When training your dog, the big question is, “To treat or not to treat?” Dog training requires the ability to match the required training results with your dog’s learning retention AND learning curve.
Try the Top 3 dog training reward methods to get the best dog training results.
1. Treats. For those who don’t believe in using treats to train a dog, I say, “Why make it harder than you should?” Humans learn from high-pleasure reward-based training and so do dogs. GOAL: Once your dog learns the given command or training routine, NO more treats. Dog training establishes conditioned learned behavior through routines. When the new behavior is established, you can wean your dog off the treats and replace it with a more natural reward method of vocal affirmation or physical touch.
2. Vocal Affirmation. Good dog! Good girl! Good boy! Sound familiar? Vocal affirmation to a dog becomes now MORE beneficial than food. When the dog simply hears positive affirmation after doing something correctly it plays more in retaining the wanted behavior than a food reward. Your human voice will soon replicate that of a dog’s bark, whine, or growl to simulate dog communication. Thus, making your interactions with your dog more natural and instinctual to your dog. Humans ultimately want love and NOT material reward (most of us) so do dogs. Want to learn a lesson about unconditional love from your dog? Read this.
3. Physical Touch. A simple pat on your dog’s head or a stroke on his back becomes the BEST reward ever. We began with treats, progressed to vocal affirmation, and now physical touch. Dogs communicate with body language, sound, and touch in a dog pack. Just having your dog feel the warmth of your touch is communicating a positive reward. In a dog pack, when dogs reward and affirm each other, it is often with a lick of the tongue or another type of “body” touch exchange. So, for effective reward stimulus, you will now touch your dog to reward him when he does the appropriate action.
