Dogs are eager to please. Some dogs thrive on praise, quickly learning what behaviors are rewarded and what ones aren’t. Other dogs work better with toys or treats as a reward. When working with your dog during training sessions it is helpful to offer the reward that best fits your dog.
Finding What Works For Your Dog
Every dog is different and what one dog loves another may turn their nose up to it. Try out a few different types of treats to see what will work for your dog. Make sure your dog considers the treat “high value” and is willing to work for it. If your dogs’ attention starts to wonder when you offer the treat try something else.
Treat Size
You don’t want your dog to get overweight or distracted during training sessions. Small treats around pea size for larger dogs and half that size for small dogs. These are preferred because you want your dog to eat the treat quickly If you offer a large treat that requires chewing, suddenly your dogs’ focus is on something other than the lesson. Distractions, even tasty ones, should be minimized while school is in session.
Treat Management
As the teacher, you’ll want to minimize your distractions too. Don’t choose a treat that is gooey, has to be broken into small pieces, crumbles, or makes messes of your hands and classroom floor. You don’t want to have a mess in your treat pouch or have your dog studying the floor searching for possible treat tidbits. Again the focus should be on conveying the lesson, not on competing with a treat.
Healthy Treats
I like to use treats without added chemicals or flavors.
- Boiled chicken cut into small pieces.
- Some of my favorite treats are from Icelandic+ .
- Leftover steak.
Variety is good
When training my dog I like to mix up the treats. I will choose five different flavors and put them into my treat pouch. Dogs like people can get bored with the same treat over and over again. Rotating between flavors will keep your pup from getting bored with the same treat.
Teaching your dog new tricks can take some time and patience. Remember to keep it fun for both of you.
One thought on “Choosing a Dog Training Treat”