Reasons Why I Use a Toy For Heelwork
To clarify, I initially train the dog to do the focus heel using clicker training. Once the dog can focus heel without me using a hand lure, I switch to using a ball on a rope. Here are my reasons why.
#1 REWARD POSITIONS
With food, you can reward above the dog's head. If you're in a good area such as an area with concrete or a hardwood floor, you can toss the treats. But if you are wanting to toss the treat behind you or out to the side and you're in a grassy area or an area with dark carpet (brown treats + brown carpet makes for treat that are hard to find) then your dog can spend several minutes attempting to find the treat.
With a ball, I can reward however I like and my dog never has to search for it. This is especially convenient because when I do focus heel at the park, I can't toss treats. If my dog is forging ahead during heelwork, I can throw the ball backwards. If my dog is drifting too far away from me, I can throw the ball from my left hand across my body to the right. If my dog is lagging behind, I can reward with the dog forward. If my dog is so close to me that I'm tripping, I can toss the ball out to the side. If I want my dog's head higher, I can reward by keeping the ball in my armpit and letting it drop into my dog's mouth.
Basically, with a ball, I can reward in very precise ways based on what I'm looking for.
#2 REWARD TYPE VARIATION
I use a Nero Ball which is basically a rubber ball attached to a rope. With this, I can reward with a retrieve, a game of tug, or drop it into my dog's mouth and allow him to chew on it. Alternatively, I can have my dog carry the ball during heelwork and reward him by grabbing the rope and tugging when he does something correct. This increases the value of the handler because the dog is already holding the primary reinforcer (the ball) in his mouth, but the reward becomes interaction with you. I can vary how exactly I reward my dog with it, so I can keep it exciting and fun.
#3 BETTER EXERCISE FOR THE DOG
Let's say I do a heelwork session and I throw the ball each time I reward the dog. That dog isn't only getting the mental stimulation from focus heeling, but he's also able to run and jump. The tugging also engages the dog's core, also giving him exercise.
My dog also seems more "hoppy" when I use a ball on a rope. Rather than pivoting into heel, he'll flip into heel. He'll often also do small hops with his front feet as he heels. He does neither of those things with food rewards.
#4 DOGS JUST LIKE TO PLAY
And last but not least, dogs just like to play! Think about it. Would you rather eat an ice cream cone or play (a board game, a theme park, a video game). I personally would prefer to visit DisneyWorld than to eat. Dogs that have enough drive are the same way, a lot of dogs really enjoy their training sessions more if it involves play rather than just having a treat popped in their mouth. During heelwork you can get MUCH higher drive if you use a toy because you are ENGAGING with the dog. And what is focus heel? Engagement. Allowing a dog to grab a treat from between your fingers isn't really engaging with the dog in any way. I use food for teaching things (and indoor tasks such as flipping light switches and opening doors, a ball wouldn't be practical in these cases because my house is so small) and eventually go on to use a ball.
WHEN TO USE FOOD
However, there are times where food is a lot more practical. For example, if you're wanting to work on duration work. You want this to be a calm activity. If you're working on long down, it'll be far more effective to quietly and slowly put a treat between your dog's front legs than it would be to act excited and toss a ball. You don't want a dog in an adrenalized state of mind for certain cues. Food, I found, is also more useful for working on certain positions. For example, the Front position. When I'm correcting a crooked Front, I can lure the dog's head straight and forward in order to keep the hind end straight. This is harder to do with a ball.
Food is also more practical if you're working with your dog in a busy area. Let's say you're working on basic obedience in a city. You have your dog in the traditional heel position and are working on sits and downs. You really don't have any room to be playing tug and throwing a ball with people coming by you. I don't use Blue's ball on a rope when I train in town. I just bring his meal kibble along with some high value treats (for higher distractions).
Food also is handy when teaching new behaviors. You can get more repetitions if you're using food as a reinforcer because a dog running after a ball or playing a game of tug takes up time. You can get more sits, downs, and focuses in a 10 minute session with food than you can in a 10 minute session with a ball on a rope. For example, you lure the dog to a sit and it's as easy as popping a treat in his mouth. On the other hand, a lot of dogs won't follow a ball as a lure unless they're disciplined enough to not grab the ball unless given a cue to do so. You also will spend 10-30 seconds playing a game of tug after each successful sit, taking up time and making the training go slower. This is why I use food initially, I can get more repetitions in a shorter amount of time.
