Puppy Training

Question: Question about puppy training and treats?

(Posted by: AizerK on 2010-01-14 07:37:35)

Ok i know a few people that have their dogs follow orders and the acknowledgements of their owner is their candy ... but others that expect treats after EVERYTHING they do one friend tells me that you have to give your dog treats after they successfully do something my uncle sais only give them half the time .. then gradually stop and replace treats with your approval (stuff like "GOOD GIRL ") .. because if you keep giving them treats the only reason they'll do tricks is for treats i kinda wanna go with my uncle because his adult doberman dog happily takes orders without treats and my friends lab sometimes won't obey if she knows she won't get anything .... what are your experiences with dogs and commands and treats and such??? maybe it's just my friends crappy training but can you treat dogs much and have them follow commands later without the use of treats?

Posted by: Chase on 2010-01-14, 07:42:23

Get the dog PUP-ORONI's they love them. Please answer my question: answers.yahoo.com/ question/ index;_ylt= AqoeHGzd3Af.EV2S.6vR3C7sy6IX;_ylv= 3?qid= 20100112150918AA9nGQ9

Posted by: Millie_Munchkin on 2010-01-14, 07:42:26

Definitely go with your Uncle. But it my experience my dog won't do anything unless theres a treat involved lol x

Posted by: Angel on 2010-01-14, 07:42:53

Give the treat to the dog AFTER they do the trick. if you have ever watched a pro trainer train a dog the give the treat after the dog does what they want them to do.

Posted by: I have questions and answers! on 2010-01-14, 07:46:38

Go with what your uncle said. You can even teach them tricks without having treats, it's what I'm doing with my pups. They're 8 weeks and already know how to sit, and we've had them for a few days and don't have any dog treats in the house.

Posted by: Aphrodite *Dobe uses a PRONG on 2010-01-14, 07:49:59

Listen to your uncle. Sure you can initially teach a dog something by using treats, but dogs that are trained on 100% postitive reinforcement (generally only using treats) do not have fully 100% proofed dogs. At some point those treats should be phased out. Like I just put it to a trainer that I was looking at for my dog - that's like teaching your child with McDonald's french fries. Of course they are going to do anything for a frech fry! But what happens when that kid runs across a busy street? Are you going to hope you have a french fry in your pocket, and even if you do are you going to hope that your kid is just going to pay attention to the french fry or the cute kitty cat it chased across the street? The kid will just run across the street because they have no real discipline or consequences for their actions. Bribes only work for so long on people - and training dogs solely on treats is the same thing.

Posted by: Launi *If you SAY it, OWN it!* on 2010-01-14, 07:49:59

I use treats in the beginning. With puppies and older dogs. Once the dog KNOWS the command the treats are never used again. Verbal praise. If one of my dogs does not react to a command the FIRST time it is given, I go get the dog. If I have to go get them they are disciplined, not praised. Do it enough times and they learn when I say "OFF " they better hurry their little butts.

Posted by: Rauf on 2010-01-14, 07:50:16

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Posted by: D.A.1391 on 2010-01-14, 07:50:48

There are numerous ways to train your dog....i would first try a toy instead of treats though...while toys don't always work they are best because it is healthier for them to be rewarded with play rather then food. However if they don't respond to the toy you can use treats... When training dogs with treats many owners are not sure what is the best way. My suggestion is to treat them when they do as you ask as soon as they do it and give them verbal praise...but after they start to get a hang of it make the time before they get the treat longer and longer until you do not have to treat them any more.

Posted by: White Girl on 2010-01-14, 07:51:41

Just start using treats a lot then start saying Good Girl! petting her head and using treats:) it works for my dog now he knows tons of tricks! he even nos how to bob his head my other dog plays dead when i say BANG! lol!

Posted by: Trixie on 2010-01-14, 07:54:26

My trixie has one best trick in a dog show and this year best behaved. She knows sit,stay,high five,wave,dance,lie down,rollover,play dead,spin,speak,shake. It took some time to teach her these trick but she know them All. She will only do about three tricks at a time before she wants a treat

Posted by: Flute on 2010-01-14, 09:02:33

Using treats can be incredibly effective if your dog is food motivated. There is certainly no reason not to use food rewards if this is what motivates the dog - but the important thing is to use them correctly - meaning the treat should be a "Reward " not a "Bribe ". When first teaching a totally new behaviour, it is usual to use food as a "lure ". You move the food in such a way that the dog gets into the correct position by itself as it attempts to get the treat. For example the "sit ". You hold out the treat, then move it slowly towards the dog just above his head. As the dog leans back to get the treat his head should come up, his bum go down. As soon as him bum hits the floor you praise and give the treat. Repeat. As soon as the dog learns what the command word means (ie that the word "sit " means pu bum on floor) then you STOP using the food as a lure. Give the command without holding the treat out. If the dog sits, praise and give the treat. At first you may need to pretend you are holding the treat, then once the dog has obeyed you show him your hand is empty and get the treat from your pocket. Very quickly you should be able to give the command and the dog obey, without you having to wave a treat around. By NOT showing the treat before giving a command you are no longer bribing the dog. He should not know if you actually have treats on you or not. Once he has grasped the command fairly well you start to improve it (called shaping). For example, you want the dog to respond as quickly as he can. To do this, you would give the command (do NOT show the treat!). If the dog sits very quickly, praise and give a treat. If he is slow about it, praise a bit but no treat. Or, if you want the dog to look at you whilst sitting you would continue to offer praise for a basic sit, but would only give the treat when he looked at you at the same time. Make sense? You see, as the dog is learning you keep upping the game. At first all he had to do was sit. Then he had to sit quickly. Very quickly you get a dog that is sitting perfectly, immediately, every time. Your uncle is therefore correct. It is well proven that intermitent rewards are actually MORE motivating than consistent rewards. In other words only giving a food treat on some occassions is more effective than giving a food treat every time. It is similar to why gambling, the lottery etc is so addictive - you keep playing because you just might win next time! By selecting to treat only the best performances, you not only keep the dogs motivation very high, you also improve the behaviour. Of course, once the dog has achieved the level you want in terms of accuracy, speed etc then you would stop using the treats at all. Of course there is no harm in using in them on very rare occassions ust as a reminder that obeying you is worthwhile, again this helps to maintain the behaviour. Long story short - a reward and a bribe are two very different things. If you use food properly, as a reward, then it is highly effective. If you use it as a bribe and use it every time it will be far less motivating, and the dog will learn only to obey if he knows you have food. Important thing to remember is the dog should not know whether you have any food, and certainly should not see you waving it around - he should obey "just in case "

Posted by: K on 2010-01-14, 12:57:22

I did what your uncle says, so I agree with him.