Using Treats for Adult Dog Training

Is it okay to train a dog with treats? This is a question that often causes arguments. Does giving the dog food hurt his or her ability to learn, or does it help? We now know a lot about how dogs think, learn, and see the world, so let's talk about food and how it can change how you train your dog.

IS USING TREATS FOR Adult Dog Training EFFECTIVE?

Here's the good news: using food in training is very effective when done right, and it can help make training fun and effective.

Food is a primary reinforcer for dogs, which is why it works so well to motivate them. Unlike praise or toys, food is something your dog is naturally motivated by.

We'll talk about how to avoid common problems when using food as a training tool, what kinds of treats work best, and bust some common myths about treats.

IS USING TREATS FOR Adult Dog Training BRIBERY?

This is the first thing to talk about when we talk about treats in the context of training. If treats are used in the wrong way, they can become bribes.

Keep in mind that the point of giving someone a bribe is to get them to do something.

"Look at this yummy thing! I'll give it to you if you sit down."

Dogs who are trained this way naturally expect to see a reward before they do something. They've learned that if they don't see the treat first, they're not likely to get it, so they're less likely to do what you ask if they don't see food.

So instead, try giving your dog food as a reward. The behavior comes first, and then (possibly) a reward is given to your dog. We'll talk more about how often rewards are given later.

Showing Dog Treat

If you want your dog to do something, you shouldn't show them the reward as much as possible. This is technically a bribe.

A FEW TIPS TO ENSURE YOU'RE NOT BRIBING YOUR DOG WHEN USING TREATS FOR Adult Dog Training:

Keep food rewards hidden in a pocket or on a counter, and only give them to your dog after he has done what you asked him to do.If you're using a "luring" method to train your dog, like giving it a piece of food to get it to "sit," it's important to get rid of the lure quickly.After 5–10 times with the food, try a hand signal that looks like the lure you were using, but doesn't have any food in it. As soon as your dog finishes the behavior, give him or her a treat.If your dog is having trouble getting rid of the lure, try giving the hand signal with food in one hand and the actual reward with the other hand after the behavior is done.Be careful about the situation and place where you give food. Dogs who get table scraps will beg at the table, and who could blame them?

WON'T MY DOG ONLY LISTEN IF I GIVE IT FOOD?

This is why it's so important to give rewards often.

When you are first teaching a behavior, you should give a reward every time they do it right.

Once your dog is getting better at the behavior, you'll want to move to a less regular schedule of rewards. Instead of giving a treat every time, you'll give treats less often.

As long as you follow these steps, your dog will listen with or without food. They know there's a good chance they'll be rewarded at some point during the exercise, so they'll willingly take part even though the food isn't visible or guaranteed.

What you reward gets done again, and the opposite is also true: what you stop rewarding will stop being done again. Even if your dog knows how to do something well, if you stop rewarding it, he or she might forget how to do it.

Training-treats

Look for treats like these Crazy Dog Train-Me treats that are soft, small, and easy to break.

LEVELS OF REWARDS

In Adult Dog Training, there are three different kinds of rewards. Let's look at them!

LOW-VALUE REWARDS

This is usually your dog's food. Many dogs are happy to work for their food, especially if you can schedule your training around when they eat.

But you might find that your dog isn't as interested in kibble as they are in other things, especially if there are other things going on. This is why it's important to have other options!

MID-VALUE REWARDS

Most of your training will be done with rewards of medium value. We like soft, small training treats that can be broken into even smaller pieces, are easy for the dog to eat, and don't give them a lot of extra calories.

Remember that not all treats are the same. Treats that are crunchy, tasteless, or hard to break can make it harder to train your dog and may not be as motivating for him.

By clicking on this link, you can get 15% off our favorite treats.

No matter what you choose, make sure you separate the rewards you use for everyday training so that your dog doesn't lose interest in them. If you give your dog treats all the time for no reason, your dog might lose interest in training with them.

HIGH-VALUE REWARDS

High-value rewards are only used for the most "expensive" things you ask your dog to do, like coming when called (especially when there are other things to do), or when working on behavior modification for things like leash reactivity or resource guarding.

You should use a variety of high-value rewards to keep your dog interested in these rewards and keep them for those extra-special behaviors and training steps.

You can choose from the following:

Pulled chickenString cheeseWet or canned dog food put into a squeeze pouch (great for dogs with allergies that can only eat their food!)Shredded fish

Are you worried that your dog isn't interested in food? The good news is that it's not very likely! Most dogs who aren't interested in food either need a different reward, are too busy or stressed to eat, or have a health problem that needs to be treated. But if your dog is motivated by toys and play, you can also try those things.

Make sure you give the right amount of reward for the behavior you want, and don't push your dog beyond what he can handle. If your dog is upset, stressed, or in pain, it probably won't eat.