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Treat-Powered Training: Unleashing Your Dog's Inner Genius

It's important to train your dog for both their mental health and safety. Positive reinforcement methods, which use food rewards, are a popular training method.

Keep your dog motivated during training sessions by offering different types of treats.

His food

Dog has to eat his dinner at some point, right? So why not make him work for this one? When you get home from work, before you get distracted by your homework, spend 15 or 20 minutes training with your canine companion. He is hungry and will do anything to please you at that time of day.

Divide his food into smaller portions and make him work for his dinner by using kibble (dry food) to get him into a sitting position, bribing him to walk nicely, or whatever else he needs to work on.

The upside of using his food as a reward lies in the fact that your dog will not be consuming extra calories, which minimizes the risk of weight gain.

Soft treats

Choose various types of soft and smelly treats from your local pet store. Any type of soft treat, such as imitation bacon or sausage strips for dogs, will work. Since you will be giving them several times, they should be soft enough that you will be able to tear them into pea-sized pieces.

Soft treats also have a stronger aroma than dry ones, making them more appealing to your dog. Plus, he's going to chew them instantly, allowing you to continue his training quickly, rather than waiting for him to eat. When Should i Give My Dog Treats?

Alternatives

Specialty pet food stores offer a variety of alternative feeding options, such as meat-flavored lollipop-type treats. These low-calorie treats have a strong odor that will make your pet's mouth water.

Training tips

If you are training your dog, it is important to incorporate praise into the session. Dogs are often food-driven, but they also crave attention.

When Fido does a good job, pat him on the head and get excited. Offer praise as soon as he does what you ask. Over time he'll make a connection that good behavior or trick that gets his attention.

You won't have to give him a treat every time he sits correctly. Instead, toss him a piece of kibble in his mouth when he performs the command. The next time he does it correctly, use praise as a motivator.

Keep the back-and-forth exchange between food and attention so that your dog doesn't expect a specific treat every time.