Training with treats is cornerstone of positive reinforcement dog training. It’s dog-friendly, it’s fun and the basics are easy for trainers of all ages and skill levels.
At its core, the concept is simple: feed behaviors you want to see happen more often.
But simple doesn’t always mean easy. Understanding how, when and how often to use treats in training can help you achieve better results. Here are six tips to keep in mind:
1.Use Treats as a Lure or Reward—Not a Bribe!
Those who oppose using food in training often cite not wanting to “bribe” their dog as the reason why.
Newsflash: Positive-reinforcement dog trainers don’t want you to bribe your dog either!
What’s the difference? Here’s an easy way to think about it: When you use food to guide your dog into position (think treat on his nose), that’s a lure. When you ask your dog to do something, he performs correctly and you deliver a treat, that’s a reward. When you ask your dog to do something, he doesn’t do it, so you produce a treat and then he responds, that’s a bribe!
For best results, use treats as lures and rewards and try to avoid bribing your dog.
2. Remember to Fade the Treat Lure.
When you train behaviors with a food lure, a great goal is to fade the lure as quickly as possible—meaning, make sure your dog can perform correctly without the treat on his nose as a lure/guide. When your dog can confidently follow a food lure into position, do a couple of repetitions with the lure and then quickly ask for a third using the same hand motion, but without food in that hand. Reward with a surprise treat from the opposite hand after your dog performs correctly. This helps your dog learn to respond correctly in order to earn treats versus responding correctly because he sees treats.
3. Timing is Everything and Watch What You’re Rewarding.
Aim to deliver the treat within two seconds of your dog performing correctly. This helps your dog connect the treat to the behavior. Similarly, pay attention to what your dog is doing as you deliver the treat. If you’re working on “sit,” it’s best to reward your dog while his hind-end is on the floor. If you take too long to deliver the treat, he may sit, then stand. At that point, a treat is likely to reinforce a sit-stand combination.
4. Invest in the Reinforcement.
Frequently include praise and petting as you deliver treats—don’t just dole them out like an emotionless Pez dispenser. You and your dog are a team, so why not celebrate the occasion of your dog earning the treat? Plus, by pairing treats with petting and praise, you’re scientifically raising the value of your petting and praise through classical conditioning, making it worth more to your dog in the future, and when it’s delivered in the absence of treats.
Also, don’t be afraid to be generous with your treats—especially when your dog has a breakthrough moment in training or otherwise performs exceptionally well—like readily leaving a difficult distraction to come when called. Occasionally make a point to deliver multiple treats one at a time as you praise and pet your dog in ways she enjoys. Try to stretch the reinforcement over 10-15 seconds. Pay attention to her body language; if she’s leaning or ducking away from you as she eats, she’s likely saying, “Thanks for the food, but you’re coming on a little strong,” and you should consider changing your body language. (Are you leaning over your dog? A lot of dogs don’t enjoy this.)
These generous jackpots can be meaningful and help motivate your dog to perform correctly—with speed and enthusiasm—in the future. However, be careful not to overuse jackpot rewards. If jackpots are available all the time, they can lose value.
5. Reward Every Correct Response but Use Treats Intermittently.
Once your dog reliably performs the desired behavior without the lure, keep treats on the menu, but learn what else your dog enjoys and mix in offering those things as rewards, too. Once my dogs understand simple behaviors like “sit” and “down,” I make a point to use life rewards to reinforce those behaviors throughout the day.
For example, when I know my dog want me to open the door so he can go outside, I can ask for a “sit” and the treat becomes me opening the door. When we see a friend on a walk, I can ask him to “lie down,” and the treat becomes me releasing him to visit our friend. Anything your dog wants—that you can safely allow him to have or experience—can be used in place of a treat to reward his behavior. It’s also a great way to establish a strong sense of teamwork between you and your dog.
6.It’s OK to Keep Treats on the Menu Forever. (Yes, really!)
Every positive-reinforcement trainer I know continues to use food throughout their dogs’ lives—at least in some circumstances. In my own home, I keep treats in a dish on my desk to reinforce my dog for not barking at the mail delivery person. When I have an opportunity to let my dog explore an area off-leash, I use treats to reinforce coming when called, because I greatly appreciate my dog’s decision to hit the pause button on his exploration simply because I asked him to.
Continuing to use treats (as rewards, not bribes) is not a sign that your dog is not trained—it’s a sign of an enlightened trainer who understands the importance of offering a meaningful reward in exchange for a job well done.
Happy training!
