“I don’t want to give my dog treats all the time,” is a phrase I hear a lot. So, perhaps there are misconceptions of what we’re doing with these “treats.”
Treats are often called bribery.
Bribery assumes you are trying to influence an authority in an illegal or unethical way. It would be odd if your dog had enough authority over you that you needed to influence their behavior though illegal means.
Bribery (according to Cornell Law School) refers to the offering, giving, soliciting, or receiving of any item of value as a means of influencing the actions of an individual holding a public or legal duty .
I have been told that treats are not good for dogs and make dogs sick.
Training rewards, often generalized as “treats” are neither good nor bad for a dog. They are calories that your dog likes. And if they like them a lot, it’s even better. This means that training rewards can be kibble, boiled chicken, Pupperoni, or cheese. Or if you like, freeze dried organic free-range duck shipped in from a farm in the south of France. All that matters is that your dog likes what you’re giving them, will work for it, and it agrees with their system.
If there is food that is making your dog sick, there should be a discussion with your dog’s veterinarian.
However, when we are doing new training or behavior modification, there is a level of stress or excitement involved. That could be what is upsetting your dog’s stomach.
Every parent who has taken their child to an amusement park has had the same thought on the way home when the child pukes in the car, “Was it the corndog or the excitement?”
So, certain foods might not agree with your dog and perhaps a stressful situation might upset your dog’s stomach. The training rewards you use for you dog should be chosen based on your dog’s desire and their gut health.
Variety is good for all of us. Here are some my my dog’s and clients’ favorite food rewards/treats.
I’ve heard people say, “your dog shouldn’t think they’re getting a treat each time they do something.”
We do want our dogs to think they are getting a food reward each time they do something we’ve asked them to do, at least in the early learning stages. That’s how we get them hooked on the behavior.
Then, we begin to randomize the rewards. Sometimes they get a reward and sometimes they don’t. When we keep rewards randomized, the dog will work harder. They will hope each time will be the time they get rewarded because they have been conditioned to get a reward every time. If we don’t condition them to know/believe they will get a treat each time, they would give up when we tried to fade out the treats.
The variable-ratio schedule of reinforcement is the most resistant to extinction. This is because the reinforcement is given after an unpredictable number of responses, making it more difficult for the behavior to cease. Examples include gambling or lottery games, where a win is unpredictable but can occur anytime. – Simply Psychology
This is where things get dark…
By giving them rewards every time in the learning stages, you won’t have to give them a treat every time they do what you’ve asked for the rest of their lifetime.
Lastly – you are going to feed them every day, aren’t you?
Call it what you like, rewards, treats, reinforcers, reinforcement, or payment. Ultimately you will feed your dogs meals daily so why not use these calories to strengthen their desire to do the things you’ve asked them to do? Instead of 100% of their daily calories coming in a “free” bowl, you can give them their calories for hanging out with you for a settle while you drink your coffee in the morning.
By having containers of treats all over you home, you can easily and quickly reward any behavior you like. Use a “train mix” of treats and kibble. Keeping it tamper proof is important. Here are some that lock and open with one hand.
You can give them goodies along the walk to keep them from rolling in something stinky and you’d rather they walk with you instead. Having a treat pouch is imperative for quick delivery of reinforcers so you dog knows what it was that got them a delicious treat.
You can give them their food in puzzle toys, like some of these for enrichment.
