Your Treat Bag (Divided by Level?)

 I just let everything hang out together when I do my treat bag. To be honest, I haven't seen any research to say that the jackpot method is effective. In fact, I have seen something to the opposite, but I couldn't say where right now.  Then again, when most people jackpot, they give a higher quantity, and not necessarily a higher quality.

griffinej5

 I just let everything hang out together when I do my treat bag. To be honest, I haven't seen any research to say that the jackpot method is effective. In fact, I have seen something to the opposite, but I couldn't say where right now.  Then again, when most people jackpot, they give a higher quantity, and not necessarily a higher quality.

Interesting. I didn't realize there was doubt over the effectiveness of a Jackpot! I do know that I've seen the latest seminar by Applied Animal Behaviorist Patricia McConnell and she is still using Jackpots! She does change with the times and adapts to the latest findings... and she hasn't mentioned anything about this. So for now, I will continue to use it. Yes, you're probably right I think it is quantity... but maybe quality, too? I'd like to hear everyone's opinion on that one... as I'm not clear on that.

I suppose I do "Jackpot" Misha when he's learning a new behavior. But kind of in reverse. The first times he gets good treats, then they get less valuable as the behavior becomes more and more learned. If tracking he gets good treats at articles, and kibble on the track (to start him).

As far as a "treat bag", I just found an old fanny pack I had. It has two zipper pouches one that I keep kibble in and one with higher value treats in it. The higher value treats are mixed together though -- blueberry, liver, cookies, duck treats, etc.

I mix all my treats.  Normally I'm just using NB food roll, but sometimes dice up leftover meat or cheese.  The only time I purposefully use different treats is during tracking, but for obedience I throw everything in the pouch.  I do have larger chunks but not for a greater value reward, more for when I am doing luring activities where the dog is constantly munching as we go along.  A larger chunk in the treat pouch does not necessarily mean the dog gets the whole thing at once, it's just easier to deliver bit by bit letting the dog have a nibble.

As for jackpots, I use these at the end, more to signal the end of the session than to try to communicate that what the dog did at that instant was somehow more important than something else.  I just use a greater quantity rather than higher quality.  Normally when I'm clicker training with treats the dog immediately returns attention to me and will start throwing behaviors if I don't say something within a second or two.  The jackpot gives me a few seconds to step away, put the clicker and pouch out of sight, and cue the dog that the session is over, they don't have to run back to me and stare at my face because the rewards are gone.

I guess I can understand where the jackpot doesn't necessarily help.  I work my dogs with the highest value rewards needed for whatever I'm trying to accomplish.  If I can get my dog to heel for 10 minutes with food roll, I'm not going to bust out raw steak and use that.  If the dog won't perform as I want unless there is a "jackpot" of higher value, than whatever I'm using is not enough anyway.  If I'm outside and decide to to an impromptu obedience session I'll just pick up a stick and use that as a tug or fetch reward, I don't need to run in and find a ball or Kong in order for the dog to work at the same level.  The "jackpot" might be a longer tug session or fetch session at the end, but like I said that is more of a cue that the training/learning part is over, and I think also reinforces that training and learning in general is fun and ends with a game or a big treat.

I randomize my treats and find that to be the most effective awards system.  From what I understand about this method is that the dog should respond to you exactly the same weather it's getting a verbal reward or an outstanding food reward.  The dog will be on it's best behavior at all times because at any moment it can hit the jackpot.  This can be tricky because instinctively we tend to not be very random.

I do this especialy on training recalls because you never know when you may need to use that command and you want the dog to listed each and every time.  Outside of structured training you may or may not always have a specific reward on hand so it's very important for the dog to listen no matter what the reward may be.  When I train, I like to train for real life situations that could happen and thoes are often very random. 

I don't use different treats all in the same bag.  I use a jackpot when a dog has an especially great response to a command he/she is just learning.  I use increased quantity rather than a higher value treat for jackpots.