subject: Reinforcing Good Dog Behavior With Training Treats [print this page] Reinforcing Good Dog Behavior With Training Treats
Using training dog treats to entice and reward - These are the two fundamental uses of dog treats - to lure or reward well behaved dogs. For example, when you train your dog to sit, you can start by getting your dog's attention with a treat.
In terms of using treats in rewarding, treats are also a great way to let your dog know he has done something good. For instance, after you have enticed your dog to sit, you can then give him a treat to let him know he has done it properly.
This trick practically works for all behaviors. Through this training method, you can encourage your dog to repeat good behaviors, such as lying quietly on the floor during meal times or behaving appropriately when guests come in the house.
Training treats are widely used in positive reinforcement method of dog training. While some dogs would settle on a simple pat on the side as a reward for good behavior, others need a little more motivation to respond to commands.
But remember, dog training treats are excellent tools to reinforce good dog behavior only if they are used properly.
Although for some people, dog treats appear more like bribery than training tools, nothing could be further from the truth. Treats merely assist you develop the behavior you want from your dog. Treats are simply your tools to ensure your dog shows up interest to work during training sessions.
On the other hand, you do not want your pet to be completely dependent on treats or worse, for your pal to be obese. So never give your pup a handful of treats each time he does something right. Instead, give him the smallest treat to keep your dog from becoming dependent on treats for doing good behavior. It is suggested to limit treat-giving only to the learning stage of the training.
As you advance into the testing phase, you can start substituting training dog treats with verbal praise and physical rewards like patting. The goal in doing this is to have your dog respond to your command in order to receive praise or pat. While you can at times give treats at this point, do not let your dog see the treats until he has properly responded to your verbal command.
