How to use simple and effective dog training rewards at home. Food has always been a dog's most primitive yet powerful attraction. This is why the method of rewarding food is so effective in dog training. However, you still need to know some tricks to make the training process more convenient.
How to train a dog with food
Food training is more than just giving a dog food to make it obey. Some of our tips for using dog treats below are sure to be very useful to you.
1. Feed the dog little by little
The misuse of food-rewarding dogs during training tends to cause much harm. Dogs can gain weight or develop gastrointestinal problems when they eat too much sugar. In addition, feeding the dog little by little can help you save on food costs, train the dog to be patient, and not let the dog get too full, leading to the end of interest in training.
2. Reward the right situation
To promote the effectiveness of the reward cake, you should only give the dog food after the dog has properly obeyed certain commands. Don't reward your dog just because he's cute or has spontaneous hyperactive behavior that makes you happy. Reward food only when the dog is focused during training, to avoid misunderstandings about the meaning of reward food, they will understand that reward food will only be given when obedient to the owner.
3. Don't "bribe" your dog with food
This is the most common mistake new dog trainers make. Bribery is when you ask your dog to do a certain order and the dog doesn't obey, and you are forced to bring food as bait to get the dog to obey. The consequence of bribery is that dogs will only obey orders when they know they will be rewarded with food later. If you do this for a long time, it will backfire and you will have to rely on food to get your dog to obey.
To prevent your dog from confusing food as a reward and a bribe, instead of offering food to lure your dog when he refuses to obey, take the food out for the dog to see from the start. The way to use dog training treats is to retract your hand and put the food away if the dog is going to eat it. You then proceed to pull the food out, put it in the dog's nose, and issue commands. Dogs are only fed after they have completed the command. This training will help your dog realize that they will be rewarded with food once they complete the commands you give them.
4. Reduce the frequency of food rewards
To avoid dogs becoming dependent on dog food, dogs will be obedient and develop bad habits, you should only use reward food when training your dog for the first time. Over time, once your dog has learned the basics, you can gradually replace the food with praise or hugs.
This may make the dog less excited when he is not rewarded with food during training, but over time the dog will understand and still want to please the owner.
5. Gradually reward food
The mistake many dog trainers make is trying to get their dogs to complete the entire task before rewarding them with food. This often doesn't deliver the desired results, because dogs' brains can't process complex action sequences as humans can, they can't understand what their owners want them to do, so of course, they can't do it well. Instead of rewarding food at the end, give your dog treats at every step, even the smallest, towards the end goal.
For example, when you teach your dog how to sit, reward him if he lowers his hips slightly. If the dog does this again, you will reward him again. The dogs will understand why they got the reward and keep lowering their bottom next time. Then you can wait to reward your dog when his hips touch the ground until he knows how to sit properly.
6. The dog is rewarded with food immediately after completing the command
In general, dogs have limited attention spans. So, when your dog completes a request, immediately reward them in the same spot where they completed the command. If you wait a while for a reward, the dog will forget why they were rewarded and won't consciously execute the request again next time. Therefore, your training efforts are considered wasted.
7. Eliminate distractions
Having trouble getting your dog to pay attention to food? This phenomenon may be caused by disturbances in the surrounding environment, such as traffic noise, children playing, or other animals. So, find a place where your dog can focus easily and your dog will find the reward food more delicious.
8. Try different foods
The dog's taste also greatly influenced the effectiveness of using reward food during training. Maybe the food you use is simply not enough to attract and motivate your dog to do the behavior you want. Try different foods until you find your dog's favorite.
Above are some simple and effective ways to use dog training treats at home to help your dog become smarter, more obedient, and more obedient. I hope Iluvdogsm.xyz's articles can bring you a lot of useful information and have great reference value.