02/07/2019
How to Use Dog Training Treats Effectively
I’ve been training a long time – practically since dirt was new centuries ago – and have used various methods of training. I’ve learned (yes, I learn all the time!) that dogs seem to learn quicker with reward-based training.
A reward is anything your dog likes – treats, petting, going for a walk, playing fetch.
I tend to use treats more often than other rewards because I can get a lot of repetitions in a short amount of time. The neurons in your dog’s brain are making connections when he learns a new behavior and form a lasting association with getting a yummy food reward and the behavior he is doing at the time he receives it. The more repetitions, the stronger the association.
Types of Dog Training
When clients call me, their dogs need different kinds of training, and those fall into roughly four categories:
Obedience training (Sit, Down, Come, etc.)
Behavior training (anxiety, fear, aggression, etc.)
Confinement training (crate or pen training)
Association training (where he learns that a particular place is a good place to be because he gets treats for being there)
Since the things I teach are not the same, all the treats are not the same – treats for obedience exercises are different than those for behavior training. What follows is why I use a certain category of treats for training certain behaviors or exercises.
Dog Treats for Obedience Training
These dog treats are smelly, soft, and small for obedience or trick training where there are several repetitions in a short time. The training treats should be
Smelly to pique and keep his interest
Soft so he doesn’t have to chew time and you can get more reps in the practice session
Small so he doesn’t become “Pork-u-dog,” i.e., a really fat dog.
Dog Treats for Behavior Training
These dog treats are larger than training treats, hard, and meat based. When he chews these, he engages the thinking part of his brain instead of the reacting part of the brain. The behavior treats should be
Large so he cannot swallow them
Hard so he has to chew them and focus on chewing the treat rather on the behavior we’re working with
Meat-based because those seem to hold his attention the best. If your dog absolutely positively goes wild for baked peanut butter treats, then use those.
Dog Treats that are
Long-lasting for Confinement Training
These are – surprise! – dog treats that take him awhile to chew on. These can be either the treats themselves such as bully sticks or getting them out of a puzzle toy or Kong. We want him to concentrate on chewing these treats for extended periods of time, both because chewing gives him something to think about other than confinement and also because chewing is a stress release.
Dog Treats for Association Training
These are dog treats that your dog associates with a specific place or activity and also serve to keep him interested in that place for a long period of time.
What Kind of Dog Treats to Use
Your dog’s treats should be natural and not contain any dyes, chemical preservatives, or additives – my rule of thumb is if I can’t pronounce it, it’s usually something I don’t want! Treats preserved with Tocopherols are fine because it is basically Vitamin E, which comes from vegetable oil, so it is natural.
I personally like the treats that look like a salami or sausage roll because it’s versatile since you can cut it in chunks, slice it like silver dollars, or grate or crumble it – and it’s less expensive when you cut it yourself. After you break the plastic seal, it needs to be refrigerated. However, I prefer to cut the entire roll at one time because it can mold (yuck!) if it’s left refrigerated too long. I put the chunks in a ziplock bag in the freezer and another bag for the crumbles/sprinkles. I let the silver dollar slices air dry so they are hard because I want the dog take a longer time in chewing it than inhaling a softer treat.
I don’t suggest using sausage for all your training. Your dog can become very picky and refuse to eat anything except the sausage. You can also grate the sausage rolls and put the gratings in a ziplock bag with kibble so the kibble smells like the sausage. Then don’t feed him his regular meals. The only food he gets is the smelly kibble during training.
Recommended Dog Treats for Obedience Training
Zukes
Chicken http://tinyurl.com/zhecx4z
Salmon http://tinyurl.com/h5owd7h
Peanut butter http://tinyurl.com/jmp6czd
Duck http://tinyurl.com/hc8rmwt
Lamb http://tinyurl.com/zfot2ed
Red Barn http://tinyurl.com/qgsfgxs
Happy Howie’s
Turkey http://tinyurl.com/zvlw8kh
Beef http://tinyurl.com/j93c58r
Lamb http://tinyurl.com/goolsgz
Recommended Dog Treats for Behavior Training
Lamb http://tinyurl.com/h46flnt
Chicken http://tinyurl.com/z4x6xg7
Beef http://tinyurl.com/glgbups
Recommended Dog Treats for Confinement Training
Bully sticks 6” http://tinyurl.com/jb85422
Bully Sticks 12” http://tinyurl.com/hfu89dn
Himalayan yak milk chew http://tinyurl.com/jybh9py
Kongs or Puzzle Toys http://dogbookslibrary.com/allProducts-dog-puzzle-treat-toys.php
Recommended Dog Treats for Association Training
Liver treat sprinkles http://tinyurl.com/gnodced
Real Meat sprinkles http://tinyurl.com/zozelxk
Please check out another of my websites for other treats www.DogBooksLibrary.com which has over 3,000 books and products that I have handpicked. It is an Amazon-affiliated website, and I receive a small commission for any items purchased through this site and for the items mentioned here.
Make training your dog a delicious and healthy exercise when you feed him Zuke's Mini Naturals Chicken Recipe dog treats. Real chicken is the #1 ingredient in this tasty recipe, and every bite features wholefood cherries along with savory turmeric to help your furry friend maintain his healthy li...
