From the training
Which part of the game matters?
Finding a game the dog enjoys is a starting point. In this lesson, the trainer asks which part of the game the dog values, then uses that information to shape the reward.
Kali & Kane · Training lesson
The answer
The one he actually wants - and on film you find that out by offering things and watching, not by deciding in advance. Across fifty-eight dogs the trainers run the same test: a ball, a tug, a flirt pole, their own hands, the freedom to go and sniff, and see which one the dog works for. Some score it out loud - ball three out of ten, flirt pole five, tug eight or nine (watch 02:28). The principle is stated from the punishing side, which is where it is hardest to argue with: "If I pet a dog that hates being pet after they do something, that could be a positive punishment" (watch 20:37). A reward is whatever this dog will work for, and the dog decides. Two dogs who arrived together in September 2026 show it on one afternoon: offered the same toys, Muna picks the softer tug and Tesla the chase of a thrown ball (watch 05:05; watch 06:32).
The answers routinely surprise the handler. A big bully-type will play tug, but "his preferred method of reward though is just like love" (watch 02:04). A shepherd mix's best motivator is a rub on the face after a command, and 'it's pretty cheap' (watch 04:35, 05:15). A dog on a hot walk works hardest for a drink of water - "you got to use whatever your most powerful motivator is" (watch 12:24). A nervous dog whose family had decided 'toys are not her thing' turns out to want to be chased and to herd her trainer - 'she would much rather chase me' (watch 04:49). For others it is a paddling pool, jumping up to be petted, or the release to sniff: "the sniff is the treat" (watch 19:39).
Two refinements recur. First, a failed toy may be the wrong toy. A soft tug got nothing from one dog for days, a solid one got a hard grip at once, "because he's got a much stronger bite" (watch 06:16); and a single dull throw tells you nothing, because the handler's own enjoyment drives the dog's (watch 08:08, 08:44). Second, games have parts. On four different dogs, trainers describe play as fragments of the prey cycle - stalking, chase, grab, the fight for possession, the win, the celebration - and say to find the fragment your dog is buying: "figure out which part of the play they like the most and use that to its advantage" (watch 13:35; watch 08:35; watch 17:33; watch 05:18). One gives a test: keep making him miss, and if he does not ramp up, chase is not what he is there for (watch 14:18).
What is inferred rather than said: nobody explains why a dog's preference sits where it does, and the record shows the idea's limits. One fearful dog was offered ball, stick, personal play and water, and his trainer says plainly that he has not figured out what the dog likes (watch 10:03); for another the toy search failed for two weeks and the owners supplied the answer - food. The house leans to play and freedom over treats, but at least one trainer moves a dog to food when that is how he learns best, and says what it costs (watch 04:25; watch 26:56). Kelton settled the house line on 23 Sep 2026: play first, food case by case - playing with food differs from food as a reward every time, and lures have a place when necessary.
A wider reading of the session record adds twenty dogs, and two points come out more clearly. The first is stated outright: 'Every dog has different motivations. Praise, toys, food' (Thumper, Gemma); 'you try things figure out what you can do to get this dog to play whatever dog it is' (Irwin). The second is that the answer is not fixed. Coco does not want yesterday's running game today. Penny will grab a toy from a visitor but not from her trainer, and needs a cooperative game when she won't compete. Teddy plays in some sessions but not where the environment holds more interest.
Angier K9 is a family-owned, play-based Board & Train serving Angier, Raleigh and the Triangle, with three full owner lessons.
What to do
Take several things out and try them - "try tug, try ball, try stuff" (watch 07:35). Don't write a dog off after one dull throw; play like you mean it (watch 08:44). If a toy fails, try a different toy before deciding he 'doesn't play' (watch 06:16). Watch which part of the game he loves and give him more of that part (watch 13:35). If touch or sniffing is what he wants, that is a real reward, and it costs you nothing (watch 05:15).
What the trainers say
So, in that case, it's not a reinforcement. If I pet a dog that hates being pet after they do something, that could be a positive punishment.
right and so that's how it works because it's not necessary every dog kind of chooses what's a reinforcement and what's a punishment
I heard somebody say it was, you have to make sure the reward for listening is greater from the reward for not listening.
all you're wrong but as far as a dog and the reward goes as far as the dog deciding what
All of these games Imitate different parts of the prey cycle. That's why dog goes so nuts for them, right?
So one thing to think about is like alright, well, which part do they like? So watch how they play figure out what they like which part of it is interesting to them.
figure out which part of the play they like the most and use that to its advantage
The way that play works is there's like a cycle so there's six parts of the cycle, right?
kinds of different ways to play that game yeah um and there's different parts of it that they might like better and so you can you can indulge that
he likes actually like he'll play tug um his preferred method of reward though is just like love which is funny because you would expect the ratty to really wanna
every dog learns differently and i don't believe there's like a one one to all method for every dog so for her if her reward is just like going out and sniff and then like rub on you and that's what motivates you then that's all you need to do it's pretty cheap
Yeah, he likes a much stronger toy because he's got a much stronger bite this dog
This is why you should always take some stuff with you and try it, right? Because it can totally change your approach. Try tug, try ball, try stuff.
