How to Give Your Dog a Treat
Hold treats near your dog’s chest., Teach your dog to take treats gently., Use small, aromatic treats to train your dog., Combine varied treats with petting to train your dog., Teach your dog command words., Socialize your dog using treats.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Hold treats near your dog’s chest.
When you offer your dog a treat, be sure to hold it at the dog’s chest or under its mouth and eye level.
Holding a treat too high or waving it above the dog’s head encourages jumping and over excitement .
If your dog jumps at a treat outside of its visual range, it’ll have less control over its teeth and might nip your finger.If you toss your dog a treat, toss it gently on the ground in front of your dog instead of in the air to discourage jumping. -
Step 2: Teach your dog to take treats gently.
If you find that your dog impatiently grabs treats from you, you should train it to be patient and gentle.
First, hold a treat in front of your dog with a closed fist.
If it paws or bites to get the treat, keep your fist closed.
Wait for your dog to calm down or softly touch your fist with its nose, then completely open your hand to allow it to eat the treat off your palm.Repeat this sequence to reinforce your dog’s association of calm, gentle touching with a reward.
Try using a garden glove to protect your hand, especially if you have sensitive or thin skin. , You should break up treats into pea-sized pieces when training your dog, since training sessions will typically involve 10 to 20 repetitions of a command.
Use aromatic treats, like bits of hot dog, cooked meat, cheese, or a favorite store bought treat.Go for soft treats that can be eaten quickly when training your dog commands and tricks. , Switch up the type of treat you use when training your dog in order to keep its interest.
When training your dog, you’ll want to avoid just being a treat dispenser.
As you offer a treat, pet your dog and give it verbal praise so it learns to value touch and praise as rewards.Your goal should be to eventually substitute food treats for petting and praise completely.
Otherwise, your dog will always expect a food treat when you give a command.
The treat will then become more of a bribe than a reward. , To teach your dog a command, first say the command word, like “Sit.” Show your dog the treat, and if necessary, physically guide your dog into the appropriate position.
Give your dog the treat as soon as it’s in the correct position to teach it to associate that action with a reward.It’s essential to give the treat within a second or two of the proper action so your dog understands the connection between the action and the reward.
Keep command words short and use words and tones of voice consistently whenever you give commands.
Once you’ve taught it a few basic commands, like sit and come, you can use the same method to teach it other tricks, like shake or high five. , Use small treats to reward your dog when it’s calm around new people, other animals, and unfamiliar objects or sounds.
When someone visits your home, have them give your dog a command, like sit, and reward it with a small treat.Be sure not to use treats to unintentionally reward bad behavior.
If your dog barks at someone new, don’t use a treat as a distraction or it’ll interpret the treat as a reward for barking.
Ignore the barking and try offering a treat or praise as soon as it becomes calm and quiet. -
Step 3: Use small
-
Step 4: aromatic treats to train your dog.
-
Step 5: Combine varied treats with petting to train your dog.
-
Step 6: Teach your dog command words.
-
Step 7: Socialize your dog using treats.
Detailed Guide
When you offer your dog a treat, be sure to hold it at the dog’s chest or under its mouth and eye level.
Holding a treat too high or waving it above the dog’s head encourages jumping and over excitement .
If your dog jumps at a treat outside of its visual range, it’ll have less control over its teeth and might nip your finger.If you toss your dog a treat, toss it gently on the ground in front of your dog instead of in the air to discourage jumping.
If you find that your dog impatiently grabs treats from you, you should train it to be patient and gentle.
First, hold a treat in front of your dog with a closed fist.
If it paws or bites to get the treat, keep your fist closed.
Wait for your dog to calm down or softly touch your fist with its nose, then completely open your hand to allow it to eat the treat off your palm.Repeat this sequence to reinforce your dog’s association of calm, gentle touching with a reward.
Try using a garden glove to protect your hand, especially if you have sensitive or thin skin. , You should break up treats into pea-sized pieces when training your dog, since training sessions will typically involve 10 to 20 repetitions of a command.
Use aromatic treats, like bits of hot dog, cooked meat, cheese, or a favorite store bought treat.Go for soft treats that can be eaten quickly when training your dog commands and tricks. , Switch up the type of treat you use when training your dog in order to keep its interest.
When training your dog, you’ll want to avoid just being a treat dispenser.
As you offer a treat, pet your dog and give it verbal praise so it learns to value touch and praise as rewards.Your goal should be to eventually substitute food treats for petting and praise completely.
Otherwise, your dog will always expect a food treat when you give a command.
The treat will then become more of a bribe than a reward. , To teach your dog a command, first say the command word, like “Sit.” Show your dog the treat, and if necessary, physically guide your dog into the appropriate position.
Give your dog the treat as soon as it’s in the correct position to teach it to associate that action with a reward.It’s essential to give the treat within a second or two of the proper action so your dog understands the connection between the action and the reward.
Keep command words short and use words and tones of voice consistently whenever you give commands.
Once you’ve taught it a few basic commands, like sit and come, you can use the same method to teach it other tricks, like shake or high five. , Use small treats to reward your dog when it’s calm around new people, other animals, and unfamiliar objects or sounds.
When someone visits your home, have them give your dog a command, like sit, and reward it with a small treat.Be sure not to use treats to unintentionally reward bad behavior.
If your dog barks at someone new, don’t use a treat as a distraction or it’ll interpret the treat as a reward for barking.
Ignore the barking and try offering a treat or praise as soon as it becomes calm and quiet.
About the Author
Amber Russell
Committed to making cooking accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: