Reward Events

Dax had his whole snout buried into my cupped hand, "Make it a challenge for them to get the treat". He pressed, nipping and licking, to get the small treat that was tucked under my thumb. All his drive was getting this one piece of meat from my hand - and when he finally worked it out, his whole behaviour said, "that was great! More!"

A reward event is where we make a reinforcer (play, praise, food, satisfying curiosity) last for longer period of time, often encouraging active participation from the dog towards the handler. This is distinct from just delivering a reinforcer to your dog, where they simply receive it without interaction, in reward for completing a desired behaviour.

Reward events make accessing the actual reinforcer (e.g. the toy you're holding) a reinforcing experience in themselves (e.g. chasing you to get the toy). As they ask for sustained interaction from you both, they help build a bond in a very practical sense. Also, the reward event may include asking for specific behaviours (e.g. being in a heel position) and so blend work and fun into one. Furthermore, these sustained cooperative events often create opportunities to practice focus in the face of distractions - an engaging challenge encourages focus. Just taking a reward offered freely does not so. Even more, you can then measure in real-time your dog's keenness for that particular reinforcer, by seeing how much energy they put into the interaction.

Examples

Placing a food reward tucked into your hand, so that the dog has to nuzzle and work out the treat. This is a common example, as it (with correct hand position) allows you to lure the dog very well.

Bringing out a toy, but playing 'keep away' first. This is often done with tug toys, especially those on ropes, where a few very near misses build determination for the eventual success. Keep in mind the ethos: Miss. Miss. Catch!

If you're praising your dog with physical affection, turning around for them to catch your hands for the next bout of pets can build excitement and add a friendly challenge.

Delivering Jackpot rewards that mark espeically good performance. For this, some trainers suggest that dogs notice duration over intensity, so you may find your dog gets more excitement from receiving, say, 5 treats one-after-another, than 5 all at once.