Don't just assume that, oh, well, you know, they're kind of like fearful or they're kind of nervous so they won't do it. You don't know that. They might do it.
You got to use whatever your most powerful motivator is and she loves that drink right there
Yeah, because I like to, when I train, I don't really use treats very often. I just play with them for the most part.
i say heartbreak and then he i can sniff and he goes off and sniffs the sniff is the treat
Que jugamos también con los perros porque si nosotros no estamos muy interesado en el juego ellos también no van a estar interesados
ball yeah we'll give it like a like a three out of ten floor pole we'll give it like a five out of ten tug we're gonna give that like an eight or a nine out of ten
is that i haven't really figured out what else he really likes honestly like i have not figured out i i just don't he i haven't figured out what he likes yet so i'm gonna have to keep experimenting
I'm doing the same thing I did with muna where i'm just testing kind of what type of game does she like to play
and so like her game is definitely more of the actual chase part of it right
engagement, and find what the dog wants to do, so I had to tug on a line, she didn't really care about that too much um the ball she got a little interested like the ball tug but not like a lot so but softer tug and she got really interested with that
she would much rather chase me yeah and like herd me around which is fine i don't care um so i just let her do that
so thinking purposely about watching your dog seeing which part they like can make the reward bigger
what do they really love to go explore and sniff so reward them with going exploring and sniffing right
him is just let him go sniff stuff he cares about that more than than literally anything else
see you have to learn what your dog likes some dogs they will give it back to you
I know she likes personal play.
of times when I'm playing with a dog that's like not used to playing or more nervous or something like that they won't go after the ball they won't tug so then I have to do personal play
She's not a treat, treat hound, so don't really even carry any treats when I'm with her.
Yeah, she does not want to do that with me today
try different different toys see if anything sticks and hopefully it goes well
things that's really important is that you try things figure out what you can can do to get this dog to play whatever dog it is
all right so we're gonna switch plan b we're gonna have one of you guys play with her first
that stuff today first thing we're going to do though is we're going to see what if he likes to play with any of the toys
all right well he's not really doing the duck hunting right now so we're just going to do a little run
is that your dog decides what's a reward and what will make them alert to something
she likes this ball go get it try a little bit more of a cooperative game she doesn't really want to compete with me right now
She doesn't care much about the ball every time she wants to do personal play all the time
playing ball i haven't gotten him to play tug super hard yet but i wanted to try this one
hey Roman Roman look dude I want to try this one cuz it's on a rope so I can keep possession of it I want to see if he'll try to take it
go get it see he's more interested in the environment that's why i'm not playing with him out
better you want a squeaker doesn't care about that right now maybe oh maybe this
We have found his motivation. He loves toys.
like he doesn't really go I kind of half expected when I pulled out a tug or something for him to go crazy he didn't really um he just kind of likes treats
How it looks, dog by dog
Deuce
The finding arrives three ways - by phone from the owner (not big on the ball), by testing in the field, and by watching what he comes back for - and it surprises the trainer: he will play tug, but what he works for is being loved on. At handover the trainer admits the recall never matches the speed the ball produces.
On film
so i talked to this lady it sounds like he's not super big on the ball tug though
he comes up to me and he just wants me to pat him and that's all he wants he just wants the pets
See, I could never get him to run that fast with me on a recall.
Dutchess
Touch as a first-class reward: tug was tried and honestly reported as not much of a motivator; a rub on the face after a command, and lazy time on a bench, is. Withhold it and the work drops off. The trainer adds cost to the owner as a criterion - rubbing is free, always available, and does not wear out.
On film
last time we had our last session we had i was trying to do like tug with her to motivate it motivate her with the tug
If I don't, like, give her enough love, she starts to be, like, I don't do anything.
Okay. And now you get the rubbies. And this is a good reward system because you can always rub them.
Sage
A dog who does not want treats or much in the way of toys; her trainers read her choices - the couch, cuddling, personal play, free time - and use them. Kelton's owner lesson gives the general rule: figure out what motivates the dog and what their hang-ups are, and work with those.
On film
And figuring out how to motivate them, what's rewarding to them, and what their hang-ups are, and then working with those.
or they jump in the pool, or they play, or they just go sniff things.
Bo
Two lessons. The ball is only half wanted and stays a named project for months without landing. And the one piece of reward engineering in the record: when Bo starts stopping short on the recall, the payment is changed to jumping up onto the handler, which cannot be collected at a distance, so the last few feet close.
