How to Motivate Our Dog

A dog who plays with us, with other dogs, or even alone with a stick or chasing leaves in the wind… is a happy dog enjoying life. A dog who obeys our commands during training, getting rewarded for it afterwards, is a satisfied, fulfilled dog.

But what happens when our dog doesn't want to play and/or doesn't learn properly during training? Motivation is essential to get our dog keen to play with us or with other dogs — motivation is also the most important part of training a dog.

Let's look at the best tricks for motivating our dogs, so they feel like learning or playing, and all of it in the most fun way possible.

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Tricks for Motivating Our Dog During Training

We need to bear in mind that before starting a training session, our dog should have gone for a walk and played for a while — that is, they should have burned off some energy first. This way they'll keep their concentration better during the session.

Every time our dog follows our command, we should reward them so they want to do it right again, to get another reward. We can use dog snacks or even a few pieces of their own kibble as a reward.

This way, every time they do something right, they'll get food. That will motivate them a great deal to keep doing it right. We should also motivate our dog by praising them; when they do something right, we'll give them their reward to eat, while praising and stroking them at the same time. They need to feel we're genuinely pleased with what they've done, so their motivation will grow even more.

It matters to take a break every fifteen or twenty minutes, with the break lasting around ten minutes at least. During the break, we should play with our dog, let them sniff things, run and so on…

So the steps for properly motivating a dog are:

1. Give them a reward every time they do the exercise/command properly.
2. Praise and stroke them at the same time, while giving them their reward.
3. Feel proud of our dog so they can sense our joy — strange as it may seem, they can tell.
4. Always follow the steps above, so the motivation isn't lost.

Tips for Motivating Our Dog to Play

Some dogs are a bit calmer than others and need a little push to feel like doing things, something to motivate them to start playing and have fun. And to get a dog interested in a toy, we need to use different techniques from the rewards we use when training them.

The key thing is to always let our dog play as they please; if they want to play alone with a stick or chasing leaves blown by the wind, why not let them? If they want to play with us, they'll let us know, since they'll come looking for us.

We should remember it's far better for our dog to play with other dogs than, say, to play with us. Playing with other dogs will tire them out more (they'll get more exercise), and it will also help our dog socialise properly.

Even so, when there are no other dogs to play with, or when they simply don't feel like playing, it matters to motivate them a little. We can throw them a stick for them to fetch, or a ball. If this doesn't work, we can use a toy that makes noise, so that when they bite it, it makes a sound, motivating them to keep playing with it.

We can also use one of those toys with holes for putting food inside, such as the well-known Kongs. This way, when we throw it for them, they'll be drawn in by the food and run to fetch it.

And If My Dog Isn't Motivated by Anything?

There are cases where dogs don't feel like playing or running, for example when they're older (elderly) or unwell. Older dogs don't have the same vitality as young dogs — bear in mind they're a bit of a grandad and prefer to take life at a different pace.

Sick dogs usually aren't in the mood, showing low motivation and little interest in doing anything. If your dog is young and you notice their motivation has dropped a great deal with no obvious cause, it's advisable to see the vet for a check-up.

It may also be that the techniques you're using to motivate your dog aren't the right ones — maybe you're using a reward they don't like or find appealing… or maybe the dog simply feels uncomfortable with the situation or stressed, and at that moment doesn't want to play or learn.