Dog Training Treats

We talk about treats in my group classes and in one to one sessions.

We must find what our dogs like! Do a taste tester with different treats hidden under plant pots. See which one your dog goes to first!

What is higher value (they really really like) to low value (can take ot leave it).

Every dog is different!! THE DOG DECIDES WHAT IS REWARDING!!

It’s rare but some dogs may work better for play. Food however is a primary reinforcer for a dog as it is a fundamental need.

Dogs won’t take a treat if they’re too excited or scared!

Animating (throwing) treats increases their value too!

Puzzle feeders make them work their brains so also can increase value unless the puzzle is too hard then frustration can occur.

You can use their own kibble or food for training.

I like to use something of higher value when teaching a new skill. Then lower the value once the skill is embedded.

People ask me when should I stop rewarding my dog…..my answer is when you want that behaviour to no longer exist! 🤔

It’s like being paid. When we ask the dog for a behaviour it’s a job to them as they may not have naturally wanted to do it.

Don’t forget rewarding learned behaviours, which have been proofed, you can use praise, play or treats or a mix of all 3.

How big should my treats be….

Usually I would say the size of your small (natural) short fingernail. Depends on size of the dog and their nutritional requirements.

If you need to gain distance from your dog I would use a few small treats scattered so you can move away from them.

Here’s an example of how many treats you can get from a chunky frankfurter sausage!

One sausage can give me around 140 treats.

I managed to get 70 out of half a sausage. This can be 7 small training sessions. So one sausage could last me 4 to 5 days depending on what I plan to do.

Just make sure you calculate it into their daily allowance as you don’t want your dog to be overweight.

Don’t forget bigger dogs can have slightly larger treats!