Using positive reinforcement has been the most effective method to train a dog. But can be used as the motivators? Are treats necessary to train your dog?
The practice of giving treats for training your dog is defined by The Humane Society of the United States as ;
“Positive reinforcement training uses praise and treats for rewarding your dog for doing something you want him to do. As the reward makes him more likely to repeat the behavior. It is one of your most powerful tools for shaping or changing your dog’s behavior.”
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With that said, the motivators can be food and treats, or anything fit the dogs’ taste to trigger their obedience. But the significant rise in pet obesity population, food, and treat, which is better?
Find your answer here.
Look Video -If, Why, and How You Should Use Treats When Training Your Dog
Why Do You Need a Reward When Teaching Your Dog?
Are treats necessary to train your dogs?
Rewards are a positive reinforcement to activate the will of your dogs to follow your command.
Those rewards can be treats, toys, petting, verbal praising, or your lovable response. But there are more reasons for using rewards than triggering obedience, which will:
- Improve Connection
Your pup will learn to trust you in providing him food, comfort, accommodation, and love. Intangible rewards are invisible but sensible such as words of praise or cuddling will enhance the bond between owners and the pooches.
- Prove Leadership
As the source of rewards, you prove yourself to be the one in charge. You are that alpha dog in the form of a human in the canine’s world that your pup will seek approval in you.
- Give a Positive Association
It’s wrong to think the punishment is better than rewards. On the contrary, dogs will be likely to restrain in fear if they get scolded, hit, and hurt by the owners. Worse, they tend to become more aggressive and respond with a bite.
With rewards, you build a relationship that makes your dogs happy, wiggle, and more loyal.
- Encourage Non-Favor Tasks
There are times you need a reward to bribe the pup to take a bath or go to the vet. In those situations, a nice gift or praise will work its wonders. You will get to compromise, and your dog will be more willing to do what he didn’t enjoy.
Dog training with treet
Why Treats Work Better Than Regular?
You may wonder how a treat makes sense while you can actually give the dog their daily food. While it’s possible to train dogs without a treat, are treats necessary to train your dog? Here are the reasons.
In dog training methods without treats, you will receive a number of positive responses. It can be an enticement to follow commands. It helps build their habit of recognizing the right and wrong behavior.
Try this when you train your dog
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One more plus for occasional treat is that it grasps attention faster than anything. Food emits a scent that draws awareness almost immediate. With the dog’s favorite treat in hand, you can call him over with ease.
Off the chance your pups will get the treat less frequently, they cherish the opportunity when they can receive that delicacy once in a while.
Treats typically have added flavor that enables desire in dogs.
It’s like us going to our favorite restaurant once in a while to alter the dinner. We wouldn’t mind paying some extra for a nice, delicious dinner, would we? So would the dogs. They are willing to exchange the manner for such rewards.
What about the Cons of Food Treat?
Overusing anything is not good at all, the same for food treats.
What will happen if you only use food treats to train your dog?
- The dog won’t obey when there is no treat available.
- The treat is the main focus, not the task.
- The food will become the only motivation.
- Your dog will get fat and lazy.
- It’s not easy to handle and give treats to the dog.
Can You Train Dogs without Treats?
Although food treats are very powerful, there may be times you can’t use it. Fortunately, it’s possible to do dog training without treats followed by these tips:
Playtime
Many people have been using toys in training canine. Understanding that not only food can be the reinforcement, but you can also definitely spend some time play throw and catch, turning it into a play reward.
“Life rewards”
Food is not the only thing in life. Dogs like many things such as a walk, jogging, playing with the hose, swimming, splashing, etc.
As an example, if you want to teach your dog to sit, get him to sit before allowing him to access to couch and enjoy the cuddle, or a walk to the park with you.
This type of reward doesn’t require any treat available yet is easy to integrate into daily life.
No scolding
Warm words are always more effective than shouting at mistakes. Those “good boy,” or “good girl” in soft voice sounds more rewarding. The words can bring happiness to even the most stubborn dogs. They are likely to assume those praises as a positive thing they can receive for doing certain actions.
Give a touch to the right spots
When training your dog without treats, You need to know two things in prior to using this trick: the kind of touching your dog prefers and when is the right time.
For instance, some dogs like it a lot to be scratched on the belly; some prefer rubbing on the chest. You may observe and reckon where, when, and how to touch the pup. It’s easy to know if he engages in the reward or ducks away.
Train dog without treet
Are Treats Necessary To Train Your Dog?
You know the answer now.
Treats can be a powerful motivator but not always the best while you can give other kinds of rewards.
It is best to mix the two methods when teaching your fur fellow commands. If you can integrate both things in one place, the results can come faster than you think. Also, your pooch has more than one way to receive his treats.
Most important than all, in both ways, you must add love into the action. There is no treat more worth the good behavior more than to make you satisfied. Your pup knows that.
So, prepare the food treats, patience, and affection to the training schedule. Surely you will only meet the wagging tails.
Happy training.
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