I made this quick video because this is the most common question I get asked daily on youtube. BUT the secret is not WHAT treat to use, but what treat YOUR dog needs you to use. It will be different for every dog! The next secret is that you have to keep changing the treats up or the dog will get bored/habituate to the treat you always use.
#dogtraining101 #dogtrainingbasics #dogtraining
Wow Emily. A very informative video.
Quite cool that a dog could be crazy about bread, haha.
I Like this (: Well done.
I keep mine in ziploc bags as well. My chihuahua actually loves crunchy lettuce and zucchini. I mostly use Wellness brand soft treats and real chicken though and sometimes her dog food. It’s so true that it needs to be changed up, especially with certain treats. She loved zucchini for a while, but got bored of it quickly.
Thanks Emily, I’ve just spent all day yesterday breaking each of Sparky’s cookies into about 25 pieces each, (for clicker training these 3 Poms that are staying here at the moment), now I think I’m ready myself for some variety of treats hahaha. I was actually thinking about asking you this question yesterday so thanks again. 🙂
Hi Emily, thank you for this, I find when working on grass small treats can be difficult, especially if I am throwing them to a dog working at a distance.
I cannot find decent treat bags anywhere on the net, they all seem too small. where did you get yours from?
Thanks. Very clear and helpful. All your vids show you using food rewards to train a new behaviour, but when do you stop using food? How do you do that–by offering less valuable ones or by rewarding less frequently? I find I have to use low value treats or my Lab gets so excited about the food she offers ALL her tricks instead of the new one..
@peaceflmeadow It’s called Freeze Dried Salmon aka Kitty Crack. My cats will do absolutely anything for the stuff. Plus, it powders easily with pressure, and can be crumbled onto kibble to make it more enticing. Dogs seem to love it too, it has a fishy smell and flavor (I presume). My cats actually got into an above counter cupboard to find the packet, and ate every bit.
@suezn5 reward sporadically, maybe they have to sit or stay three times before they get a treat, maybe they get a really great treat for something like a sit or down. Keep them guessing. You can wean them off treats for the old hat stuff, and use good treats for new behaviors. Don’t make it too routine! Hope that makes sense, Kikopup could say it better I’m sure 😉
@jameskopacz you can often start out with high value and graduate down, like start with cheese and switch to cheese/kibble. You can use it to mark really good behavior. If you need your dog’s attention and focus, especially in a stimulating environment, high quality treats will help. My dog will work for cat kibble in the backyard, but he loses interest in it when we are on the sidewalk. Cooked shredded chicken will get his attention and focus, even at the park with strange dogs about!
Haha! I never thought of baggies! It’s tough to keep several different treats in my treat pouch at the same time and be able to get to them separately. I usually use little yogurt cups or such, but they always spill over, especially when I am working on stalls or vaults, where I am sort of upside down sometimes. The baggies are sure to do the trick! Such a simple little thing, but I think it’ll really help. Thanks, Emily. PS: I love the splash screens you’ve added to many of your vids.
oh, it’s cool to see what treats you use!! it’s like looking in someone else’s handbag! haha! my dogs get bored so quick with treats I’m always switching, I found today that all four dogs decided they would work really hard for a dry dog food that I didn’t think any of them liked!! they keep you guessing!!
good info…I have been using the same treat all the time…I will take your advice and change it up….thanks!!!
it took a lot of patience but i had a breakthru with my pup and now we are on the path to becoming potty trained all this thanks to these videos
My greyhound LOVES my bread crusts after I have cinnamon toast for breakfast in the morning! Strange, I know, but you sort of mentioned another client who experienced the same… now I feel better. 🙂
@MrVbdude I would say like 1/5 or 1/6th of their daily food every once in a while- using real meat you can use much more, but one trick you can do is put hot dog pieces in a zip lock baggie with kibble- if your dog eats kibble- and leave it over night- it makes the kibble taste more interesting and makes it more soggy and easier to swallow. kind of nasty but dogs love to eat gross things
@kikopup Thanks for replying to my comment and thank you for the great tip regrading the kibble. I really appreciate your time and effort in making these helpful positive dog training videos for us, I have learned so much from you and pamelamarxsen. I’m looking forward to buy your dvds within this month. Thanks once again 😀
On the reverse end of the scale are dogs that get overly excited about any food. With Lucy, I use Cheerios for general training in the house. If I use anything more exciting, she usually can’t think. I save the really high value ones -raw meat n her case, for the behaviors and activities that are hardest for her such as calling away from other dogs and distant recalls in very distracting environments.
Do you make any treats yourself? I was thinking of making some treats for my new puppy for clicker training but I’m not entirely sure what types of ingredients are ‘safe’ and which to avoid.
For my dogs I like to use their dog kibble at home. When I’m the only game in town I don’t need a high value treat. New behaviors and distractions I’m all about awesome treats. And when my dogs do get treats it’s usually in public places and then they sparkle because they are excited about getting treats. I love you Emily! Thanks so much for all you do!
Thank you for this, i’ve been using pea sized treats for my small dogs (chihuahua mixes) and they lose interest in them quickly. I never thought that it could be because they were filling up. I thought that what i was using was as small as they get. I’ll keep looking for smaller treats. Thank you for sharing!
As if my dog (a schipperke with a bit of chihuahua and pomeranian in her) didn’t look enough like a fruit bat, she loves fruit and veggies, especially crispy ones like apples and celery. I only tried giving her blackberries once but she took quite well to them and I’ve been told they’re quite healthy for dogs in moderation. Is there a level of caution I need to worry about with plant foods though? I don’t want to upset her stomach…