This is a list of dog motivators and rewards. I originally created and published an early version of this list in my book Juvenile Delinquent Dogs. The version below reorganizes that original work into structured categories while also expanding it with additional motivators, rewards, and behavioral concepts.

Before you get into the list, you will see some things that you would not normally see on a list of “rewards” for your dog. You will look at some of these and go, that's not a reward! I would never give my dog that or let my dog do that! But here's the thing. . .

This list includes motivators for your dog. Things that motivate them to chase, sniff, pull on the leash, bark, jump, and other things you might or might not like. These are things that motivate your dog, but some of these things are NOT things you would want to let your dog have or do as a reward. Some of these things are the big distraction that you are trying to prevent your dog from doing or eating or whatever it is they want to do with that thing. These are the distractions that you struggle with. But they are motivators for your dog. So you need to understand them.

However, some of these motivators CAN be used as the reward. If you control access to your dog's motivators, and you can use some of them as the reward for listening to you and behaving the way that you want, that gives you a huge advantage. Controlling access to the “good stuff” makes you pretty important and valuable. Not because you are more interesting or exciting or have higher value rewards than the motivators you are competing with. But because you control access to those motivators.

There might be certain things your dog is motivated by that you don't love. But a little compromise here and there can be very beneficial to you. Are there some motivators that you don't love but really are not harmful to your dog that you could use as a reward once in a while to build stronger responses from your dog?

One important distinction:

• Rewards = something the dog receives that is of value and makes it more likely for the dog to repeat the behavior
• Motivators = internal or external drives that cause dogs to perform certain behaviors
• Many “problem behaviors” are actually self-rewarding behaviors.

That means this framework can be used for:

• training
• behavior modification
• enrichment
• drive development
• AI/behavior tagging systems
• reinforcement strategy selection
• dog personality profiling

Food & Edible Rewards

Standard Food Rewards

• Their own dry dog food
• Another dog’s dry dog food
• Canned moist dog food
• Cat food
• Dog food roll

Commercial Treats

• Dog biscuits
• Freeze-dried liver
• Jerky treats
• Chicken-flavored treats
• Lamb-flavored treats
• Beef-flavored treats
• Salmon-flavored treats
• Peanut butter-flavored treats
• Moist dog treats
• Crunchy dog treats
• Soft training treats
• High-value training treats
• Dental chews

Human Food Rewards

• Cheese
• Roast beef
• Ham
• Steak
• Chicken
• Hot dogs
• Liverwurst
• Peanut butter
• Yogurt
• Eggs
• Tuna
• Sardines

Healthy / Low-Calorie Rewards

• Cheerios
• Carrot slices
• Green beans
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Banana slices
• Pumpkin puree
• Cucumbers

Novelty / Opportunistic Food Rewards

• Goose droppings
• Horse/cow manure
• Garbage
• Dead animals
• Compost
• Food found outdoors
• Another dog’s treats
• Table scraps
• Hunting/scavenging rewards

Consumable Enrichment

• Frozen stuffed Kongs
• Lick mats
• Snuffle mats
• Interactive puzzle feeders
• Scatter feeding
• Food search games
• Frozen broth cubes
• Ice cubes

Water & Environmental Sensory Rewards

Water Interaction

• Water to drink
• Water to play in
• Swimming
• Splashing
• Playing in sprinklers
• Attacking sprinklers
• Chasing hose spray
• Running through puddles

Temperature Comfort Rewards

• Lying in the sun
• Lying on the heat vent
• Lying on cool tile
• Lying in cool dirt
• Lying in snow
• Cooling mats
• Warm blankets

Sensory Exploration

• Wind in face
• Smelling rain
• Mud
• Sand
• Rolling in grass
• Rolling in dead things
• Digging in dirt
• Exploring new surfaces

Movement & Locomotion Rewards

General Movement

• Running
• Sprinting
• Zoomies
• Jumping
• Climbing
• Crawling under things
• Agility-style movement

Freedom & Escape Behaviors

• Running loose
• Darting out the front door
• Jumping fences
• Digging under fences
• Evading capture
• Being chased

