Here is the answer to a thirty-something-year-old question: “Do I use treats to train dogs?” My answer: “No, I don’t. Personally, I don’t like carrying a fanny pack of liver treats on me. Treats are used more as bribery than reward, and I don’t see how that can teach anyone, human or canine, anything worthwhile. I am always in more of a teaching mindset than a training one. So maybe that is the reason I don’t bribe dogs with treats. Training with treats gives your dog the ability to respond to a stimulus. Teaching imparts an understanding of when to use what it has learned without a stimulus appropriately.
I’m still happily surprised when the pet parent informs me they are glad to hear me say that! I don’t have to wait long to hear that they have tried using treats, and that didn’t work. Further explanation and a handful of questions later revealed that all their dog was interested in was the treat. After a couple of weeks, the “treat” thrill wore off. Dogs live in the moment. If there were a bubble over your dog’s head, it would say, “No treat, no trick!”
A good trainer teaches a canine to respond to voice commands and body language. The reward for doing a good job is love, affection, and a strong bond built on respect between trainer and canine. An occasional treat is fine, but it only lasts until swallowed! Love and affection last a lifetime.
A great trainer will prepare your dog to control impulsive reactions and respond appropriately despite distractions, especially during safety-threatening situations.
Let’s say you open the door for a delivery, and your dog attempts to sneak out through the partially opened door while you’re distracted. Can you stop your dog before he is through the door? Will you have time to get a treat and address the immediate and possibly life-threatening situation of your dog running through the opened door?
What if your dog runs out of your home and heads for the street when there is oncoming traffic? How will a treat help your dog, then? I can only imagine a pet parent running through the house to get a treat and then running outside to get their dog’s attention. In a good scenario, your dog remains safe and comes when you call him. What happens next when you try to collar him and walk home? Will he dodge you and run off again?
A well-trained dog is a safe dog. A well-trained dog is a happy dog.