On film
I'll see if he wants it he'll probably walk by it yeah he doesn't care that much
where he wouldn't want to come all the way to me so i'm solving that problem by just doing the up he's with him that way he has a reward that requires him to come all the way to me
either play or I worship at the altar of the release command
Rocko
On a park trip the trainer breaks play into prey-cycle fragments, asks which one the dog is buying, and tests it: making him miss does not ramp him up, so it is the fight for possession he wants. Developing other parts is possible, but with a pet dog 'find the part they love, do that part'.
On film
better fight harder oh oh ah you're way too strong the reason that i think that he likes
go for for different parts stronger but especially when you're training with a pet dog and you're
Kodak
The owner lesson gives the diagnostic for a dog who 'doesn't play': a game is bad if you never win, if you always win without effort, if it never varies, or if your partner is not enjoying it. Kodak's own answer is the cooperative game, ball. A later handler tells viewers to bring things and try them rather than assume a nervous dog will not play.
On film
one thing that can make a game suck is if you never win it's impossible if you never win that's not a fun game
another game that's not fun is if you win every single time without effort
and that's true whether it is a cooperative game which is the one koda likes best he likes ball
Bullet
The equipment lesson. A full day of toy offers ends in 'he doesn't care about any of the toys yet'; three days later a solid toy gets a hard grip, and the reading is that the object was wrong, not the drive absent.
On film
Okay, he doesn't care about any of the toys yet.
oh he's too strong oh he won tug we got some tug going now
Lola
The reward not yet found, and said so: she goes into position under pressure, so she knows it, but there is no real reason to do it, and 'sometimes you don't find that super interesting thing until the doggies open up'. At the owner lesson Kelton finds a fragment instead of a game - she loves being come at - and says you can indulge whichever part she likes.
On film
if i keep pulling she'll go into it perfectly tells me she knows the position so what's the
and the thing is, it doesn't have to be today, and sometimes you don't find that super interesting thing until the doggies open up a little bit
right and so like all those are aspects so like a lot of times people get kind of caught up and
Finn
Where the assessment fails. Personal play makes him freeze rather than switch on; real prey starts him fastest but is not under the handler's control, so 'less useful for the training'; the trainer says outright he has not figured out what Finn likes. The eventual answer is movement - running with him.
On film
All right, so what I'm trying to do is start up a little bit of personal play with Finn.
interested in that but that's the that's the the highest the highest level that'll start them up
I instead will use just straight up like, all right, it's just like a chemical process.
King
The easy case: he plays anything, and the ball is named his strongest reinforcer, above food, petting and praise. A junior handler, given a dog who wanders off to look at the other dogs, decides that is the reward today. A senior trainer adds the caveat: play makes most dogs learn faster, but some just don't care for playing.
On film
it's the strongest reinforcer for King King cares about that more than he cares about anything else
So his reward in this scenario is checking out the other dogs.
I find that with some dogs, when you are mixing play, play with work, with training.
Zeus
The fastest assessment on film - a heavy tug, full commitment, 'this is what he loves' - and the sharper reading a day later: it is possession he wants, so possession games become the way to teach him everything, and giving the toy up becomes the lesson.
On film
This is what he loves. He loves to play tug.
gonna play tug and we're gonna teach everything with the tug oh boy man he's keeping possession
Roxy
Two dogs in one household, two answers. Roxy loves the pool on a hot day and, on walks, freedom more than tug, and Kelton uses that. Ramsey, in the same house, is reported as not a player - and on another day the heat is offered as the reason.
On film
that she loves the pool so that's a reward so we'll get her tired out so i'm just gonna let her
we did I didn't spend as much time playing tug with her uh as I do with some dogs because she likes uh freedom on the walks more than she likes to talk.
here's a it's not a big fan of playing I think it's just cause too hot so pool
Louie
A first session that ends in a recorded negative - ball, rope, a line to run on, nothing - and a plan to walk with him before expecting engagement. Later the answer is the paddling pool and jumping up to be petted, rotated.
On film
this is early times with Louie so we're still figuring him out
boy. He loves the pool, it seems. I'm using two things to motivate him primarily. One,
Louie
Christian's Louie in March would not play, so the reward became sniffing and petting given on the release: 'the sniff is the treat'.
On film
He's more interested in sniffing, right?
i say heartbreak and then he i can sniff and he goes off and sniffs the sniff is the treat
Dolce
Play suppressed as a puppy and reopened on purpose for later work: the chase part of the game is opened up deliberately, the flirt pole builds chase off the possession game she already wants, and on a hot walk the best reward available is a drink of water.
On film
we're just trying to open up more for the chasing part so that we can get her to really enjoy that part of the game
Especially for the recall you got to use a powerful motivator.
Luna
Sniffing and exploring are her reward; treats are deliberately not relied on, because a dog paid in food is only trained while you have food. Where the family uses treats, randomise them - she will work out a pattern.
On film
Sniffing around is her reward and she loves it. The thing is, I don't really rely on treats
tell people when they go home, make sure that maybe the the treat is like every other time or something, but like randomize it cuz she's smart.
