Many people have over the past years have written to me expressing their concerns of motivational problems during work. Here are some of my thoughts on this subject.
If we use food or toy or clicker to communicate with a dog or motivate him or get
him to associate the command with the exercise, and if we are doing this in play or prey, as it often called, what happens when the
dog gets into a serious situation and the food, the ball, the clicker don't outweigh the desire to retreat? The handler will come to the sad realization that the food, the ball or the clicker were communicating and motivating the dog, but they, being the handler, were not.
So why do so many people insist on putting these barriers between themselves and their dogs? If we are training to
really search under stress shouldn't we train openly and honestly without any form of bribery? Serious work should be done in order to
promote motivation and communication requires motivated people.
In order to keep your dog motivated and serious, you must maintain a working attitude dedicated to the given task. Also you must be aware of the
breed you are working. For an example, do not train a Shitzu or a sled dog for Search and Rescue. The breed
must be selected for the work. Someone's life may depend on it.
Stay serious, stay sharp, and stay honest. A dog must enjoy his work. This prey theory and bribery has no place in the field.
© Mike McConnery
