What is your lab's motivator?

[kimbersmom]

What motivates your lab during training?

For Kimber, it was food, followed by food, ending with food. It could be her usual kibble, she wasn't picky, and it made her exceptionally easy to train (as long as I could use, you know, food.)

Our fur nephew, Magnus (the 8 month old neighbors' lab) isn't especially interested in other food. He's not particularly toy focused, either. For him, it seems to be attention. He really wants you to wrestle with him and rub his belly. When we've fed him, he'll come out of his crate and want a good love-rubdown before checking out his food bowl. He'll even take a break during his meal to get some ear scratches! Such a change from Kimber.

Does your pup have a favorite food or toy, or is it something else that gets his/her motor going?

[TuMicks]

Depends upon the setting. Inside the house... FOOD! Outside the house, the retrieve. But most of what we train for is field work. With a field-bred dog, the WORST punishment you can do is to deny them the bird/bumper. Conversely, getting the bird/bumper is tremendously reinforcing.

[ZoeysMommy]

Food and more food for Zoey, Zoey does what she wants when she wants so praise and attention do nothing for her but she will move a mountain for some food. My younger yellow lab Aimee is the exact opposite and is such a pleaser. Food, toys, and attention all work for her. She will do anything for you as long as you are paying attention to her. Aimee loves to be busy where Zoey prefers to sleep her life away which she has been doing for the last 10 years

[barry581]

Sophie is food motivated. Brooks would rather retrieve, or get one of his high value toys, food comes in 3rd.

[SunDance]

I've had dogs in the past who were so food motivated that I couldn't use food to train...all the focus would be on the food.

Most of mine have appreciated treats for training. Danny is the only one who preferred praise....not that he'd turn down food, mind you, but, for Dan, it's always been about the love. For training. Now....we know a few people who carry treats and I can't get either dog to be anything but rude if they know they're going to be getting something. All training/manners go right out the window. At least Sunnie keeps all four paws on the ground for the most part...she's just soooooo focused. Dan has his nose in people's pockets, paws up on their thighs. And all of these people just can't get enough of his antics so I don't stand a chance on enforcing anything without seriously making him feel scolded. He's just like his mother....about whom the shelter folks had said "a harsh word will devastate her". They weren't kidding.

[Berna]

Tennis balls! The word “ball!” replaced the command “come!”

I tried with food but he was more interested in sniffing the bushes.

[MightyThor]

Definitely food. My emergency recall is "who wants a cookie?"

[Anna Scott]

I echo what TuMick's says. It is the retrieve. M lives for that.

[Beth C]

So far, Lido is very motivated by food, followed by praise.

[Labradorks]

Food followed by affection (personal play, physical praise). Which is great because I can use the latter in the obedience ring.