Stormy
A dog who cares little for treats and is still building play: the prey cycle explained as 'six parts', the walk used while play grows, contact and a cued jump-up, and a short jog as movement-as-reward, because running 'releases a bunch of happy stuff'.
On film
Right. And then next you throw it. And so then there's a chase. So they go and chase it and they grab it.
but for dogs it's very rewarding um and so it actually releases a bunch of happy stuff in their brain
Bernie
Keep-away and being stalked are read as his place in the predatory play sequence rather than defiance, and used as the reward.
On film
like a lot of play for dogs is simulating predatory like sequences and in that case he wanted me to
Kali
Once a game is found, find the phase she values: Kali keeps possession and shakes, where Rocko dropped the toy straight away.
On film
with Rocco, where I was doing the same thing, you want to check and see, hey, once you find a game they like, which part do they like?
Kane
The assessment scored out loud - ball three, flirt pole five, tug eight or nine out of ten - and tug made the currency for the whole program.
On film
ball yeah we'll give it like a like a three out of ten floor pole we'll give it like a five out of ten
Reaper
A tug win in the first outing, a full game still being built weeks later, and a rated assessment in a field - the ball 'a six out of ten', perhaps seven - with play reassigned as the outlet for prey drive. At his first in-program owner lesson the trainer gives the owners the frame: games imitate parts of the prey cycle, so watch which part the dog likes, because that can make the reward bigger. The owners' report fits it - at fetch Reaper looks at the people, dogs and things around him instead - and the trainer's options are a place where he is more motivated, time for new places to lose their pull, or paying him in what he does love, exploring and sniffing.
On film
He got a win in.
little bit i'm gonna give the ball like a six out of ten though i think he's just really interested in everything else maybe a seven
so thinking purposely about watching your dog seeing which part they like can make the reward bigger
he'll kind of be more fixated on like what's around him like when we play fetch i would just throw it he'd be like people dogs things yeah sniff
what do they really love to go explore and sniff so reward them with going exploring and sniffing right
Beo
Tug, flirt pole and ball tested against personal play and release to the environment before any teaching; the answer is running, personal play and 'the sniffies'. At the first in-program owner lesson (Kelton, September 2026) the search goes on in conversation with the owner: the stick the owner suggested has to be teased like a relay baton before Beo will chase it, tennis balls and ordinary balls draw nothing, and the one ball that has caught his interest is a glow-in-the-dark one, at night.
On film
I'm going to see if he likes tug, I'm going to see if he likes flirt pull, and I'm going to see if he likes ball,
dog like this dude like what does he love the most he loves the sniffies
tennis balls nothing regular balls nothing there was one really really okay there was one like glow-in-the-dark ball that he really likes but only once it's nighttime
Titan
Connor tries tug and reads it rather than insisting; when it fails the reward becomes freedom to explore and touch. The theory for the owner: the reward for listening has to beat the reward for not listening.
On film
I heard somebody say it was, you have to make sure the reward for listening is greater from the reward for not listening.
Cosmo
The principle stated - there is no right or wrong reward, the dog decides - and two candidates named, ball and pets, with pets looking like what he really cares about. The record never shows it settled.
On film
just give him a bunch of love and pets then i think that's what he seems to really care
Chunk
There is always a reward - the one the handler gives or the one the dog takes. The toy search failed for two weeks, and the owners supplied the answer: carrots.
On film
the reward for being disobedient yeah right so the thing is there's always a reward the dog always
You know what's funny, some of the dogs won't bite this.
Angus
The dog chooses food: he learns badly under pressure and well with treats, so the trainer moves more of his training to food even though it is not his habit - and names the cost, a dog watching and nudging the hand.
On film
Angus does really good with treats. So I'm using treats for more and more of Angus's training
you see how he's nudging my hand and looking in my hand that's one of the things that i dislike about food
Anna
Two handlers find independently that she does not want to play and does want pets and cuddles, and touch becomes the reward.
On film
So Anna did pretty good, I think she needs help, because she doesn't like want, she, when I say like play, she doesn't want me
It's your reward.
Major
Day one's whole job, with the answer 'pets', not treats.
On film
you like treats no but you like pets you like pets
Murphy
The reward refined down to the detail: head pets rather than body pets.
On film
i've noticed he likes it better when i pet his head
Josephine
The ball is offered and ignored, so a person becomes the reward - 'we're using Christian as the reward for this session' - and the release word itself is the payment.
On film
It looks like we're using Christian as the reward for this session
When you have her doing anything. You use that release word. As the reward.
Simba
A retriever whose motivation is sniffing, given first, and petting, named as what he loves most; the dose is kept small.
On film
for a second because he's a retriever and he needs to sniff man the sniffing is a very powerful tool for the dogs to increase motivation
Stormi
Toys failed, personal play worked, sniffing became the paid reward - and the trainer expects her drives may still shift.
