14/05/2026
We caught up with some friends last weekend. It was lovely, and we popped for a drink and a slice of cake at a local cafΓ©, for a sit-down and recharge. We have both been making healthier food choices, really trying to cut down and choose foods that are fuel rather than sugar-filled. Having that slice of cake was a treat; I enjoyed it, and I'm not going to be annoyed with myself for eating it!
The interesting thing about the word treat is that it carries human moral and emotional baggage. A treat is something extra. Special. Earned. Indulgent. We talk about βdeserving a treatβ or βspoiling ourselves.β The word implies rarity, reward, and sometimes even guilt.
But dogs donβt attach those same meanings to food.
To a dog, food is information and value. Some foods are simply worth more than others in a given moment. A piece of kibble may be perfectly acceptable at home in a quiet kitchen, while roast chicken becomes far more valuable in a busy park surrounded by distractions. The dog is constantly assessing: Is this worth my effort right now?
When we say we are βusing treatsβ in training, it can unintentionally suggest that we are bribing, indulging, or handing out luxuries. In reality, effective reinforcement is determined by the learner, not the trainer. The dog decides what has value.
That value is also fluid. Hunger, stress, environment, novelty, competing motivations, and emotional state all influence how reinforcing a particular food will be. What humans label a βhigh-value treatβ is only high value if the dog agrees.
This shift in language matters because it changes how we think about training. Instead of seeing food as a frivolous extra, we can see it as communication and feedback. Reinforcement is not about βspoilingβ a dog; it is about paying appropriately for behaviour in a way the dog finds meaningful.
In that sense, the most important question is not:
βWhat treats should I use?β
But:
βWhat does my dog value right now?β
