Using training treats to help encourage good behavior in puppies is one of the most common methods of training in the United States. it can be very effective if done correctly. If done incorrectly, it can result in a spoiled, overweight puppy that will not respond properly unless there is food at stake. The key to using training treats with puppies is to make sure that they're healthy and unique so that your puppy will forever associate them with the positive training skills that you help him to build.
Choices of Foods
The right training treat for your puppy will depend upon what your puppy enjoys and what he responds best to. Do not try to give your puppy food that he doesn't like as a method of training him; this may only discourage good behavior and will no doubt make your training process more difficult.
Some of the more popular choices for training treats for puppies include the following:
- Small pieces of cheese
- Fruit
- Broken up pieces of biscuit
- Unsalted popcorn
- Small pieces of meat
- Dry cat food
- Dry dog food that is unusual to your puppy's diet
Things to Keep in Mind
When using training treats to help encourage good behavior from your dog, it's important first that you keep in mind that the size of the treat itself is very important. Do not give your pet large treats. You'll only be encouraging your dog to overeat and giving him too much food as you work with him. Because treat training typically requires that you give your pet a lot of individual treats, cut down on the size of each one so that you avoid giving your pet too many calories.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that some types of human food are not good for dogs. These foods can either be too rich, which leads to gastric problems and other concerns, or they can be poisonous to dogs. Before you consider ever giving your dog a bit of human food of any kind, it's always a good idea to check and see whether that human food will cause him to become sick for any reason. Giving your pet human food may also spoil his taste for regular dog food as well, so it's best to avoid human food in general.
Training with Treats
When using treats to help train your dog, it's crucial that you don't treat your dog with food every single time that he does anything good. Doing so will only serve to make him reliant and dependent upon the food as reward. Instead, alternate with praise that is verbal to help him to develop good habits and behaviors.
Your vet can help you to determine which foods will be best for your puppy. If you have any questions about how to train your dog with treats, consult with a trainer.