Nowadays, loads of people are enthusiastically onboard with using food to teach their dogs. More and more people have learned about the benefits of training with rewards (positive reinforcement, force free, fear free, humane, gentle) and the risks of training with aversives (balanced, compulsion, punishment, intimidation, tools like choke, prong or e-collars/shock collars). With so many people using food in dog training, it makes sense to get occasional questions or concerns about using treats to train, such as the ones below.
My dog isn’t food motivated.
When a dog isn’t interested in food, there is usually something else going on. If your dog doesn’t seem interested in food when you’re training, here are some questions to ask.
- Is food available for my dog at all times?
- Is my dog full?
- Can I adjust training to occur prior to mealtimes or adjust the amount given for meals?
- Has food (even food in certain contexts) become a predictor of something the dog would rather avoid?
- Could my dog be having medical/GI issues?
- Is the value of the food high enough in this context?
- Is the situation or exercise too challenging for my dog at this time?
- Is my dog afraid?
Does it seem like training isn’t working? Read my blog The Usual Suspects: Dog Training Problems for some common reasons why that might be.
For more on food motivation, check out But My Dog Isn’t Food Motivated by Rescued by Training and Is Your Dog Alive by KinDog.
Won’t giving “people food” to my dog make my dog beg?
Your dog has no idea that foods like chicken, cheese or hot dogs aren’t just really amazing dog treats you got from the pet supply store!
If you gave dog treats while you were eating dinner, your dog would start to expect dog treats from the dinner table. That said, I really don’t mind if a dog is hanging out near me while I’m eating. I will gladly dole out treats or bits of healthy food to reinforce behaviors I’d like to see more of, such as lying on a dog bed near the table.
My dog is on a special diet.
Check the ingredients. Is there something in their food you could use for training treats? For instance, if turkey is the protein source, could you use small pieces of cooked turkey for training? Or freeze-dried raw turkey treats? Does the food contain any fruits or veggies that your dog likes? (If you’re unsure if a particular ingredient or version of an ingredient is safe for your dog, check with your vet.) If they eat dry kibble, is there a canned version you could put inside a squeeze tube that might be more interesting than what they eat every day?
The Academy for Dog Trainers pulled together some great suggestions in their blog Enrichment for Dogs on Restricted Diets.
I don’t want to always have to carry treats with me.
I get it, it’s one more thing to plan and prep, one more thing to take along. But once you get in the habit, it’s just as easy as taking your keys, phone, leash and poop bags! Can you make it easier to build the habit by keeping the treats with the leash? Or restocking your treat pouch the day before so it’s ready to go? For treats that require some prep (chopping hot dogs, cooking chicken…), I’m a huge fan of preparing in bulk.
It hurts when my dog takes treats from my hand.
You can teach your dog to take treats more gently, separate from teaching your dog other things. (Check out my blog Teach Your Dog to Take Treats Gently.) In the meantime, there are some alternative ways to deliver treats that can help you avoid the unpleasantness of a treat shark.
Try delivering the treat in an open, flat palm if feeding in position is helpful for the skill you’re teaching (sit, down stay…). For some behaviors, you can just put the treat on the floor. A squeeze tube filled with paté style canned food, cream cheese or peanut butter can be a great option, too.
Shouldn’t my dog just want to please me? Isn’t using food just bribery?
Dogs do what works. (And what feels safe.)
“No motivation, no training.”
Jean Donaldson
In order teach a dog and change their behavior, we need motivation. Dogs do what works…for them. What is the outcome of their behavior? Does it result in obtaining something they’d like? Or are they trying to avoid something? We’re either using a carrot or a stick, rewards or force/threat of force. (It’s probably obvious that I choose rewards-based training — the carrot.) Dogs don’t do something for nothing. It has to be worth their while, making it more likely they’ll repeat the behavior next time.
“You’re a threat or a treat. Be a treat.”
Kathy Sdao
Read Companion Animal Psychology’s post New Study Shows Dogs Trained with Rewards Only are More Optimistic. Also check out Rescued by Training’s blog Why Using Food Isn’t Bribery.
My dog gets too excited about food.
This is a great problem to have! I recommend having different values (or excitement factors) of treats. Your dog’s kibble is likely lower on the excitement scale for training purposes, even if they get really excited at mealtime. Kibble may be fine for easy-for-your-dog skills in easy-for-your-dog contexts. Foods like cooked chicken, cheese, hot dog or steak are likely higher on the excitement scale. Save these wow-factor foods for important skills (coming when called), challenging-for-your-dog skills and/or locations (leaving deer poop alone in the woods), and when helping your dog become more comfortable with something they find scary (nail trims, loud trucks). And then there is everything in between. The hierarchy of low to high value foods varies from dog to dog and can even vary for the same dog.
Getting back to your dog being too excited around food… I’d ask you, “What does that look like? What does your dog do around training treats?” That will lead us to some solutions.
Value of Treats
Here’s a sample treat or food hierarchy that may apply to a particular dog. On the left are things that the dog likes, but they aren’t particularly high value. On the right are things that are very high value for this dog. This will be different for each dog, and may be different for the same dog at a different time. For example, cheerios and carrots are on the left of this chart. But for some dogs, cheerios and carrots might be on the right — they might be very high value for a particular dog. In general though, the stinkier and slimier it is, the more a dog likes it — or the higher value it is for that dog.
It’s too cold to take off my gloves to get treats.
When it’s not super cold, I use thin gloves that still allow me to reach into my treat pouch and deliver treats. Kristi Benson uses this setup when it’s really cold (she’s in Canada — brrrrr). Squeeze tubes filled with cream-cheese consistency foods (as mentioned above) or baby food pouches (if dog-safe ingredients) can be a great option, as long as it’s not so cold that the contents actually freeze.
Won’t that cause my dog to gain weight?
It is important for dogs to maintain a healthy weight. The aim is to balance out your dog’s calories. If they are getting a lot of treats for training that day, cut back on the amount they’re getting in their meals.
Can I use something besides food?
Yes, things your dog loves like toys or play could be used. We typically use food because it’s so effective and a powerful reinforcer. Dogs love it. It’s easy to carry and to dole out pieces very quickly, keeping the dog in the game with a high rate of reinforcement. With food, we can take advantage of feeding the dog in a position like sit or down when we don’t want them to be on the verge of popping up like they might be if anticipating an exciting tug game. We can also scatter food on the ground to get them sniffing around.
Food is a great way to change a dog’s emotional response from “Oh no!” to “Yay!” as explained in What is Desensitization and Counter-Conditioning in Dog Training? by Companion Animal Psychology. We can change a dog’s association from being upset by or scared of something by making it predict tasty food, usually starting with a low-intensity version the scary/upsetting thing.
Of Note:
We typically do not use food in separation anxiety training. Here’s a podcast by Julie Naismith that explains why not.
Want to learn more?
Here are some additional resources about the use of food in dog training.
- The Ultimate Dog Training Tip – Companion Animal Psychology
- The Best Dog Training Treats – Companion Animal Psychology
- The Way To Your Dog’s Heart by Kristi Benson
- This is Your Dog’s Brain on Cheese – Upward Hound
- Because, Sometimes You Feel Like Some Nuts, Sometimes You Don’t – Lucky Fido Dog Training
- When Can I Stop Using Treats – Behavior Matters Academy
- When Can I Stop Using Food in Training – Rescued by Training
- The Dog Trainer’s Secret – I Love Your Dog
- The Usual Suspects: Dog Training Problems – My Fantastic Friend
- Motivation Matters Free Online Course – Wag the Dog and Company