Don’t Make These Dog Training Mistakes
After adopting our pup, Ginger, I searched for local training programs. The only options were treat-based training programs. I searched for any dog training recommendations in my area and took a chance with a local positive reinforcement basic obedience dog training class.
I can express how disappointed I was with this training class after the first day! We fed Ginger an entire baggy full of treats during a 45-minute class. Seriously, I’m surprised she didn’t have a belly ache after that!
My husband and I have been dog owners together for over 25 years… have trained several dogs using training methods WITHOUT treats. But I really wanted a structured program to attend but I couldn’t find a program that didn’t use treats.
So, what did I learn in 6 weeks and $125 later? Feed my dog treats (an entire baggy full every class) and my dog will SIT, DOWN and COME to me.
But only when I have a high-valued treat in my hand. Really? I could have done this at home in 3 days watching YouTube videos!
I found an online dog training program that I really like, called Spirit Dog Training. While they do use treats for some training, I like their approach for changing behaviors.
Treats can be good for training your dog, but all in moderation. With a Positive Reinforcement Dog Training program will be teaching your dog basic commands using treats to lure the behavior.
There is no correction in Positive Reinforcement Dog Training (aka treat training). If the dog does not perform the command, you continue to offer the treat or get a higher-value treat. Something tasty and more motivating.
But what happens when you and your dog walking through a busy park. There are a lot of people walking their dogs, kids playing frisbee, bicyclists riding by, squirrels running from tree to tree … and you have trained your dog how to sit and walk next to you with treats and pure positive training. Does your dog choose a treat or that squirrel that just ran by you?
If he chooses the squirrel, what’s the worse that happens? He gets to have the fun of the chase and then what? You give him a treat for coming back to you? PLEASE NO!!!!
This would be like your teenage daughter sneaking out of the house at night, coming home after you called her, then offering her a cupcake because you are so happy she’s home safe. Really?
Treat training is great when there are NO distractions around you.
The fact is, that treat, no matter how high-value it is, will lose the battle of squirrel vs. treat. Another dog vs. treat, the other dog is the winner. The UPS man vs. treat, the UPS man wins. You get the idea, right?
When Should I Use Treats When Training My Dog?
There is a place for treats when training your dog. Treats are especially great for training a puppy.
Here are 4 great opportunities to use treats in training:
The use of âand/orâ in the definition leaves their explanation open to some interpretation. If you should use food and treats to train your dog would, therefore, depend upon the circumstances. And, with a significant rise in todayâs pet obesity population, it would also depend upon the animal.
If you were to inquire to The Humane Society of the United States, they would definitively describe this practice as:
Letâs take some basic training as an example. When attempting to get them to sit down and you hold the treat in front of them while pushing on their backside, youâre in essence bribing them to perform. If you command them to sit by presenting a treat above their nose and moving it backward, youâre luring them into performing this activity.
However, putting them on a leash, giving them the command while persuading them to sit down while pulling slightly upwards on their lead and gently pushing on their backside, youâre teaching them this behavior in association with the command. After several times, using your gentle persuasion, followed by praise, once theyâve completed the task, your give them a reward.
This question comes with many answers, both positive and negative, and it may depend on who you ask. For example, experts agree that the best training method is through positive reinforcement. But what does that mean exactly? Should you use food and treats to train your dog? Or not?
The BIGGEST Mistakes People Make When Treat Training A Puppy
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A common question you might ask when you start training your dogs is: When can I stop giving them treats? Some owners are in a hurry to put the treats away because they see it as proof that their dog really knows how to do something. In reality, you don’t need to ever completely phase out treats and rewards.
It’s important to keep reinforcing your dog for a job well done, whether it’s at puppy kindergarten or when working on advanced competition skills. By pairing rewards like treats and toys/play with learning, you’ll be able to help your dog understand new skills faster while also building their enjoyment and enthusiasm for training in general. As your dog becomes more experienced, you can begin to shift how frequently you treat or reward them, but it always should be part of training. Just like you don’t go to work for free, your dog doesn’t want to work for free either. It’s important to make training fun and enjoyable regardless of whether we’re working on basic obedience skills around the house or training a sport.
There’s a difference between using treats as a reward and using them for luring. Luring, which is a useful training method for teaching some new skills, refers to using the treat in front of your dog’s nose to get them to follow it to perform a specific behavior. For example, when teaching a puppy to sit on cue, you can put the treat on their nose and then, while they’re still sniffing at the treat, raise your hand so their nose goes up and their bottom naturally goes down into the sit position. With luring, your dog is following a treat into position and then getting the treat. When training, it’s generally best to phase out luring early and use a smaller visual cue instead. Rewarding is different because instead of following the treat, your dog is getting “paid” with a reward.
One reason why many people are in such a hurry to stop treating their dogs while training is the idea that using food/treats as part of training is just a bribe. Really, rewards are just a way to communicate with your dog. There will be moments when you’ll ask your dog to do a cue and you won’t have a treat on you. But because you have built up a strong reinforcement history, they know that the reward is coming, and will perform the cue. By consistently pairing verbal praise with rewards like treats, we build our dog’s understanding and enjoyment of the training process and sports/activities, even when we don’t have a treat in hand and the reward is delayed.
Ultimately, the frequency of treating dogs is a personal decision. But as your dog becomes more experienced with a specific skill or activity, you can start to randomize and vary the rate of reinforcement.
If you’re walking your dog, eventually you might choose to give them a lot of verbal praise but only pull out treats to mark/reward their good behavior in more challenging moments such as if you’re walking past a dog that is barking at your dog. When you first start taking your dog on walks, you’ll be consistently treating a lot for skills like loose-leash walking, ignoring things on the sidewalk, passing dogs and people, etc. When phasing out treats, you’ll want to work at your dog’s pace. Remember that needing or wanting to use more treats than someone else doesn’t mean your dog is less trained.
Don’t just vary the rate of reinforcement—also diversify the kinds of rewards you offer your dog. Experiment with what is most rewarding to them in terms of treats, food, toys, and games. Dogs have individual preferences, so what is highly rewarding for one dog might be less rewarding for another. Keep a range of treats and rewards with you for different situations.
For example, when practicing tricks your dog knows while you’re in your living room, their regular kibble might be a great reward. But if you’ve taken your dog to a busy outdoor market to walk and train, you may want something they find more high value like string cheese, hot dogs, or soft and smelly treats. For toy-motivated dogs, you can incorporate toys and games like tug or fetch as a reward when training.