Positive reinforcement and treats are a great way to train your dog. But what happens when the training only works when you have treats in your pocket?
Sometimes the trainer can become the trainee when it comes to teaching commands to dogs. Your dog may easily train you to give her treats by only agreeing to obey commands when treats are present. The goal in training your dog is to get her to follow commands with or without treats. The following steps can help your dog learn to follow commands consistently, whether you have a treat in your hand or not.
Many dog treats contain sugar, other additives, or a high amount of fat, and they may not be healthy for your dog. Choose a healthy treat, and keep in mind that treats have calories, so providing too many may result in your dog gaining weight.
Many dogs will be happy with being given pieces of their daily kibble as a treat, especially if it is offered with love and praise. You can allot a certain amount of your dog's daily feed for the purpose of treats.
Tip: Place a certain portion of your dog's daily food into a baggie to be used as treats. If you go over the daily treat allotment, cut back a bit on the amount of kibble you give for dinner. If you don't use them all, add them to her dinner or give them as a lunch. Be sure to keep the meals balanced by considering how much time you will be spending that day giving treats.
With time and consistency, your dog will soon learn to follow commands easily. Intermittent treats should be given to keep the behavior reinforced, but always remember to try and praise your dog because something as simple as "Good girl!" is an easy thing to say, and it means so much to your dog.
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