Woof! Ellie Mae here. Yes, I am smart enough to use the computer.
I just wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how to get the maximum amount of treats possible from your human.
First, since you know you get treats for good behavior and your humans want to re-enforce that, by all means do the good behavior. However, you can get MORE treats by performing the bad behavior first, being corrected and then being re-enforced for the good. Let me give you examples. The following have worked very well for me:
I am not supposed to bark and bark and bark at something. My human always looks to see what I am barking at and then when I am told to stop barking, and I do, I get a treat. So, to get maximum treats, I just simply bark, at nothing at all, starting the cycle of treats.
Come when called. This is one of my favorites. Do come when you are called. You will be rewarded. However, to get maximum treats, simply ask to go outside about, oh, let's say, 20 times in a row. Go outside, get in trouble by barking at the neighbor's fence (make sure it is for no good reason--that's why I do it), get called--stop barking immediately and then come running enthusiastically. Get a treat. Now, wait about 4 minutes, then ask to go out again. Your human will not be compeltely sure that you had adequate time to finish your business, so there is a good chance they will let you out. Now, go bark hysterically at something (in my case, the fence), the human will want to stop the insanity, so they will call you back in--respond immediately like before and receive treat. Wait 5 minutes--woof at back door indicating you want out again. Your humans are getting suspicious at this point. Add a pathetic look on your face and add a whine. Most likely a cute face with a pathetic whine will not be ignored. Add a little more heightened drama this time--let's say--oh, go to the back fence and raise hackles along your back and do a hysterical high-pitched "there is something OUT HERE" ear-splitting bark. Your humans will get up from their comfy spot on the sofa to see what could be causing the fuss. They don't want you to be scared and irritate or wake (depending on the hour) the entire neighborhood, so you get called in and you get a treat for responding right away. Wait five minutes--ask to go out again. Your humans are WAY suspicious at this point, so it may or may not work. Give it a decent amount of time and several follow-up woofs. If your humans don't get up, you may as well just forget it for about a half an hour or so. Then come snuggle up with them on the recliner and look at them lovingly in the face. They will soon forget how terribly irritating you can be.
Oh, and this is the important part--this is what I do--if I get called in and come immediately and my humans DON'T give me a treat--just verbal praise (HA!!), be sure to ask to go back out IMMEDIATELY so that you can do something irritating so they want you to come in ASAP. You know that human saying, "Save the drama for your Mama?" Well, that's me. I save it for my Mama.
Also--during working exercises. If there is a human in charge who doesn't know you (like my new rally instructor) act like you are either clueless or won't work UNLESS you get treats every two seconds on the rally course. You and your human know you know how to do everything you have been asked to do and have known if for over two years, but the instructor doesn't. Try to have the instructor convince your human to give you treats allllllllllllllllllll the time while working. OK, this didn't work for me, but you can at least give it a try!
ok--fellow Shelties--let's hear from you! What do you do to maximize your treats?
I just wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how to get the maximum amount of treats possible from your human.
First, since you know you get treats for good behavior and your humans want to re-enforce that, by all means do the good behavior. However, you can get MORE treats by performing the bad behavior first, being corrected and then being re-enforced for the good. Let me give you examples. The following have worked very well for me:
I am not supposed to bark and bark and bark at something. My human always looks to see what I am barking at and then when I am told to stop barking, and I do, I get a treat. So, to get maximum treats, I just simply bark, at nothing at all, starting the cycle of treats.
Come when called. This is one of my favorites. Do come when you are called. You will be rewarded. However, to get maximum treats, simply ask to go outside about, oh, let's say, 20 times in a row. Go outside, get in trouble by barking at the neighbor's fence (make sure it is for no good reason--that's why I do it), get called--stop barking immediately and then come running enthusiastically. Get a treat. Now, wait about 4 minutes, then ask to go out again. Your human will not be compeltely sure that you had adequate time to finish your business, so there is a good chance they will let you out. Now, go bark hysterically at something (in my case, the fence), the human will want to stop the insanity, so they will call you back in--respond immediately like before and receive treat. Wait 5 minutes--woof at back door indicating you want out again. Your humans are getting suspicious at this point. Add a pathetic look on your face and add a whine. Most likely a cute face with a pathetic whine will not be ignored. Add a little more heightened drama this time--let's say--oh, go to the back fence and raise hackles along your back and do a hysterical high-pitched "there is something OUT HERE" ear-splitting bark. Your humans will get up from their comfy spot on the sofa to see what could be causing the fuss. They don't want you to be scared and irritate or wake (depending on the hour) the entire neighborhood, so you get called in and you get a treat for responding right away. Wait five minutes--ask to go out again. Your humans are WAY suspicious at this point, so it may or may not work. Give it a decent amount of time and several follow-up woofs. If your humans don't get up, you may as well just forget it for about a half an hour or so. Then come snuggle up with them on the recliner and look at them lovingly in the face. They will soon forget how terribly irritating you can be.
Oh, and this is the important part--this is what I do--if I get called in and come immediately and my humans DON'T give me a treat--just verbal praise (HA!!), be sure to ask to go back out IMMEDIATELY so that you can do something irritating so they want you to come in ASAP. You know that human saying, "Save the drama for your Mama?" Well, that's me. I save it for my Mama.
Also--during working exercises. If there is a human in charge who doesn't know you (like my new rally instructor) act like you are either clueless or won't work UNLESS you get treats every two seconds on the rally course. You and your human know you know how to do everything you have been asked to do and have known if for over two years, but the instructor doesn't. Try to have the instructor convince your human to give you treats allllllllllllllllllll the time while working. OK, this didn't work for me, but you can at least give it a try!
ok--fellow Shelties--let's hear from you! What do you do to maximize your treats?
you see my human knows that when I bark and humans calls me or yells at me it means I still get reinforced for my barking...