Hi everyone! Today's post is week 2 of the Engagement Series. If you're behind or starting late, no worries! You are free to go at your own pace - however - just make sure you're starting at the beginning, otherwise as we build on each week it will be too quick for your dog!

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So today we're going to talk about the Premack Principle and utilizing Environmental Rewards.

What is the "Premack Principle"?

The Premack principle is a principle of reinforcement which states that an opportunity to engage in more probable behaviors (or activities) will reinforce less probable behaviors (or activities) It is frequently referred to as "grandma's law". Which is "If you eat your vegetables, you can have dessert."

Don't overthink this concept! It's really simple and heres the even more important thing, IT WORKS.

If you have been working on the Auto Check-ins from last week, you may have noticed that your dog started to watch you TOO much and wouldn't leave your side because they wanted treats.

THIS is where utilizing Premack and Environment are key.

So let's break this down and make it easy to understand.

Think about a behavior your dog does that is very likely to happen.

• On a walk with my dogs, I know that they are very likely to sniff and pee on things.

• In our backyard, I know that my dogs are very likely to dart out the back door and eat grass.

It doesn't matter where, or what, but think about a behavior your dog will almost always do.

Now let's think of a behavior we *want* them to do that is less likely to happen.

• On a walk with my dogs, I know that they are less likely to offer me eye contact.

• In our backyard, I know that my dogs are less likely to sit and wait at the back door.

So by using the Premack Principle, I can increase the likelyhood of "offering eye contact" when on a walk by using "sniffing and peeing" to reinforce it.

Does that make sense? IF not... watch the video above to see an example. So rather than only using FOOD to reinforce a behavior we like, we are now using something the dog is going to do anyways.

Another example in the video, I asked the dogs to wait and look at me before drinking water. Do I mind if they drink water whenever they want? Of course not! But in this scenario, I knew that they were both thirsty, and so I utilized the very likely behavior of "drinking water" to reinforce a less likely behavior of "waiting and looking at me".

Now you're free to use this as a reinforcer for an "auto-check in" but you want to really learn to utilize these environmental rewards for your cues as well. Whatever cue your dog knows, try using an environmental reward to reinforce the behavior. Rather than giving your dog a treat for sitting, ask them to sit and then release them through a doorway as the reward. This will not only make the sit more likely, but it also helps remove the need for constant food rewards.

In the video, you will see me both use a food reward AND an environmental reward. This is a variation of "Intermittent Reinforcement". We don't want our dogs to expect food every time, but we also don't want them to think it's no longer an option. The more you keep your dog guessing, they will keep trying!

The Premack Principle is an amazing way to get a dog who is consistently looking to you. You don't want to be the "control freak" who doesn't let them do what they want, but instead, you want to be the person who gives them everything they want. Rather than letting your dog have access to all of these environmental rewards for free, UTILIZE THEM!

Does your dog want to go play with a doggie friend? Ask for a check in and reinforce it with both food and the "okay" to go play. Try to see the things your dog wants to do as opportunities for reinforcement of a behavior. This will completely change the way you live your life with your dog and they will start to willingly look to YOU for everything.

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Alright guys, now is the time to try this with your dog! Don't miss out on this opportunity to really change the way your dog looks at you and their environment. Be sure to take videos, send them to me, tag me, and encourage others in their journey towards more engagement with their dogs!