Make Treats and Training A Win-Win!

Introduction

Training dogs with treats is a great way for your dog to learn new behaviors or commands. It provides them with positive reinforcement when they do it right. Dogs like being with their owners especially at play time, going on walks, and training sessions.

There will be times when your dog does a behavior that you do not like and would like to correct that behavior. A great way to accomplish this is using treats in the training sessions. You can use this method in teaching your dog a new command.

Dogs respond well with food and rewarding them with a treat when they do the correct behavior or command is a win-win. They will be happy to repeat that behavior knowing they will get rewarded for it.

All you need is to set some time aside for training your dog a new command or change an existing bad behavior.

Below will be some instructions for you to start training your dog using treats. It is best to use only those threats that your dog really likes as it will make it easier for him.

Reasons To Use Treats

A good reason to use dog treats in a training session it’s like a paycheck to them. They look forward to showing up for the training sessions because they know they will get rewarded for doing the correct behavior. This is an excellent reason why you should use treats when training or teaching your dog to do a new command or behavior.

Treats are a great motivator for dogs to perform the right behavior every time because they expect a reward to come.

Use Treats To Lure Your Dog

Treats are a good way to lure your dog to do the behavior you want them to do. Example, when training your dog to sit, just start by luring your dog with a treat. Hold the treat close to your dog’s nose, and then slowly move the treat back over his head. You will notice that your dog will stick his hose up to follow the treat. When the nose goes up, their bottoms go down. You can use this luring trick for other behaviors like down and rollover.

Rewarding Your Dog With Treats

Most dogs like food treats and especially if it is their favorite. Dogs tend to learn faster and have more fun when they get rewarded for good behavior. Using treats is an excellent way to recognize your dog for doing something right. If you are teaching your dog to sit, reward him with a treat when his rear hits the floor.

Treats work well in teaching other behaviors. When teaching a new behavior reward your dog immediately when he does the correct behavior. This is so he can associate the reward with the action taken.

To reinforce or encourage your dog to do repeat behaviors, like lying quietly on the floor during dinner time or sitting when visitors come over for a visit, you can reward him with a treat. This helps to reinforce the good behavior.

For example, you are training your dog to lay down and they successfully do, causing you to give them a treat. But, you put the treat slightly in front of the dog causing him to get up to get it. You just rewarded your dog for getting up and not laying down.

Keep Treats Small

When you are rewarding your dog for doing the right command or behavior, you don’t have to give him a handful of treats. One will do fine. For most dogs, even a small nibble of something is enough to satisfy them. Just keep the training treats small. This also helps to keep his caloric intake under control.

If your dog should become less responsive to the treats you are using, you might want to make the treat more delicious. Some dog owners use tiny bits of cooked chicken, string cheese, hot dogs, or liver. Use whatever makes your dog excited and looking forward to the next training session.

How Are Treats Used In Dog Training

As we mentioned before, treats are a good motivator for your dog to perform the right behavior. They also reinforce your dog to perform in the correct way so they can get rewarded for doing well.

Whenever you are training your dog to do a new command or behavior, treats should always be used. Using treats creates a positive reinforcement experience for your dog. They like to get rewarded for doing good, and a treat helps them to do it right all the time.

Remember, you will not be giving your dog a treat for a behavior he masters. You can wean him off as he gets proficient at it.

Training treats are easy to use. It is a great lure when you place a treat in your hand. Your dog is expecting something.

It’s important to reward your dog for doing the correct behavior or action when it is performed. Doing this will give your dog the reason he got rewarded with a treat. Never reward your dog with a treat when he does not do the right action. You do not want to confuse your dog.

One final tip, when you go on walks, always bring some treats with you in case you can reward your dog for doing a behavior he is being trained on. You can purchase a treat pouch at your local pet shop.

Concerns Using Treats

One of the biggest concerns dog owners should have when they feed their dogs treats is they can easily become overweight. Just remember this simple rule, only give your dog treats that don’t exceed 10% of their daily caloric intake for the day.

Your objective is for your dog not to consume more calories than they need. So, you must control the amount of treats you give your dog during his training sessions.

Dogs are very smart and if they notice you going near the treat jar or pouch it will signal to them that a treat will come when they do what you want. You should learn to conceal the treats, only to reward them when your dog has completed the behavior or command you want.

Don’t worry. You might be thinking you will be using treats for training so your dog will perform any action correctly. That will not be the case. Once your dog has learned a new behavior or command, you can begin to phase out the treats. Only rewarding them every once in a while.

One final reminder, don’t reward your dog with a treat for not doing the right thing. This will confuse him and make the behavior you are trying for him to stop very difficult.

Also, only reward them when they perform the action right away so they can associate the treat with the action taken. If you should miss rewarding your dog doing the right thing don’t worry. Just have them repeat the action again so you can properly reward him.

Remember, dogs have short retention spans. So, reward them quickly.