R+ Training: Using the highest reinforcement

[Liesje]

I kind of "get" it in theory, but in reality....if my dog struggled that much to focus because of a bitch in heat I'd probably just ask the person to back up a bit. Part of dog training is knowing when to pick your battles! Also I don't agree that the dog gets to choose the reinforcement. I'm often working my dogs with reinforcers that might not be the absolutely most desirable thing for them. Really by definition a reinforcer is *anything* that helps make the desired behavior happen, so it either works or it doesn't, there doesn't have to be a full spectrum of how reinforcing something is. I often train with kibble when I have dog treats available, or throw a stick instead of getting out a Gappay ball. In flyball I'm in the process of forcing Nikon to change the reward. The most rewarding thing for him is no longer practical in that context.