Jackpot! How to Increase your Success Rate
Article Categories
by Suzy - Online Dog Coach
When training, you can guarantee success with positive reinforcement by using your rewards wisely. You can increase your dog’s success by occasionally throwing him a jackpot of something he loves, whether it is treats, or a couple extra throws of that tennis ball.
Amount and Frequency of Rewards
The use of rewards varies according to the conditions of training. If the behavior is new or difficult, use rewards more frequently. This is a general guideline to get you started.
- When you first begin training an exercise – such as a Dog Coach lesson, a trick, or a new behavior – you should give a reward every time.
- The reward should be “as small as you can get away with” according to Karen Pryor in Don’t Shoot the Dog!
- You may also need to experiment with the quality or value of the reward.
- Always reward immediately after the desired behavior – within 1-2 seconds if you can. Many trainers use a clicker or mark word as part of the reward because it can be issued immediately so that your dog knows the exact moment she got it right.
- Once your dog knows how to do the exercise, and consistently performs it without assistance, you can begin phasing out the rewards. Give the reward less frequently over time, until you no longer need the rewards.
- Even the most experienced dog needs the occasional random rewards to keep interested! So don’t be too stingy!
Jackpot!
A jackpot is an increase in the amount or length of some sort of reward your dog finds pleasing. Pryor describes the jackpot as “a reward that is much bigger, maybe ten times bigger, than the normal reinforcer, and one that comes as a surprise to the subject.” A jackpot can and should be used with any dog whether he is a beginner or a pro at that particular exercise.
To use the jackpot effectively, you want to use it sparingly and randomly. You may choose to issue a jackpot in any of the following situations: 
- Your dog has successfully completed something she normally finds difficult.
- You’ve been working on the same exercise for awhile, and your dog has been performing it consistently.
- Your dog gets it right for the first time without your assistance.
- You just haven’t given out a jackpot in awhile, and you’re feeling generous!
You can watch the use of the jackpot in our video lessons on Come, Leave it, and Come Proofing. While we only show it in a few videos, as trainers we use it for any and all exercises we teach our dogs.
Resource
Pryor, Karen. Don’t Shoot the Dog! The New Art of Teaching and Training. New York: Bantam Books, revised edition, 1999.
About the Author
Suzy has had dogs as companions for over 30 years. She trained her own dog, Kalee, in agility and has just begun rally. Kalee competed and earned titles in UKC, NADAC and USDAA agility before retiring in 2007. Suzy is a children’s librarian, educating children since 1999 and adults since 1995, and is beginning her own education in behavioral science.