The Genius of SMART x 50
SMART x 50 was developed by Kathy Sdao in Plenty in Life is Free. It is an acronym that stands for See Mark and Reward Training.
We definitely notice when our puppy is chewing on our wallet and we tend to ignore them when they are quietly relaxing on their bed. Of course, we want less of the inappropriate chewing and more of the appropriate relaxing. SMART x50 is going to help with that. This exercise forces us to focus on the good things our dogs do and then reinforce those good behaviours which mean we get to see more of the good behaviour!
How to do it:
Take 50 high-value treats and put them in an area that is frequented by you and your dog. These treats should be easily accessible so you can reward quickly. Throughout the day you are going to actively look for good behaviours that your dog does. This can be any behaviour!
As soon as they do something that you like, you are going to mark and reward. What does mark and reward mean? Your marker word is the word you use to let your dog know that they have just done something you like, and they can expect a reward to follow. This could look like you saying “good boy” and THEN delivering a treat.
How we view our dogs is so important and it can have a great impact on the relationship and life we have with our dogs. If we can retrain our own brains, it will not only benefit us but also our dogs. We can and should become proactive about our dog’s behaviour. Noticing the good behaviours will likely prevent a lot of bad behaviours from developing.
A few advantages of SMART x50 are that it is perfect for dogs with shorter attention spans. It is also suitable for dogs that have received training before AND also dogs that have not learned any cues. It avoids frustration that might happen during training and allows our dogs to make good choices on their own.