How to Train Your Dog with Treats

 How to Train Your Dog With Treats

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When teaching a dog a new skill or behavior, some dog owners are unsure whether or not to use dog treats. Treats, on the other hand, merely assist you in getting the action you desire from your dog and then letting it know that it did it correctly.

When dogs are rewarded for good conduct, they learn faster and have more fun.

Reasons to Use Treats for Training

Treats are not more bribery than training when used during dog training. Treats should be viewed in the same way that your paycheck is viewed. Even if you enjoy your job and have a terrific boss, if you don't get paid, you'll most likely quit showing up for work. Your dog's wage is made up of dog treats. They're simply a way to ensure that when it's time for a training session, your dog is ready to go.

Use Dog Treats to Lure

Dog treats can be used to entice dogs to perform the desired action. When teaching a dog to sit, for example, you can begin by tempting your dog with a goodie. Slowly slide a goodie back over your dog's head while holding it close to his nose. To follow the dog treat, most dogs will stick their noses up, and as their noses go up, their bottoms go down. Luring is effective for a variety of different behaviors, such as down and rollover.

Reward Your Dog With Treats

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Dog treats are also a terrific method to show your dog that you appreciate what he or she has done. If you want to entice your dog into a sit, give it the treat as soon as its back end touches the ground. This method works for all behaviors: you must instantly offer the treat so that your dog associates the activity with the reward. By rewarding your dog with a treat, you can encourage it to repeat actions you appreciate, such as lying quietly on the floor during supper or sitting when visitors enter through the door.

Keep Dog Treats Small

You don't have to reward your dog with a handful of biscuits every time. Instead, give your dog the tiniest treat for which he will work. A modest nibble of something will usually suffice for most dogs. Some dogs may even work for a piece of kibble at a time.

If your dog's response to the treats you're using begins to wane, you may need to boost the ante by making the reward more delectable. Many dog trainers utilize little pieces of cooked chicken, string cheese, hot dog, or liver in their training sessions.

Problems and Proofing Behavior

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If you're doing a lot of training and feeding your dog a lot of treats, your dog can gain weight, which isn't good, especially for larger dogs. Obesity in dogs can lead to a variety of health issues, so make sure you adjust your dog's normal feedings to account for any goodies he receives throughout the day.

Because your dog receives rewards during training sessions, you don't want him to consume more calories than he need. Keep in mind that treats should only account for roughly 10% of your dog's daily diet. ​

If your dog sees you holding a treat or detects you near the treat jar, it may indicate that a treat is on the way if it follows your instructions. In other words, you can be educating the dog to only listen or react when a treat is on the way. Treats should be kept hidden and only shown to your dog when he or she has accomplished the behavior you desire.

People hold the misperception that their dogs will only perform for rewards if they use treats for dog training. Don't be concerned! You won't have to carry around snacks in your pockets for the rest of your life. Once your dog has learned a new behavior, you can gradually reduce the number of treats you give it, only giving it one every now and then. Most dog owners discover that using goodies to train a dog makes training interesting and rewarding after trying this method.