On film
because there's a chance that her drives can shift
the way that I reward her is I let her go and like sniff around
Sofia
Taught in Spanish: one dull throw tells you nothing about whether she likes it, and if we are not interested in the game, neither is the dog. Tug won over ball.
On film
y no puedes saber si ella se gusta o no cuando tú lo haces solamente una vez y está muy aburrido
Phoebe
Watch how the dog plays and let that set the play, at her pace; the handler's half is to 'think of yourself like an actor' and make it as fun as possible.
On film
think of yourself like an actor yeah yeah and try to and like your goal is to make it as fun as possible
Dolly
A nervous dog who will not take a toy pushed at her by a stranger, offered prey that moves away instead - 'what do they want out of the play'.
On film
because you got to think like what do they want out of the play if the dog's too nervous to play
Muna
Muna's arrival-day session is the test run cold. The trainer offers three toys in turn - a tug on a line, a ball on a tug, a softer tug - and lets her interest choose: little for the first, a little more for the ball, real interest in the softer tug. The same play is read for confidence: as soon as there is competition and he pulls, she gets a little nervous and lets go, which he takes to mean her confidence is low - so the first days are for confidence and engagement before anything else.
On film
engagement, and find what the dog wants to do, so I had to tug on a line, she didn't really care about that too much um the ball she got a little interested like the ball tug but not like a lot so but softer tug and she got really interested with that
So she wanted to play. She likes the tug. I can definitely tell she likes the softer tug.
but as soon as there's like a little competition and pressure me like pulling on it she lets it go
Tesla
Tesla arrived with Muna and got the same test the same day, with a different answer. She is more confident: a toy dangled in front of her to bite gets little, but a ball thrown in the air she grabs, plays with and rolls - her game is the chase and keep-away part. The trainer's plan builds on the answer rather than the toy: put competition into it (he pulls on the tug part, she possesses it, a release, then the game again), let her carry the ball as her prize, and put no obedience on the game until it is solid and engagement is high.
On film
I'm doing the same thing I did with muna where i'm just testing kind of what type of game does she like to play
where like not so much like if i dangle in front of her and like try to get her to bite it not so much but if i throw it in the air she wants to grab it right there she wants to play with it she wants to roll it around
and so like her game is definitely more of the actual chase part of it right
i want to be able to pull on the tug part with the ball and have her possess it a little bit and then and then release it and then like play the game again
i don't want to do any obedience or put anything like on it until i know the game is really solid and she really likes it and the engagement's nice and high
Whiskey
Whiskey is a nervous dog whose family had concluded that toys are not her thing - she wants her people. At her first in-program owner lesson the trainer gives the answer she gave him: she will chase a ball and nose it along the ground but won't grab it, she avoids tug every time, and what she wants is to chase him and herd him around while he runs back and forth acting goofy. He uses it as her game wherever they are, a store included: 'it's what she likes'.
On film
i've mostly just been doing it now where i just run back and forth yeah and i just act weird and goofy and like she jumps on me i roll on the ground with her i act funny
she'll chase the ball for me now but she doesn't she still doesn't quite want to like actually grab it or anything and she doesn't like tug for sure like she avoids tug like every time i try it
she would much rather chase me yeah and like herd me around which is fine i don't care um so i just let her do that
i ran back and forth she chased me like in the store people were looking at me and i was like okay it's what she likes
Ace (Chihuahua-terrier mix)
Ace gets excited for the ball, but his trainer found that what he cares about 'more than than literally anything else' is going to sniff and mark. So the reward is a long line or a long flexi and letting him do what he wants - set against Wiley, who is 'all about' the ball.
On film
situational more than anything else i found that with ace the the best thing that you can do with him is just let him go sniff stuff
wants to go sniff he wants to go pee on things and that's that's like his favorite thing he likes that better than ball
Apollo (the Sharkie)
Playing tug with Apollo the Sharkie, the trainer reads which part of the game he wants: some dogs give the toy back for another throw, but 'apollo wants to fight', so the trainer plays the fight for possession.
On film
see you have to learn what your dog likes some dogs they will give it back to you
because oh what they really want is to fight apollo wants to fight
Astra
With Astra, Sputnik's housemate, the ball gets little until it moves. The trainer already knows 'she likes personal play' and builds the chase from that.
On film
I know she likes personal play.
It needs to be moving for you, huh?
Baxter
Baxter's trainer explains the fallback: a dog that is not used to playing, or is nervous, often will not chase a ball or tug, so the handler switches to personal play, which is 'exhausting for a person'.
On film
of times when I'm playing with a dog that's like not used to playing or more nervous or something like that they won't go after the ball they won't tug so then I have to do personal play
Callie
Callie's first sessions are a run of offers read and dropped. The tug draws 'nah', so a treat is tried. Later she turns out to like holding toys rather than tugging, and on a walk she would rather sniff. Her handler stops carrying treats because 'She's not a treat, treat hound'.
