When you get that one treat that your dog will be willing to work for, it will be easy to train. Think of a treat as a paycheck for the dog’s good work. Moreover, treats are also good for leading the dog towards something.
Simple obedience training treats work well. As you advance the training, the dog will be attentive to learn as it knows there will be a reward. A treat should be something the dog likes. Thus, the treat should also be nutritious for the dog to consume. In this article, we will dig into dog training with treats and learn the important tips needed to successfully train with treats.
Why use treats for training
One thing that stands out is that dogs don’t do things to make their master happy. They always do what works for them first. That’s why it is usually a tussle when you are training your dog without taking care of its needs. That’s where offering rewards comes in.
There are many ways to reward a dog. Rewards can be a scratch near the ear or providing a toy for your dog to play around with. But, the best-recommended way is dog training with treats. Here are reasons why using treats is a perfect way to train your pet.
They are easy to use
Treats are easy to present to the pet when it exhibits good behavior. For example, try giving your dog treats every time they follow a new command. Rewards are not only treats but also include “life rewards” such as petting and hugging.
Training treats are great and enticing, especially when teaching a new skill or behavior. Let’s say you want to move out–by taking the treat into your hand and bringing it close to the dog’s nose, you can let it follow you to where you need it to go.
They are powerful
Unlike other rewards, treats have immediate results. This is because as soon as you introduce a treat for the dog it immediately obeys. The tasty aroma makes it powerful enough to entice the dog. Moreover, they are efficient for training both basic and complex behaviors. When exercising a simple obedience command and you give a treat for every successful attempt, it sticks to the dog so it knows that’s how it’s done.
When you want them to run or move around the yard, treats are also efficient. Let’s say you want your dog to move to a point, you can throw the treat at a distance. The pup will run looking for the treat and when it finds it will be back for more.
Additional value
Treats contribute nutritious value to the dog. There are many varieties of treats that are not only designed for luring, but also have additional nutrients. This is helpful to boost the dog’s health and at the same time entice it to do what you want it to do. It’s worth noting that treats are made with different components and food that are ideal for the dog’s diet.
Will You Always Need to Use Treats?
The question that many pet owners ask is whether they will always give the dog a treat when training? Well, that’s not the case because that will be like bribing the dog to do something. At all times, the treat should be used to motivate. Thus, you don’t need to use treats every time. For example, when introducing a skill or behavior, you can use a treat, but when the dog gets used to the behavior, you can drop that treat and let it practice without giving a treat.
The concept of training with treats is not primarily to feed your puppy, but to familiarize the furry buddy with good behavior.
Tips to choose the right treat
Considering that there are many types of threats out there, you need to select the one that suits you and your dog. If you are not keen, you can mess up the training by choosing the wrong treats. But, that shouldn’t be the case with these tips.
- Use small treats – The advantage of small treats is that they are easy to chew and digest. You should look for something your pet will chew easily, even when it is on the run.
- Avoid fatty treats – It is recommended the treat should be less than 10% of the dog’s intake in a day. This is to avoid lots of fat in the dog’s body. Fats are known to have devastating consequences to the dog. Hence, avoid fatty treats.
- Smelly treats are perfect – To be a goal-driven trainer you need to focus on smelly treats. This is like alerting the dog to the fact that “I got something sweet for you”. This will lead the dog to obey and learn easily.
- Know when not to use treats – You need to know when the treats start becoming bribes. When the dog is no longer learning anything and just wants to eat, then it is time to look for other rewards than food.
