The Best Way to Reward Your Dog

I heard a “tele-trainer” declare that trainers who use treats don’t know what they are doing and are bribing dogs and the dog won’t respond unless given a treat.  He obviously has never done it correctly as it does work.  Using a treat as reward for a desired behavior is very effective – for some dogs.

The type of reward – treat, verbal praise, or physical affection all have their place.  Treats work well for timid dogs in helping them gain confidence in humans.  Verbal praise is always good – this works nicely for humans too!  Physical affection isn’t always the best reward initially as some dogs fall a part when given affection and quickly roll over for a belly rub.

The particular trainer who is so opposed to treats, uses a special training collar.  I have met a lot of dogs who were trained through aversion training, and they only respond when wearing the appropriate gear – e-collar, prong collar, etc.

Of course, there’s not a one-reward-fits-all training method and training collars may be necessary for certain dogs.  A well-trained dog who respects us and we them, will respond regardless of the reward.  So, why not use a positive approach to training?

Have a training question?  Send it to me in the box to the right.