On film
You said nah.
no you just like toys you just like toys
She's not a treat, treat hound, so don't really even carry any treats when I'm with her.
Come on, let's go. Let's walk. Good girl. What's going on? No? Okay, she'd rather sniff.
Coco
A preference is not fixed. The running game that worked with Coco the day before is not wanted today, and the trainer says so and moves on.
On film
So we did a little bit of a running play with her yesterday
Yeah, she does not want to do that with me today
Egg
With Egg, who does not yet play, the session is set up as a search: let him walk around, then 'try different different toys see if anything sticks'.
On film
try different different toys see if anything sticks and hopefully it goes well
bit, and I'm going to see if I can pique his interest a little bit in some play time.
Irwin
Irwin's trainer states the rule for any dog: try things until you find what gets this dog to play, because a dog you play with is far more pliable. He then looks for a game Irwin will like - chasing a particular ball - to get past some of his nervousness.
On film
things that's really important is that you try things figure out what you can can do to get this dog to play whatever dog it is
And then we'll go from there and hopefully we'll kind of get around some of that nervousness and build a game that he really likes to play
Kalypso
Kalypso left last week's treats lying on the floor, and she will not play with the trainer's toy. So the plan switches: the family plays with her first, with her own rope, and the trainer tries to join in with a triangle game.
On film
if she wasn't last week we can try but last week she left him laying on the floor
all right so we're gonna switch plan b we're gonna have one of you guys play with her first
Max (Goldendoodle)
The first thing done with Max (the Goldendoodle) is the test: a tough tug, then 'maybe he doesn't like this one because this one's a little harder', then a softer Euro tug.
On film
that stuff today first thing we're going to do though is we're going to see what if he likes to play with any of the toys
max hey whoa maybe he doesn't like this one because this one's a little harder
Milo
The duck toy brought from home gets nothing from Milo, so the trainer drops it and they go for a run together.
On film
all right well he's not really doing the duck hunting right now so we're just going to do a little run
Ozzy
With nervous Ozzy the same rule is applied to touch: 'your dog decides what's a reward'. Some dogs love petting, but for him it is not ideal, and overdone it is a punishment, so he is got used to touch a little at a time.
On film
is that your dog decides what's a reward and what will make them alert to something
so for ozzy some dogs love to be pet for him that's not his ideal
Penny
Kelton reads which part of the game Penny will buy. When she guards the tug rather than competing for it, he switches to 'a little bit more of a cooperative game' with the ball. On another day he notices she will grab a toy from a visitor but not from him.
On film
she likes this ball go get it try a little bit more of a cooperative game she doesn't really want to compete with me right now
see if she'll grab this from you she doesn't like to grab it from me
Peque (PK)
Peque's handlers tried the ball and she 'did not really respond to it'; she is interested in sniffing. On a later walk the trainers agree that she does not care much about the ball and wants personal play and play-fighting.
On film
with Oscar and he's a boy so we see that PK loves he's so interested in sniffing some things and we tried the ball thing he did not really respond to it
She doesn't care much about the ball every time she wants to do personal play all the time
Rocky
Rocky's session opens with the question 'if he wants to play ball at all or if he's just more interested in sniffing'. The answer is the ball - he 'obsesses over it'. Tug is still being found: he won't hold on well yet, so a different toy is tried.
On film
field here i want to see if he wants to play ball at all or if he's just more interested in sniffing
that ball he obsesses over it yeah Rocky likes the ball
Roman
With Roman the toys are offered one after another, and the trainer picks a ball on a rope on purpose: he can keep possession and see whether Roman will try to take it.
On film
hey Roman Roman look dude I want to try this one cuz it's on a rope so I can keep possession of it I want to see if he'll try to take it
Teddy
Teddy is offered tug or ball and plays in some sessions, but out in one setting he is 'more interested in the environment', so the trainer does not use play with him there.
On film
go get it see he's more interested in the environment that's why i'm not playing with him out
Oh, you wanna play tug?
Thor
On Thor's first day in the park, toys are offered in turn - something squeaky, then another - and each is read from his response ('doesn't care about that right now').
On film
better you want a squeaker doesn't care about that right now maybe oh maybe this
Thumper
Gemma offers Thumper a ball, a tug and a donut, and names the finding: 'Every dog has different motivations. Praise, toys, food. Thumper loves toys.' Within toys she reads finer still - the ball 'not so much', and the donut over the tug, because 'he just wants to beat it up'.
On film
Not every dog. Every dog has different motivations.
Praise, toys, food. Thumper loves toys.
donut go get your donut go get your donut he prefers his donut over the tug toy he just wants to beat it up
Zeus (March 2026)
The assessment can come back negative for play. Connor half expected the March 2026 Zeus to go crazy for a tug, and he didn't: he is 'not like super play driven'. So the reward after the release is treats, sniffing, or sometimes just doing nothing.
