DCSPCA Canine Lead Trainer Jodi shares why treats are a great form of positive reinforcement when training your dog.
Treats are a great form of positive reinforcement when training your dog. DCSPCA Canine Lead Trainer Jodi says:
“Humans and dogs have a long history of connecting through food, so why not use it to your advantage? People may think treats are a bribe to get a dog to do what they want, but the truth is that when a dog’s good behavior is reinforced with something that motivates them, they will repeat that behavior.”
“Dogs are biologically wired to look for their food, so I recommend letting them ‘earn’ about 50% of their meals through treats, or enrichment activities like foraging. This will be fun for you and your dog! You can serve them less food at mealtime so they maintain a healthy weight while receiving treats for training.”
“Eventually you may remove the treats, but use them a lot in the beginning to establish good behaviors such as learning commands to sit, come, leave it, or lay down.”
“If you think your dog isn’t treat-motivated, it might mean that you don't have treats your dog values. Try cheese or hotdogs. Or you might be too close to the dog's triggers. So, make sure you work inside on the behavior first, before taking it outside where there are more distractions.”
Here we see Jodi giving Peanut a well-deserved treat!
