Reward
What the dog gets in response to a desired behaviour. Most often a treat, but also a toy, petting, or going for a walk.
A Reward is a consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour happening again. In HART practice we use three types of Rewards:
- Treats — the most common, especially at the start of every new behaviour. Pick food the dog doesn't normally get (e.g. cooked meat, cheese, hot dog) so the Reward feels valuable.
- Toy play — for dogs with a strong prey drive, in dynamic exercises (recall, sport tricks).
- Access to life — calmness rewarded with the door opening for a walk, the bowl being put down, contact from a family member (see "Calm opens the door" in the library).
A Reward is not a bribe or a gift — it's feedback to the dog that they just did something we want to see more often.