On film
didn't like okay pretty much doubles as like for him I noticed he's not like super play driven
crazy he didn't really um he just kind of likes treats and he likes to go around and sniff and sometimes there's a reward is just doing nothing
Why it works
Stated as a definition rather than physiology: a reinforcer is not a kind of object but whatever this animal will work for, so the only way to know is to test. The trainers argue it from the punishing side - petting a dog that hates it is a punishment (watch 20:37; watch 11:08) - and from competition: there is always a reward, the one you give or the one the dog takes, so yours has to beat his (watch 23:42; watch 16:22). The one piece of theory about play is the prey cycle: games imitate fragments of predatory behaviour, 'that's why dog goes so nuts for them' (watch 12:41), stated independently on Stormy ('six parts of the cycle', watch 08:35) and Bernie (watch 17:33). If so, the dog is buying a fragment, and it can be found by test: withhold the win and see whether arousal climbs (watch 14:18). A second, handler-side mechanism: the dog's interest follows the handler's (watch 08:44; watch 30:47). Movement is offered as a reward in its own right because running 'releases a bunch of happy stuff in their brain' (watch 09:32; watch 18:04). Inferred, not stated: nobody explains why a given dog prefers one fragment, whether preferences are stable (Stormi's trainer expects they may shift, watch 07:08), or whether the fragment list is complete. Coverage pass (1 Oct 2026): on the open question of stability, the record now shows preferences that change by day (Coco, watch 02:22), by person (Penny will take a toy from a visitor and not from her trainer, watch 06:35) and by setting (Teddy, watch 00:41). Nobody on film explains why. The punishing-side argument recurs for touch with a nervous dog (Ozzy, watch 01:35).
Where the trainers differ
Whether to build value in a reward the dog does not yet want, or take the answer he gives.
One view
Build it: low ball drive is a project.
On film
I'll see if he wants it he'll probably walk by it yeah he doesn't care that much I'm trying to get him to care about the ball more
him up that much more right um so like in his native state i'm it's not that you can't develop
Another view
Take the answer: find what she goes crazy for and use it.
On film
i say heartbreak and then he i can sniff and he goes off and sniffs the sniff is the treat
she would much rather chase me yeah and like herd me around which is fine i don't care um so i just let her do that
How to read it
The Rocko trainer reconciles it himself for pet dogs ('find the part they love, do that part'). Bo is the test case and it comes back negative over months.
Whether refusing to play is a finding about the dog or about the conditions.
One view
A finding: record it and work around it.
On film
Okay, he doesn't care about any of the toys yet.
He doesn't care about it, not right now.
Another view
Check the toy, the heat and the handler first.
On film
Yeah, he likes a much stronger toy because he's got a much stronger bite this dog
here's a it's not a big fan of playing I think it's just cause too hot so pool
y no puedes saber si ella se gusta o no cuando tú lo haces solamente una vez y está muy aburrido
and so then you have two choices you can either go to to an area where like he's more motivated for fetch or sometimes what happens is after they get more and more used to going to new places they're like oh okay and they can pay attention to fetch
How to read it
Bullet appears on both sides, days apart; Ramsey is read as a non-player and then as a hot dog.
Whether the strongest motivator is the right one to train with.
One view
Use whatever is most powerful, especially for the recall.
On film
You got to use whatever your most powerful motivator is and she loves that drink right there
Another view
A reward you cannot produce on demand is less useful however strong; cost and availability to the family matter too.
On film
the fastest but it's not really i haven't been able to get it where it's something that's totally
every dog learns differently and i don't believe there's like a one one to all method for every dog
How to read it
Three criteria - strength, controllability, cost - and no stated order among them.
Common owner mistakes
- Assuming petting is always a reward.
On film
If I pet a dog that hates being pet after they do something, that could be a positive punishment.
Deuce · Watch at 20:37 ↗ - Deciding the dog 'isn't a player' after one throw or one toy.
On film
y no puedes saber si ella se gusta o no cuando tú lo haces solamente una vez
Sofia · Watch at 8:08 ↗ Yeah, he likes a much stronger toy because he's got a much stronger bite this dog
Bullet · Watch at 6:16 ↗ - Assuming a nervous dog won't play.
On film
Don't just assume that, oh, well, you know, they're kind of like fearful or they're kind of nervous so they won't do it.
Kodak · Watch at 7:49 ↗ - Playing a game the dog can never win, or always wins without effort.
On film
one thing that can make a game suck is if you never win
Kodak · Watch at 1:04:47 ↗ - Insisting the game be played one way (always bring it back).
On film
right and so like all those are aspects so like a lot of times people get kind of caught up and
Lola · Watch at 54:58 ↗ - Pushing a toy at a nervous dog instead of letting it move away like prey.
On film
with me because she doesn't know me she's like oh right so if i just went and tried to shove the toy
Dolly · Watch at 5:45 ↗ - Paying only in food, on a predictable schedule.
