If you train your dog using treats, they will only listen to you when you have treats, right?
This is a… Myth!
When you first begin training new behaviours, you may need to use treats frequently. Over time you will be able to reduce the frequency and, in some cases, phase them out entirely.
Why use treats for training?
Food rewards are a powerful motivator!
Treats can be used to entice your dog into a position. Raising a treat above their head, for example, will usually cause their bottom to drop into a sit position. Dogs will associate you as the source of treats, which means they will associate you with everything that is good in their world.
The idea behind positive reinforcement training is to keep behaviours going by providing the dog with something he wants. Most dogs are highly motivated by food, which makes our job as trainers much easier.
What kind of treats should/shouldn’t I use?
The purpose of using treats is to REINFORCE the dog… if the dog doesn’t like the treats, they may not be motivated to offer a behaviour.
Treats should be:
- Palatable (yum!)
- Smell good (to the dog, this can sometimes mean we don’t like the smell!)
- Be safe (no chocolate or toxic foods!)
The type of food reward you use will be entirely determined by your dog’s preferences and individual needs. If it is reinforcing, you can use your dog’s regular food! Depending on the behaviour you want to encourage, you may need to vary the food rewards. More difficult behaviours may require stronger reinforcers, such as roast chicken or cheese.
Will my dog listen to me when I don’t have treats?
Remember that behaviour does not occur in a vacuum. You are teaching and rewarding your dog to respond to a cue. The behaviour is triggered by YOU giving the CUE. This means that, over time, you won’t need to rely on food to entice your dog to perform the behaviour because they understand that good things come after a desired response to the cue. Depending on your dog’s preferences, food can be replaced with play, verbal praise, or scratches. Because your dog enjoys interacting with YOU, the behaviour itself can serve as a reinforcer.
Want to learn more?
Read our blog post on Reinforcement vs Punishment, The Power of Positive Reinforcement, Reinforcement Schedules and Primary and Secondary Reinforcers.
Zak George has a great video on the how/when/why of training with treats, you can watch it below.