How to Manage Reward Schedules in Dog Training

When we move our dog to a variable reward schedule and we do it at the right time, it should produce more drive in our dog to perform. If we have introduced the dog to the 'NOPE' marker enough times (hundreds of times - see our online course on Marker Training) the dog will think 'Hey I deserve a reward but I didn't get one, I must have done something wrong so I'll try harder next time'. Then the following behaviors it gets rewarded 3 or 4 times, then no reward again. The goal of a variable reward system is to develop a training module where the dog never knows when or how many rewards it's going to get for offering a behavior. Finding the right balance is your challenge. Being ready to back up your training for a while will help you figure this out. Every dog is different, that's why no one can tell you exactly how to do it for your dog. | Links mentioned: Training Dogs with Food Rewards: https://university.leerburg.com/Catalog/viewCourse/cid/206 | The Power of Training Dogs with Markers (2024 Version): https://university.leerburg.com/Catalog/viewCourse/cid/96