#1 REWARD POSITIONS
With food, you can reward above the dog's head. If you're in a good area such as an area with concrete or a hardwood floor, you can toss the treats. But if you are wanting to toss the treat behind you or out to the side and you're in a grassy area or an area with dark carpet (brown treats + brown carpet makes for treat that are hard to find) then your dog can spend several minutes attempting to find the treat.
With a ball, I can reward however I like and my dog never has to search for it. This is especially convenient because when I do focus heel at the park, I can't toss treats. If my dog is forging ahead during heelwork, I can throw the ball backwards. If my dog is drifting too far away from me, I can throw the ball from my left hand across my body to the right. If my dog is lagging behind, I can reward with the dog forward. If my dog is so close to me that I'm tripping, I can toss the ball out to the side. If I want my dog's head higher, I can reward by keeping the ball in my armpit and letting it drop into my dog's mouth.
Basically, with a ball, I can reward in very precise ways based on what I'm looking for.
#2 REWARD TYPE VARIATION
I use a Nero Ball which is basically a rubber ball attached to a rope. With this, I can reward with a retrieve, a game of tug, or drop it into my dog's mouth and allow him to chew on it. Alternatively, I can have my dog carry the ball during heelwork and reward him by grabbing the rope and tugging when he does something correct. This increases the value of the handler because the dog is already holding the primary reinforcer (the ball) in his mouth, but the reward becomes interaction with you. I can vary how exactly I reward my dog with it, so I can keep it exciting and fun.
#3 BETTER EXERCISE FOR THE DOG
Let's say I do a heelwork session and I throw the ball each time I reward the dog. That dog isn't only getting the mental stimulation from focus heeling, but he's also able to run and jump. The tugging also engages the dog's core, also giving him exercise.
My dog also seems more "hoppy" when I use a ball on a rope. Rather than pivoting into heel, he'll flip into heel. He'll often also do small hops with his front feet as he heels. He does neither of those things with food rewards.
#4 DOGS JUST LIKE TO PLAY
And last but not least, dogs just like to play! Think about it. Would you rather eat an ice cream cone or play (a board game, a theme park, a video game). I personally would prefer to visit DisneyWorld than to eat. Dogs that have enough drive are the same way, a lot of dogs really enjoy their training sessions more if it involves play rather than just having a treat popped in their mouth. During heelwork you can get MUCH higher drive if you use a toy because you are ENGAGING with the dog. And what is focus heel? Engagement. Allowing a dog to grab a treat from between your fingers isn't really engaging with the dog in any way. I use food for teaching things (and indoor tasks such as flipping light switches and opening doors, a ball wouldn't be practical in these cases because my house is so small) and eventually go on to use a ball.
WHEN TO USE FOOD
However, there are times where food is a lot more practical. For example, if you're wanting to work on duration work. You want this to be a calm activity. If you're working on long down, it'll be far more effective to quietly and slowly put a treat between your dog's front legs than it would be to act excited and toss a ball. You don't want a dog in an adrenalized state of mind for certain cues. Food, I found, is also more useful for working on certain positions. For example, the Front position. When I'm correcting a crooked Front, I can lure the dog's head straight and forward in order to keep the hind end straight. This is harder to do with a ball.
Food is also more practical if you're working with your dog in a busy area. Let's say you're working on basic obedience in a city. You have your dog in the traditional heel position and are working on sits and downs. You really don't have any room to be playing tug and throwing a ball with people coming by you. I don't use Blue's ball on a rope when I train in town. I just bring his meal kibble along with some high value treats (for higher distractions).
Food also is handy when teaching new behaviors. You can get more repetitions if you're using food as a reinforcer because a dog running after a ball or playing a game of tug takes up time. You can get more sits, downs, and focuses in a 10 minute session with food than you can in a 10 minute session with a ball on a rope. For example, you lure the dog to a sit and it's as easy as popping a treat in his mouth. On the other hand, a lot of dogs won't follow a ball as a lure unless they're disciplined enough to not grab the ball unless given a cue to do so. You also will spend 10-30 seconds playing a game of tug after each successful sit, taking up time and making the training go slower. This is why I use food initially, I can get more repetitions in a shorter amount of time.
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