Is it better to train dogs without treats?
Junior Renner
2025-06-23 04:00:51
Count answers: 14
The use of treats may also cause your dog to become fixated on the treat, rather than performing the desired behavior. This can also lead to begging behavior. Too much of a good thing can result in your pet becoming overweight or obese, and that brings the risk of health issues that come with having a weight problem. In addition to weight issues, your pet may also have food allergies that may be hard to keep track of. You may not be able to easily find a treat that contains the proper ingredients. Fortunately, there are other methods of providing your dog rewards that do not involve treats. Anything that your dog finds value in can be used as a reward. If your dog already struggles with a weight problem, it would be a good idea to start implementing some of these tactics instead of using treats.
Danielle Maggio
2025-06-23 03:34:18
Count answers: 7
I have been shopping around for obedience classes and one person that ostensibly has worked with my shelter pup in the past uses a no treat system to train the dogs. I have never heard of this but it is intriguing. I found a couple blogs that talk about it https://www.caninejournal.com/how-to-train-a-dog-without-treats/#leash-gestures-and-commands is one. The section on keeping your dog on a (held) leash for 2 weeks straight was interesting. All opinions and viewpoints are welcome, all types of training are welcome. Prong collars, Clicker Training, E-Collars, Check Chains and everything else. Complete Obedience Training Without Treats.
Birdie Heaney
2025-06-23 02:45:09
Count answers: 16
In the traditional “body language, tone of voice only” style of training, once a dog has learned a behaviour but doesn’t respond properly, he receives a correction in the form of a choke chain jerk or similar aversive technique. Do dogs learn that way? Sure. Is it pleasant for them? Not so much. For training to be effective, non-coercive, and pleasant, the dog must want to cooperate. This is achieved by providing adequate motivation. For most dogs, food is extremely motivating, easy to use, and keeps the dog’s focus. If the owner’s timing isn’t the best, the worst that happens is that the dog receives an extra treat. Some owners are concerned that their dogs will become dependent on food. But there is a difference between bribery—waggling a treat so a dog will come, for example—and proper reward-based training. Reward-based training has the added benefit of creating a bond of trust between dog and owner.
Jacinto Breitenberg
2025-06-23 01:10:02
Count answers: 8
Training dogs with treats is a great way to get started teaching a dog something new, or even as a way to maintain a high level of motivation over time. On the other hand, it totally sucks if you wind up with a dog that will only work for food. Problems arise only when food is used as the primary, or only, form of motivation. This is easy to avoid or resolve by following a handful of basic principles. Balanced Training means we use treats along with other, more intrinsic forms of motivation, such as petting, play and sincere, genuine, loving praise. Being “Positive” simply means to reward the dog, it does not mean to feed the dog. You will develop a better relationship with your dog by being more versatile and creative with your reward system. The overuse of food can destroy any intrinsic motivation that would have otherwise been even more powerful than food.
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