Motivating and rewarding Hovawarts
Although similar, motivation and reward are two different things. Motivating a Hovawart means giving him a reason to want to learn, and carry out an exercise in a positive atmosphere. Motivate the Hovawart properly, and he will look at the process as a game; and as he gains experience this game will become a form of bonding, of relationship building.
You reward a Hovawart by providing him with something he values, finds pleasurable and that he wants more of. To be effective the reward has to be timely and creatively delivered the very second “he gets it right”. Ensure that the reward matches his interests, "different strokes for different dogs," to misqoute the phrase. Hovawarts have reward preferences, some favour treats and some favour toys or objects more. Even highly motivated dogs can become frustrated, discouraged, or bored with an exercise. They need to know they are valued and that their efforts are noticed and appreciated.
Motivating and rewarding Hovawarts with objects or toys
Motivating and rewarding Hovawarts with objects or toys capitalises on their prey instinct (drive). Prey drive is an inherited characteristic and can be seen in puppies from about 6 weeks of age, but if it’s not used and developed it will diminish over time. Some hovawarts have an abundance of prey drive and would rather chase a ball, a rabbit or a squirrel or play with toys rather than eat or sleep. Others have only a little, most fall somewhere in between the two extremes. All Hovawarts have enough “genetic” prey drive for you to use toys or objects as a reward, which can then be used to help motivate him when training. Read more about instincts and drives
When you utilise toys or objects as rewards in training, hovawarts first need to understand that enjoyment comes from a toy only when you and he are playing together. Additionally he should be able to bring the object back to you when it is thrown for him, or when he tugs it out of your hands, and, he should release the toy or object on command every time.
Motivating and rewarding a Hovawart through praise.
Praise usually works best in combination with other forms of motivation, and to be really effective you must have a good bond with your hovie. Bonds are built on trust and respect, and take time to develop. When the bond is poor the effectiveness of praise is significantly reduced.
Rewarding by using praise - through happy actions and smiles, and with a happy higher pitch of voice. All dogs read body language fluently and are far more intuitive than we are. Watching us they instinctually recognize situations and can “read us like a book.”
Hovawarts with strong pack instinct and a good bond with their owner are always easy to motivate. Most bond closely to a fair minded owner, accept leadership and are easily motivated. A dominant hovawart does not usually have a strong pack instinct. He will work for you, but only when it serves his own interests and needs. However, many “dominant hovawarts” are dominant because the owner has failed to establish a strong leadership role.
Rewarding by using tasty treats
Treats should be large enough to leave him wanting more, yet small enough and soft so he does not take long to eat it. You are not feeding him; you are offering him a reward that he values and that keeps him engaged in what you are doing together.
Enticing a dog through an exercise by using treats is a common method of training during the early stages of teaching an exercise. However, many people never stop enticing their dogs, never giving the dog the opportunity to make a mistake. At some point this becomes a hindrance because the dog does not learn to think for himself and always looks to you for guidance. Allowing mistakes can be a part of your motivation technique, and making mistakes has long been recognised as part of the learning process.
Does he really understand ? was he motivated enough?
Sometimes when hovawarts have learned, and understood the meaning of a command they can refuse to comply with that command, but you do not have to correct the dog either physically or verbally. You can simply say ”we are going to do this all over again” and go back to the beginning of the exercise. When properly motivated, withholding the reward should be motivation enough for him to rethink what he is doing. When the dog understands “ how the game is played,” it will motivate him to try harder. When he subsequently gets the exercise correct, he is rewarded with a treat, or an object.
Sometimes when you work together in this way he may perform behaviours or actions that have produced a reward in the past; it's just his way of telling you that he is motivated; he just does not understand what you are asking him to do. The time where you either do some retraining is when he simply ignores you or stops trying. Any retraining is best done several times a day for a couple minutes.
Motivational recall
To make sure your hovawart has a reliable, motivated recall give him every reason to want to return to you as fast as possible. Use treats, toys, chase or tug games to get him focused and back to you.
You are out walking your hovawart, he is off the lead and it is time to go, you call him to you. He comes back, but then a metre from you he skips away again, as if it’s a game, inviting you to play. Or perhaps he is just reluctant to respond and just stands looking at you. You are probably in a hurry and become tense or angry and shout. All of which exacerbates the situation and makes him even more reluctant to return, he is aware of your anger and frustration. It doesn’t take very long for a hovawart to understand that if you only put his lead back on at the end of the walk, the fun is going to end; you have taught him not to come back! It is all to do with correct lead training and of stimulating or motivating him.
Hovawarts will always stimulate themselves somehow in order to gain the attention that they crave, so give your hovawart quality time and quality training. During the walk call him back to you at least three or four times. Put him on the lead and reward with a brief game or perhaps a tasty titbit. Then let him off the lead again. He will learn that coming back to you is good and fun, and that being placed on the lead does not always mean the end of the walk and the end of fun!
