High value treats and can they be devalued?

[Coco]

I must admit to not really treating with any care or consideration, it's more of an as and when and what I happen to have in.
It usually goes gravy bones, one or two at bedtime and in the afternoon, dried liver for training if anything, chews of an evening for playing with and pig ears, again on occasion of an evening as a treat.

So, two questions. Firstly Wherry will invariably hide/bury the pigs ears. I thin this is as they arehigh value and she wants to save it and eat in when no one will steal it. Does this sound right? As opposed to her not being that fussed on them?

Secondly, dried liver and the liver bread I made last night she love! So that makes it a high value treat? Should it then only be used as a training reward and if she has it often or for no particular reason can it be devalued?

How do you know the difference between a high value and normal treat or is that something formal training would teach? Should 'high value' be reserved for training and is it OK to treat for the literal sense of a 'special treat' or should they be reserved for good behaviour? I guess I just give tit-bits without thinking, no structure but then I guess you could say she is being spoiled and/or ruined for treats as rewards by devaluing treats? 

Does any of this make sense?! 

[LurcherGirl]

Ok, I'll give this a go... 

High value depends on the dog and what they like. Things that they totally love are high value treats, things they can take or leave or just normal value treats... It can also depend on the location and circumstances as to what a dog considers high value... Many treats that they love indoors and go crazy for, they can barely get enthusiastic about in for example a training class or in the park!

Here's when you would normally use high value treats as opposed to normal stuff:

1. When teaching a new exercise
2. When practicing an exercise in a new location
3. When practicing an exercise with more distractions

Indoors, I sometimes use high value treats, particularly when teaching new exericses or if I need the dogs to respond quicker and better and more enthusiastically. However, I often use just every day kibble indoors as this is normally enough.

Outdoors I always use high value treats when doing things, the distractions are too much - particularly for my lurchers which are distrated very easily.

In training classes, I always use high value treats as we are either teaching new stuff and the distraction levels are generally high!

Hope this helps.

Vera

[Aearoniel]

All week at the moment we are just using kibble as treats so on Sundays at training she really really wants the high value treats, this has made such a difference in that when she was having them all the time she wasn't bothered during training sessions. So they definately can be devalued for random treats we use her food and that's all now and it works really well

As to burying pigs ears, Callie does exactly the same mostly in her bed but unfortunately sometimes in the mud! uck not very nice when she digs it up again!!

[Hurtwood Dogs]

Good thread! This has been confusing me.. When Storm first came I was using what I thought were really high value treats out on walks (frankfurters.. don't mock and I know they're a load of '****', I am working myself up to make some livercake)

Anyway, when I ran out I used their normal Burns kibble and the response is just the same.. if not better??!?! SO I'm wondering if my dogs either were 'jokin' me' with their enthusiasm for frankfurters initially, or are just getting better at recall on walks... and so if I do actually get my act together and make something like livercake now.. they will then be 100%??

Well I can dream I guess! 

Hannah x