Adventure & Exploration

• Walks around neighborhood
• Walks in parks
• Beach walks
• Hiking
• Exploring trails
• Exploring new environments
• Off-leash freedom

Vehicle-Related Rewards

• Riding in the car
• Head out the window
• Riding in ATV/boat/golf cart
• Going on errands

Social Rewards — Human

Affection & Contact

• Petting
• Attention
• Snuggling
• Sleeping beside you
• Physical contact
• Belly rubs
• Massage/grooming

Engagement & Interaction

• Being with you
• Eye contact
• Praise
• Verbal encouragement
• Training interaction
• Shared activity
• Greeting rituals

Attention-Seeking Rewards

• Jumping on people
• Interrupting activity
• Making humans react
• Stealing objects for attention
• Barking for interaction
• Pawing at you
• Chin on leg

Human Social Novelty

• Greeting familiar people
• Meeting new people
• Crowds
• Visitors arriving
• Interacting with children

Social Rewards — Dogs & Animals

Dog Social Play

• Meeting dog friends
• Meeting new dogs
• Wrestling
• Chasing
• Being chased
• Tug with other dogs
• Keep away
• Group running

Social Access Rewards

• Dog park
• Dog daycare
• Play dates
• Walks with dog friends
• Parallel walks

Animal Interaction Drives

• Chasing squirrels
• Chasing rabbits
• Chasing cats
• Chasing deer
• Chasing chipmunks
• Chasing birds
• Stalking any above-named or other animals
• Watching wildlife or livestock
• Herding movement
• Predatory sequencing

Non-Animal Interaction Drives

• Chasing blowing leaves
• Chasing other objects blowing in the wind
• Chasing cars, trucks or motorcycles
• Chasing bicycles
• Chasing runners / people
• Chasing airplanes
• Chasing scooters
• Chasing remote control toys
• Chasing other non-animal moving objects

Toy & Object Rewards

Food-Dispensing Interactive Toys

• Kong toys
• Busy Buddy toys
• Outward Hound toys
• WestPaw toys
• Puzzle toys
• Other treat-dispensing toys

Retrieval Toys

• Balls
• Frisbees
• Flying discs
• Bumpers
• Ball-on-a-rope (like the Romp-N-Roll JollyBall)
• Other fetch toys

Tug & Herding Toys

• Tug ropes
• Fleece tugs
• Soccer-sized balls
• JollyBalls with handles or similar

Comfort Toys

• Plush/fuzzy toys
• Scented toys
• Favorite comfort objects
  • blankets
  • pillows
  • dog beds
  • other non-toy items that provide comfort

Novelty Object Rewards

• Another dog’s toys
• Kids’ toys
• Socks
• Toilet paper rolls
• Remote controls
• Shoes

Chewing & Oral Satisfaction Rewards

Appropriate Chewing (consumable & non-consumable)

• Bully sticks
• Flossies
• Yak chews
• Antlers
• Coffee wood
• Greenies
• Collagen chews
• No-hide chews
• Dried fish skins
• Sweet potato chews
• Raw meaty marrow or knuckle bones (large enough that dogs cannot get their jaw all the way around)
• Pig ears
• Beef hooves
• Kong, WestPaw or other durable rubber toys
• Nylabone or Benebone type chew toys
• Goughnuts toys
• Sticks (can be appropriate if your dog is supervised and not swallowing pieces)
• Chewing or shredding cardboard boxes, paper towel or toilet paper rolls, and similar items (can be appropriate if the dog is NOT ingesting anything)

Destructive Chewing & Shredding

• Couch cushions
• Pillows
• Table and chair legs
• Anything else made of wood – banisters, picture frames, etc.)
• Baseboards
• Shoes
• Slippers
• Socks
• Toilet paper & rolls
• Paper towels & rolls
• Cardboard boxes
• Other cardboard items
• Kitchen towels
• Other household items
• Rope toys (safe for some dogs to play with but should NOT be used as chew toys!)
• Stuffed/plush toys (removing stuffing)
• Sticks (if swallowing pieces)
• Plastic water bottles

