....I'm training for quiet at the moment as Bailey is getting quite vocal when playing with his toys - every so often he will sit in front of me and bark with a look on his face that I can only explain as "it's time I had a treat mum"....so I don't say quiet and he doesn't get a treat! He then climbs up next to me and has a snuggle instead! Cute and manipulative me thinks!!!
My Girl Scarlett is far too clever for her own good ...... She will pick up things she shouldn't so I ask her to sit and leave ....... which she now does and gets a treat every time makes me LOL she wees and gets a treat just as your lovely clever one does, I don't remember any other pups I have had being quite so sharp and intelligent but then I have never had a full pedigree lab before. We are in our second week now and she has settled in very well and apart from the teeth she is perfect , we are still trying to get her to stop holding us with her teeth it hurts lol
