The Power of Engagement Training

Getting a dog to engage with us is one of the best ways to teach them the behaviors we want them to have.  This is true whether we are training a dog in obedience or trying to make a shelter dog more adoptable.  In order for a dog to learn behaviors, they must first interact with the person who is trying to teach them these behaviors.  

There are several ways to get dogs to interact with us; the two primary ways are by pleasure or by pain.  Using pain or physical coercion forces a dog to pay attention to us or else.  Using pleasure creates the desire for the dog to engage with us.  Both methods are effective, yet the outcome is often very different.  

Dogs that are taught through pure force are generally slower to respond to engagement or obedience commands, because they learn that not complying causes pain, so they may rethink the behavior before doing it, thus avoiding the potential for pain if they make a mistake.  

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Dogs that are taught through pleasurable experiences generally are more happy to interact and act more quickly, because they understand the faster they comply with the command, the faster they will receive their reward.  Simply put, any creature is more likely to do something for which there will be a positive outcome than a negative outcome or no stimulation.

Engagement training is the first step in dog-to-human interaction.   The primary tool for teaching engagement training is a high value reward, generally food.  We start with food because it builds a fair basis to the relationship/interactions.  The reason that treats/food rewards are preferred over toys is because of the way food is seen by the dog.  It is a high-value reward that is quickly dispensed by the person, instantly consumed by the dog, and then the cycle is repeated.  Using a toy creates one interaction and one reward after which we must take the toy away and start all over again.  Food is taken, consumed and then the dog comes back for more.  We can achieve multiple interactions for food in less time than using toys.  We will use toys later on in training, but building interaction should pretty much be done only with food.

Using treats as a way to teach engagement is very simple.  We keep a small treat pouch around our waist filled with soft jerky-type treats.  We can break these strips into small pieces and dispense them over and over again, one small piece for each small interaction that the dog offers.  I prefer to use soft jerky because the dog instantly consumes it, and there is no crumb residues left on the ground for the dog to seek out instead of interacting with me.

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I will use simple games to get the dog to interact, such as moving backwards, having the dog follow me, luring the dog around my body or just basically getting the dog to look into my eyes.  

Some dogs may not interact with food, but that is basically because we have not found a high-value-enough food.  If we are working in a shelter environment, we must be careful as to what treats we use, but we can still up the ante.  During certain trainings and assessments, I have used everything from jerky treats, hot dogs, string cheese and more.  The key is finding what motivates the dog.  It’s not enough to say that the dog would not engage because he didn’t respond to the first treat you offered.  You must always strive to find what it is that motivates the dog and use that tool to build the engagement.

For shelter dogs, I use engagement training to build a dog that is highly adoptable.  I will take a dog into a yard and start by feeding him very small pieces of jerky until he is following me around the yard.  Then I will start waiting and see if he offers up behaviors such as SIT, DOWN, SHAKE PAW, etc.  All of these behaviors, when offered to a potential adopter, make a dog very adoptable.  Furthermore, if a dog will work for food, it’s a simple tool to hand over to a potential adopter and then have them take control of the dog.  Dogs that engage to humans are much more adoptable to the general public than dogs that are shut down.

Teaching dogs the tools they need to get adopted is one of the best things we can do.  Engagement training is probably the single-most beneficial tool to getting dogs adopted.  It is a simple training that most anyone can do.  

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The simple steps to using and teaching engagement training are:

1. Have a treat-pouch filled with soft jerky-type treats.
2. Dispense only small pieces, about 1”x1/4”, one at a time.
3. Try to get the dog to follow you.
4. See if the dog will follow your hand once he has begun following you for the treat.
5. Once the dog follows your hand for the treat, you can start to shape behaviors by luring the dog into SIT and DOWN.
6. Use verbal cues such as GOOD and YES when the dog is succeeding.
7. Keep the session/interaction short so that the dog will look to repeat the training the next time they come out to play/train.  Boring the dog through extensive training is a surefire-way to get a dog to check out or not seek out further interaction.  Short and Sweet is the KEY!

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Video: The Power of Engagement Training