Oral/Sensory Satisfaction

• Carrying objects
• Mouth play
• Gnawing
• Shredding cardboard
• De-stuffing plush toys

Investigative & Scent Rewards

Scent Exploration

• Sniffing grass
• Sniffing trees
• Sniffing hydrants/sign posts
• Sniffing other dogs
• Sniffing your clothing when you return home
• Tracking scents
• Following scent trails
• Following footsteps (like deer prints in the snow)

Marking Behaviors

• Peeing/marking
• Overmarking
• Territorial scenting
• Ground-scratching (kicking up rear legs after peeing or pooping)
• Rubbing faces against things

Search & Detection Rewards

• Finding hidden treats
• Finding hidden toys
• Nosework
• Tracking games
• Search-and-find activities

Cognitive & Learning Rewards

Mental Engagement

• Learning new things
• Learning to do known things in new environments or situations
• Problem solving
• Shaping games
• Trick training
• Clicker training
• Puzzle toys
• Learning agility or parkour obstacles
• Hide & seek games (with humans, toys, food, etc.)

Agency & Control

• Making choices
• Controlling outcomes
• Earning access
• Predicting patterns

Task Completion Rewards

• Working jobs
  • service dog tasks
  • explosive and narcotic detection
  • wildlife research
  • allergen allerting
  • law enforcement
  • therapy dogs
  • herding
  • hunting
  • and others
• Carrying objects
• Retrieving
• Herding tasks
• Search tasks
• Catching moving objects (prey, toys, other)

Rest, Safety & Comfort Rewards

Safe Spaces

• Dog bed
• Couch
• Human bed
• Crates
• Covered den-like spaces
• Under furniture
• Closets
• Anyplace else the dog feels safe

Recovery & Calm

• Quiet time
• Predictability
• Routine
• Familiar scents
• Calming scents (lavendar, chamomile)
• Calming sounds, such as calming music

Security-Based Rewards

• Staying near owner
• Staying near a trusted other dog
• Group cohesion
• Environmental control

Predatory & Chase Sequence Rewards

This category is extremely important behaviorally because many dogs are reinforced by the sequence itself.

Predatory Sequence Components

• Orient
• Eye
• Stalk
• Chase
• Grab bite
• Kill bite
• Dissect
• Consume

Common Self-Reinforcing Behaviors

• Chasing moving things
• Herding motion
• Fetch
• Tug
• Possession
• Squeaking toys
• Flirt pole play

Self-Reinforcing “Problem” Behaviors

These are critical because they explain WHY behaviors persist.

Attention-Seeking

• Barking
• Stealing objects
• Jumping
• Mouthing
• Pawing
• Nudging

Environmental Reinforcement

• Fence running
• Fence fighting
• Fence climbing or jumping
• Window barking
• Fence barking
• Digging
• Escaping

Sensory Reinforcement

• Chewing
• Shredding
• Rolling in odors
• Eating non-food items

Control/Agency Reinforcement

• Refusing recall
• Evading capture
• Initiating chase games
• Guarding resources

Modern Enrichment & Training Rewards (Added)

Functional Rewards

• Permission to sniff
• Permission to greet
• Release to run
• Access to environment
• Access to couch/bed
• Door access
• Freedom

Sport & Drive Rewards

• Bite work
• Flirt pole
• Agility or parkour obstacles
• Dock diving
• Scentwork
• Barn hunt
• Herding
• Lure coursing

Technology-Related Rewards

• Automatic ball launchers
• Interactive cameras
• Motion toys
• Treat dispensers

Core Motivational Systems (Underlying Drives)

This is the “meta-layer” behind all rewards.

Biological Drives

• Hunger
• Thirst
• Thermoregulation
• Sleep/rest

Social Drives

• Affiliation
• Attention
• Attachment
• Group belonging

Predatory Drives

• Chase
• Capture
• Possession
• Dissection

Investigative Drives

• Curiosity
• Exploration
• Novelty seeking

Security Drives

• Safety
• Predictability
• Territory

Agency Drives

• Control
• Choice
• Environmental impact