Q:
Do you always advocate using food treats in training?
A: In the beginning of the dog training process,
you need to keep your dog interested in interacting with you rather
than the distractions in the environment. Using food treats is very
effective in keeping your dog’s attention and then as a reward for
behaviors so he will repeat them. Because food is highly desirable
to a dog, it is called a primary reinforcer…something hooked up to
his physical and emotional "hard drives," so-to-speak.
The goal is to eventually wean your dog off treats. This is done in
two ways. One way is to gradually form a “behavioral chain.” That
is, asking your dog to do one behavior after another. For example:
sit, treat. Then add another behavior to the chain. Sit, down,
treat. Then sit, down, stay, treat. And so on.
The other way to wean your dog off food treats is to use life
rewards instead. A life reward is anything other than food that your
dog wants. Chasing a ball, going for a ride, going outside, and
being petted are all life rewards. Before giving a life reward,
simply ask her to do something like sit or lie down. Then you can
reward your dog with the life rewards of chasing the ball, going for
a ride, letting him go outside or giving him a luxurious petting
session.
It’s important to use common sense whenever your dog is around food.
If your dog is possessive, out-of-control or overly excited when
food is used, err on the side of safety and contact a professional
dog trainer before starting any training program. Also, it is
especially important that an adult supervises when a child is
training a dog, whether with or without food!.
