Dog Treats: Should You Use Them In Dog Training?

When teaching a dog, there has always been some debate over whether or not to use rewards (such as dog biscuits or MilkBones). When it comes to teaching a dog, there are benefits and drawbacks to using rewards. Hopefully, this post can clear up any misunderstandings you may have.

Some people now say, “Of course!” To get the dog to obey you, give him goodies. After all, if you don’t give him something he loves, you won’t catch his attention.” Others, on the other hand, will advise, “No, don’t give the dog goodies!” He’ll only obey you for the sake of the food.”

Both of the aforementioned points of view are correct. Isn’t it true that the dog requires some sort of incentive to obey you? But what if the dog starts working just for the sake of food? So, what’s next? He doesn’t have any incentive to obey you if he isn’t hungry and doesn’t truly desire the meal!

So, do you think you should use dog treats? The answer is YES, but only in small doses. Don’t reward the dog with a cookie every time he obeys; instead, praise him profusely on occasion. Also, don’t overfeed him by making the “reward” too large. Break a biscuit in half or even split it into three pieces to avoid overfeeding your dog when you’re training him.

Another method for teaching small puppies is to use a crate. Adult dog food pellets should be used instead of biscuits. The pellets are large enough to be a treat for the puppy’s little mouth, yet small enough not to overfeed it.

Another essential point I’d want to stress is that you shouldn’t educate your dog to obey you just for the purpose of rewarding him with food. It’s easy to fall into the habit of praising your dog with a treat every time he does something even vaguely decent, even if you aren’t aware of it.

Instead, you want your dog to see you as the “strong master” or “alpha” over him, so he obeys you because you’re the boss and he wants to please you, not simply because you’re giving him a reward. When he accomplishes anything nice, praise him loudly in a high voice; when he does something wrong, praise him loudly in a low, “you’re in danger” voice. You want him to be able to tell the difference between the voices and understand that a high voice indicates “good” and a low voice means “bad,” and that anytime you use the low voice, you are dissatisfied with him.