Vary the reinforcers and keep your dog focused

I am in favor of using various reinforcers, depending on their value, on the context, on the kind of training.

▶️ Remember the definition of reinforcement: :

https://www.k9voice.com/en/post/the-reinforcement

Visualize a slot machine. Imagine that the gains are not only financial: you can win a million, as well as a weekend in a mansion, a helicopter ride, two hours of massage, a dinner by a great chef, a year of free gas, your loans reimbursed, etc. You do not know what you are going to win. You just know that you are a winner every time you do the expected behavior - lower the lever - and that you like whatever you are receiving.

Depending on the context, your dog may be more motivated to receive one type of reinforcer than another: jumping in a puddle instead of running, playing with other dogs instead of eating a treat, exploring smells under dead leaves instead of pulling on a rope, learning a new behavior instead of chewing on a stick, being petted instead of seeing you smile at him goofily, etc.

How to vary ?

Knowing your dog is your first step. Knowing what motivates him, knowing what he likes. In which context this or that reinforcer has more effect.

Make yourself a complete list that allows you to reinforce his behaviors in various situations.

Your creativity is your limit: suppose that you are naked, fully and completely. No bags, no pockets, nothing. Then use everything you know about your dog to keep him enthusiastic about reproducing behaviors.

Anticipation

In terms of reinforcers, if the dog has no particular negative stress, I consider that if he anticipates what he might receive, he is then likely to adjust his motivation. Knowledge itself is a lure. Your reinforcer loses its value through the evaluation that your dog makes of it. It is also likely to no longer be definable as a reinforcer.

Make your dog a winner every time, with a variety of pleasures!