Reward placement is a technique whereby a trainer’s positioning of the reward encourages the dog to complete an offered behavior so that the ending position is more to the trainer’s liking. Reward placement is used after a dog has offered a behavior that is acceptable, but less than perfect. The handler marks the effort of the offered behavior and then as the handler gives the dog his food, he encourages the dog to get into a more perfect position as the dog is taking the food.
Reward placement on the surface looks a lot like luring and many new trainers confuse the two. However, it is important to understand the differences. Unless a trainer understands when and how to use each, the trainer might inadvertently devalue the marker.
Similarities between Reward Placement and Luring
Here is where reward placement and luring are alike.
1. Both create muscle memory.
2. With both, the dog follows the reward which is usually food but can be a toy.
3. The dog is usually not thinking about what he is doing when either technique is used.
4. With both, the dog is focused on the reward and not the work.
Differences Between Reward Placement and Luring
There are two big differences between reward placement and luring.
The first difference between luring and reward placement is with regard to when the dog is working.
Luring is done while the dog is working. With luring, the dog is shown the reward (food or toy) first and asked to actively work for the reward by following it during the luring process. The luring process is the dog’s work. The dog does not get the mark or the reward until he follows the food into the correct position.
Reward placement, on the other hand, is used after the dog has already completed his work and earned his mark. It is a technique used during a dog’s time to take and enjoy his reward. Reward placement is never used during a time that the dog is working and the dog should never feel like he is working to get his food during reward placement.
The second difference in luring and reward placement is with regard to what we require of the dog.
During luring, the dog is required to follow the food into correct position. We encourage the dog to use his brain to figure out how to get the food. Focusing on and following the reward is the dog’s work during luring.
On the other hand, when reward placement is used, the dog is not required to follow the reward. The dog may appear to be working as he follows the food and the handler is indeed trying to get the dog in better position with the placement of food. However, the dog shouldn’t feel like he’s being made to work again for his reward. The handler is doing the work of trying to quickly manipulate the dog’s position without the dog knowing it. From the dog’s perspective, the dog is simply getting his food the best way he can.
When Reward Placement Doesn’t Work
If the trainer is not able to quickly and easily get the food to the dog, the trainer should give the food to the dog whether reward placement is successful or not. The dog has already been told by the sound of the marker that his work is complete and that he has earned his reward. If the dog isn’t paid for his work after he hears the marker, the marker will begin to lose its value and the dog will begin loosing motivation to work.
Why Use Reward Placement
We use reward placement to accomplish one of two goals. Many times reward placement can be structured to accomplish both simultaneously. Accomplishing either of these goals will better facilitate and accelerate learning.
First of all, reward placement encourages a more complete or more perfect performance. When first teaching a dog a new behavior, a dog will rarely get it right the first time he tries. However, his effort needs to be rewarded. Therefore, we mark an incomplete or imperfect attempt. Then we’ll give the food in such a way as to complete the behavior or make it more perfect. This will build muscle memory into the behavior and the dog will be inclined to offer a more complete or more perfect performance of the behavior the next time.
Secondly, we use reward placement to facilitate a better flow in the training session. By placing our reward so that the dog takes his reward in such a position that he’s closer to ready to offer a behavior again, the training session will move faster and it will be easier to keep your dog engaged and interested in the game.
An Example of Reward Placement
An example will help make reward placement much clearer.
A trainer asks a dog to sit in heel position. The dog in this example has not yet been taught to sit straight. At this point in training, the dog’s only requirement is to sit remotely close to good heel position. The dog moves into a slightly faced inward heel position. The handler marks the behavior because the dog has met criteria for reward at this stage in training.
The dog is now finished with his work and has earned his mark (his secondary reinforcer) and his food (the primary reinforcer). The handler needs to give the dog his reward without asking him to work again. However, the handler can fix the crooked sit with reward placement as long as he does it in such a way that the dog doesn’t feel like he’s being asked to do further work. The handler can present the food to the dog’s left thereby gently encouraging the dog to turn to the left in order to better take his food. This turning to the left will usually fix the crooked sit. In addition, the dog will be more inclined to sit more to the left the next time if he thinks his food will be coming from that direction. This presentation of the food in such a way to create better future performances after the dog has completed his work is the essence of reward placement.
Notice that I said that the handler is encouraging the dog to reposition himself to the left. The dog is not being required to turn to the left in order to take his food. The dog has already earned his reward. The handler must give the food whether the dog turns to the left or not.
If the dog turns to the left, a small degree of muscle memory toward straight sits is being built. Every time the dog turns left to get his food, he will be more inclined to turn that way the next time.
This building of muscle memory is the first of two reasons for reward placement. The second reason is to set the dog up in better position for the next repetition. Since we want the dog to start off sitting straight, the same position accomplishes both goals.
Now, let’s say that the dog does not turn his body quickly to get his food. In this case, the handler needs to go ahead and give the food anyway. Remember this food is the dog’s reward for the behavior he’s already done and been marked for: getting in a somewhat straight heel position. If a trainer withholds the reward until the dog gets himself in a straighter position, the trainer has essentially not paid for the first successful behavior (getting in the slightly crooked heel position). This practice of not paying for behaviors that have already been marked will ruin marker training and the whole process quickly. When a behavior is marked, it must be paid and the dog cannot be asked to work again until he’s been paid for the work already marked.
Take Aways
Hear are the three most important tips to remember on reward placement.
1. Reward placement always occurs after the dog has successfully completed his work and after the handler has given the marker.
2. During reward placement, the handler must give the dog the food in such a way that the handler guides the dog to the new more desirable position without the dog even realizing he is being guided. The dog may appear to be working, but the dog shouldn’t feel like he is.
3. The handler needs to give the dog his reward whether the reward placement works or not because the dog has already earned his reward by doing whatever work earned him the mark. Taking the reward should be the dog’s pleasure.
4. Reward placement is a bonus. It is not a necessary step in training.
