If you have a dog that absolutely loves food, you should know this can be a great motivating force you can use to your advantage when it comes to training.
Whether you are wanting your dog to learn the basic commands like sit and stay, or perhaps have some more elaborate tricks in mind, using food can work wonders with how quickly Fido advances in their training sessions.
If you’re ready to use food to have your dog become a well-trained canine, here are four tips to keep in mind.
The Power of Treats
When you are training your dog, the power of using treats can be incredible.
Great to give to your dog as a reward for a job well done, keep a few treats in your pocket and in other spots around your home.
However, be sure to only give them treats as a reward.
Otherwise, your dog will come to expect them all the time, whether or not they lived up to your expectations.
Use Healthy Food and Treats
If you are going to use food as a motivating force to train your dog, you will need to not only use tasty food that your dog enjoys but also ones that are nutritious and healthy.
After all, if your dog puts in plenty of hard work to learn some new commands or skills, you want them to be as healthy as possible while still enjoying their food.
To ensure the food is healthy, look at the different ingredients in the food, not just what is advertised on the front of the package.
You may prefer to have natural pet foods.
However, don’t just take the marketing design by it’s word, make sure that you can actually read and understand the ingredients on the back of the back to make sure they are made with the best ingredients compared to dog food that has unnecessary additives.
Additionally, if you aren’t sure what an ingredient is, consider looking up the food to ensure they are healthy for dogs and can actually be digested by your dog.
Don’t Withhold Food as Punishment
Remember that even when your dog does not respond as you hoped they would, don’t withhold their food as a punishment.
If you do this, your dog will soon look at the training sessions as a negative experience, making them less and less eager to participate.
By always choosing to focus on the positive during these sessions, you and your dog will have lots of fun.
Time Your Meals for Training
Finally, while you don’t want your dog to be starving prior to their training sessions, you also don’t want them to be so full that they have little desire for the treats or other foods you will be using as their reward.
Therefore, try to time your dog’s meals so that they are just hungry enough come training time. If you need help with this, consult your dog’s veterinarian.
Once you implement these four tips as you begin your dog’s training sessions, it won’t be long until Fido is sitting, staying, and being more obedient than you ever thought possible.