When you preference test your dog, you learn what type of rewards they prefer. By knowing what your dog prefers you can help better motivate and reward them. They’re going to associate you with their favorite things and feel more compelled to listen because you give up the good stuff. It also helps you bond with your dog, by getting to know them better.

You can find out your dogs preferences by presenting two or more of similar items and see which they prefer, which they seem more excited about and which they tend to move towards and grab faster and/or more often.

You may find they vacillate between two items; they don’t always seem to prefer one over the other. If this happens, you know that both items have pretty equal value to your dog.

You’re going to find variations in what your dog likes based on what type of items it is and again within that sub-group of items. For example, you could present your dog with a toy or a treat, if they like treats better you can then test different kinds of treats against each other and see what kind your dog likes most.

You will be able to see which your dog prefers of…
– food
– toys
– locations
– people
– tactile stimulation

Repeat the same test at least 3 times to determine their preference. Whichever they go to most and seem most excited about will be their preference.

Pay attention to details. You may want to learn more about the subtle body language that dogs use first, before commencing preference tests. That way, you can be sure to look out for those signs your dog is giving you.

Some of these signs may be…
– snatching
– eyes popping (getting larger, showing the whites of the eyes)
– which one they go for first, and which they go for most often
– if it’s a toy, which toy they play with longer
– pulling harder, if they are on leash

When testing your dogs food preferences, you’re going to want to keep a few things in mind and understand that not all types of food can be compared equally.

Dogs understand the difference between large and small. You can’t compare a large piece of food to a small piece of food. You need to make sure that the pieces of food you are comparing are the same size.

There are a lot of different types of toys on the market for dogs, and your dog may prefer a type of toy over another. Pay attention to which toys they grab most often, which they hold in their mouth for longer, which they try to initiate play with you more, and whether they prefer a toy they can cash, catch, hold or chew.

There may be variations in…
– size
– texture
– purpose

A dog may prefer a plush toy over a rubber chew. Or maybe your dog loves to play tug o’ war and prefer a good rope toy. Maybe they love to chase balls but prefer a felted tennis ball over a rubber ball.

All of these variations leave for a lot of possibilities that could be your dogs favorite! Test many different toys against each other and see how your dog responds to determine which is their favorites.

Where does your dog like to go to relax, to sleep, or to hang out with the family? To know these preferences you will need to pay attention and take notice of your dogs favorite resting place.

The variations around your dogs favorite locations may be…
– warm seeking
– cool seeking
– quiet location
– central pathway
– inside
– outside

Some northern breeds of dogs and large dogs with thick coats of fur actually prefer to be outside in the winter. If you look at a thermal image of one of these dogs you’ll actually see how much their coats keep heat in. In comparison, you can see how much a heat a short-haired dog would loose. I’ve known of thick coated northern dogs who have full access to an indoor heated home but they choose to sleep in the snow.

It’s no secret that dogs often prefer one person over another. It is commonly the person that feeds, walks, plays, and trains the dog the most. You can understand your dogs people preferences by observing how they interact with each person in their family. Who do they seem most excited about when they return home? When your family is hanging out for a movie night, who does your dog choose to snuggle up with (if anyone)?

Understanding how to ask for consent from your dog can also help you determine who your dog enjoys spending time with, playing with or being pet by the most. You may even find that your dog prefers different people for each of these activities.

To ask your dog for consent when interacting, simply offer yourself to the dog. You can talk to them, clap your hands, offer your hands to smell and for pets, and see how your dog responds. If your dog seems excited, pushes into you, sits at your feet and leans into you, or otherwise shows any signs that they enjoy being pet by you and want to be close to you then it’s pretty safe to say that your dog is saying YES to this interaction. However, if your dog comes in for pets and then turns and leaves, looks away, stays just outside of your reach or maybe even lays down a little ways away from you these are all indications that your dog is saying no thanks, they’re not interested in that interaction. Test out consent with your dog and each person in your family to see who they enjoy interacting with the most.

Remember that dogs moods can change and they may not always prefer the same people all the time. Do the consent test several times and to determine which people your dog prefers most often.

If the results aren’t what you would like, you can make changes in how you interact with your dog to shape a more desirable outcome. Spend more time doing the things your dog likes and prefers and your dog will suddenly think you’re the greatest person in the family! You always have the best treats, the best toys and take the time to understand and respect their preferences.

Tactile preferences is the type of touch your dog prefers. Again, it is helpful if you have a basic understanding of canine communication when doing a tactile preference test. Understanding the subtle cues your dog gives you will help you know which type of touch your dog prefers.

Do one type of touch with one hand and another type of touch with another hand. Observe your dogs body position and which type of pressure your dog leans into.

You can try different variables of touch, such as…
– heavy pressure vs light pressure
– stroking vs. scratching
– close hugs and petting vs at arms length

Most dogs don’t enjoy hugs and kisses. Those dogs which do seem to enjoy this type of interaction have usually been conditioned to enjoy it. Some dogs may enjoy hugs and kisses from their owner but feel extremely uncomfortable if a stranger or lesser-known person tries to interact with them in this way.

Dogs often don’t like to be pet on the top of their head because there is a blind spot there. They may be conditioned to accept and even enjoy it from their favorite people, but when it comes to strangers they should never pet a dog on top of the head.

Imagine if your partner always bought your flowers but what you actually liked was chocolates. Imagine you had no efficient way to communicate this with them so they just kept buying you flowers. Yeah, you may appreciate the gesture, but what would really get you happy, excited and appreciative is if they knew what your favorite thing was.

Now that you understand your dogs preferences, you can use this information to better motivate and encourage them which will give you better success in your training as well as a deeper bond with your dog.

Good luck, and Happy Training!