On film
tell people when they go home, make sure that maybe the the treat is like every other time or something
Luna · Watch at 26:17 ↗
Questions owners ask
What is the best toy for training?
The one your dog wants, and you find out by testing. Trainers on film bring several things and watch - one scores them out of ten on the first day (watch 02:28). 'Try tug, try ball, try stuff' (watch 07:35). If a soft toy fails, try a stronger one: one dog ignored soft toys for days and gripped a solid one at once (watch 06:16).
On film
ball yeah we'll give it like a like a three out of ten floor pole we'll give it like a five out of ten
This is why you should always take some stuff with you and try it, right?
My dog doesn't play. What do I use?
Many dogs on film don't, and the trainers use what they do want: being rubbed on (watch 05:15), sniffing - 'the sniff is the treat' (watch 19:39), a paddling pool, a drink of water (watch 12:24), a short run (watch 09:32), being chased - one nervous dog would 'much rather chase me ... and like herd me around' (watch 04:49), or food when that is how the dog learns best (watch 04:25). Also check the game: one you never win, or always win without effort, is no fun (watch 64:47). A wider reading of the session record adds more dogs whose answer was not a toy. Ace and Peque work for sniffing. The March 2026 Zeus is 'not like super play driven', so his reward is treats, sniffing or simply doing nothing. Callie is 'not a treat, treat hound' and likes holding toys rather than tugging.
On film
every dog learns differently and i don't believe there's like a one one to all method for every dog
i say heartbreak and then he i can sniff and he goes off and sniffs the sniff is the treat
she would much rather chase me yeah and like herd me around which is fine i don't care um so i just let her do that
him is just let him go sniff stuff he cares about that more than than literally anything else
crazy he didn't really um he just kind of likes treats and he likes to go around and sniff and sometimes there's a reward is just doing nothing
She's not a treat, treat hound, so don't really even carry any treats when I'm with her.
Isn't petting always a reward?
No. 'If I pet a dog that hates being pet after they do something, that could be a positive punishment' (watch 20:37); 'every dog kind of chooses what's a reinforcement and what's a punishment' (watch 11:08). Even the kind of touch matters - one dog likes head pets over body pets (watch 00:06). Ozzy is the nervous-dog version: 'your dog decides what's a reward', and for him heavy petting is more punishment than reward.
On film
If I pet a dog that hates being pet after they do something, that could be a positive punishment.
i've noticed he likes it better when i pet his head
is that your dog decides what's a reward and what will make them alert to something
He likes tug but gets bored quickly. Why?
He may like one part of it rather than the whole game. Trainers break play into fragments - chase, grab, the fight for possession, the win - and say to find which one he wants and give him more of that (watch 12:53, 13:35). One test: keep making him miss; if he doesn't ramp up, it is not the chase he's after (watch 14:18). Your own interest matters too - if you are bored, so is he (watch 08:44).
On film
figure out which part of the play they like the most and use that to its advantage
Que jugamos también con los perros porque si nosotros no estamos muy interesado en el juego ellos también no van a estar interesados
Should I use treats?
The trainers disagree. Several prefer play and freedom and warn that a dog paid in food is only trained while you have food (watch 25:55); if you use treats, randomise them (26:17). Another moves a dog to food because he learns better with it, while naming the downside - a dog watching your hand (watch 04:25; watch 26:56).
On film
Sniffing around is her reward and she loves it. The thing is, I don't really rely on treats
Angus does really good with treats.
The lesson
The goal
Run a reward assessment: offer several rewards, score the dog's response, check equipment and handler energy before concluding, and identify the part of a game the dog values.
Learn first
See it done
- Tug, flirt pole and ball offered in turn before any teaching. Watch at 0:40 ↗
- Three toys scored out of ten. Watch at 2:28 ↗
- Play broken into prey-cycle parts, with the miss test. Watch at 12:30 ↗
- A stronger toy turns a non-player into a tugger. Watch at 1:24 ↗
The drill
Bring three or four things - a ball, a tug, a flirt pole, some food - and your hands. Offer each for a couple of minutes, animated, and score the dog out of ten (watch 02:28). If nothing lands, change the object (watch 06:16) and your own energy (watch 08:44) before concluding. With the game that scores highest, find the part he wants: let him win sometimes (watch 64:47), make him miss a few times and watch whether arousal climbs (watch 14:18). Also try release to sniff (watch 19:39) and touch (watch 05:15). Use the winner as the reward for the next session.
Watch out for
- One dull throw, then 'he doesn't play'.
- Assuming petting is rewarding.
- Only soft toys tried.
- A game he can never win.
- Assuming a nervous dog won't play (watch 07:49).
Check yourself
Your dog walks past the ball and ignores the soft tug. What two things do you change before deciding he doesn't play? (The toy - try a firmer one - and how you play it; also try touch and sniffing as rewards.)