Is Training Your Dog While Using Food as a Reward a Good Idea? Part 1 of 4
http://www.animalsaspets.net/articles/1796/1/Is-Training-Your-Dog-While-Using-Food-as-a-Reward-a-Good-Idea-Part-1-of-4/Page1.html
Jake Cessner
Jake Cessner is a long time dog owner who has acquired extensive knowledge in dog training through training his own dogs over the years, who were very troublesome at times. More information on this subject and others is available @ www.dogtrainingpark.com/dogblog By Jake Cessner
Published on 06/19/2008
First of all, let me just say that I will make this a 4 part series because there is too much information to cover in just one article So, we’ll call this part 1 of 4
First of all, let me just say that I will make this a 4 part series because there is too much information to cover in just one article. So, we’ll call this part 1 of 4.
Here are my thoughts....
Some people have brought about the question: “Is training your dog while using food as a reward a good idea?” In my opinion, when you compare a couple pats on the back and a scratch behind the ears to a nice tasty biscuit, the biscuit will win every time as a motivator to get your dog or puppy to do what you are asking them to do. So , YES it’s a great idea! Next time you go to dump their dog food in the bowl just watch how excited and attentive they get. They’re perfect angels when they know a tasty snack is involved!
If you decide to train your dog using food there are a few things that you need to watch out for and be careful of. Pay close attention to your dog’s reaction when doing this so you can make sure that he’s not becoming too overly excited. The last thing you want is your dog hopping around like a crazy dog because you have some goodies in your hands. When you grab the treats, food, or whatever it is that you will be using for your training, just act like it is no big deal so you don’t get your dog into an uproar. For those of you who have kids, you need to make sure that your dog is not acting aggressively or possessively around the treats or food. If you don’t notice your dog becoming aggressive, possessive, or acting negatively when you are pulling out the treats and dog food, it should be ok to use it to train your dog with. Let’s not forget that the whole objective here is to eventually have your dog obeying your commands without the use of anything, including food. The biggest benefit of using food to train your dog is that your dog, for the most part, will give you his undivided attention when he knows a treat is involved resulting in quicker learning and understanding.
3 Ways You Can Use Food To Train Your Canine
1. Use it to lure your dog and to keep his/her undivided attention
2. Use it as a reward for your dog when he does something good
3. Use it as an aid to develop positive associations with everyday situations
Listed above are three excellent proven ways you can use food to train your dog. I will not go any more into detail on those methods this particular article. I’ll be covering each method more in-depth in the next 3 Parts of this 4 Part Series. In Part 2, I’ll be describing the methods and practice to use when you use food to lure your dog and to keep his undivided attention so you can get the most effective training results quickly.
Here are my thoughts....
Some people have brought about the question: “Is training your dog while using food as a reward a good idea?” In my opinion, when you compare a couple pats on the back and a scratch behind the ears to a nice tasty biscuit, the biscuit will win every time as a motivator to get your dog or puppy to do what you are asking them to do. So , YES it’s a great idea! Next time you go to dump their dog food in the bowl just watch how excited and attentive they get. They’re perfect angels when they know a tasty snack is involved!
If you decide to train your dog using food there are a few things that you need to watch out for and be careful of. Pay close attention to your dog’s reaction when doing this so you can make sure that he’s not becoming too overly excited. The last thing you want is your dog hopping around like a crazy dog because you have some goodies in your hands. When you grab the treats, food, or whatever it is that you will be using for your training, just act like it is no big deal so you don’t get your dog into an uproar. For those of you who have kids, you need to make sure that your dog is not acting aggressively or possessively around the treats or food. If you don’t notice your dog becoming aggressive, possessive, or acting negatively when you are pulling out the treats and dog food, it should be ok to use it to train your dog with. Let’s not forget that the whole objective here is to eventually have your dog obeying your commands without the use of anything, including food. The biggest benefit of using food to train your dog is that your dog, for the most part, will give you his undivided attention when he knows a treat is involved resulting in quicker learning and understanding.
3 Ways You Can Use Food To Train Your Canine
1. Use it to lure your dog and to keep his/her undivided attention
2. Use it as a reward for your dog when he does something good
3. Use it as an aid to develop positive associations with everyday situations
Listed above are three excellent proven ways you can use food to train your dog. I will not go any more into detail on those methods this particular article. I’ll be covering each method more in-depth in the next 3 Parts of this 4 Part Series. In Part 2, I’ll be describing the methods and practice to use when you use food to lure your dog and to keep his undivided attention so you can get the most effective training results quickly.