In-Home Dog Training Sydney – Why Is It Important to Use Treats?

Treats are important when training a dog, but why?

“I don’t want to use treats”. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve heard this sentence. And my immediate response is “Then you shouldn’t expect any changes in your dog’s behaviour either… Especially any fast ones!” Let’s paint a picture.

You are in a job interview:

Interviewer: Your duties are to work when ever I tell you to and what ever I tell you to do. No questions asked, just do it. Sometimes it means that you need to stop doing something more interesting or fun. And sometimes it means that you don’t get to do anything that you would want to do yourself.

You: Ok, sounds a but dull, but what does it pay?

Interview: Well, it doesn’t pay anything. Here you work because I tell you to.

Does this sound motivating to you? Would you take this job? Probably not. So, why do we expect our dogs to take it? Dogs are animals, and they do what benefits them. A person could be explained that working like this is for the greater good (if there was such reason), but dogs can’t. So we need to find a way to motivate them to do what we want. But it doesn’t means using treats forever or bribing your dog!

Treats Need to Be Faded Out

When ever we train something new, a reward must be given often and it must be awesome (something your dog really wants). But when the behaviour has been learnt, the treats need to be faded out. This is an important step most people skip completely. No wonder, so many people struggle training their dogs!

In-Home Dog Training Sydney

I offer professional and experienced (over 10 years now!) dog training in Sydney. My in-home dog training in Sydney is a great option for ensuring that you know exactly what to do to improve your dog’s behaviour. We’ll practise the training techniques together and learn the importance of timing and rewarding the right behaviours. Dogs are the result of our training and raising. It’s that simple. Let’s get it right together!