Food Rewards?

[emc]

What do you folks think of training a dog with food rewards? Many trainers use it but I've heard so many times that you shouldn't use food as a reward when training because that will teach your dog to listen to you only if he sees that he will get food.

Rewarding a dog with just praise would be great but with some dogs food seems to be the only motivating factor. I know with my puppy I needed to use food to get her attention, I combine the food treat with praise and once she understands the command I use everyday things as a reward for her obeying, for instance, when playing she gets the ball after she lies down, she gets to go on my lap after she sits first and so on. So far it seems to be working because she's listening even though she doesn't always get a food reward.

I still use food on new commands and intermittingly on ones she knows, especially the "come here" command, I want her to know that coming to me is worth her while. Anyway what's your take on this, how do you go about training a dog that only seems to be motivated by food?

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[Misty_Pearl]

Pearl just began puppy kindergarten yesterday and right now we are using food rewards. Later it will be just praise.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

I do use food rewards when they're young but gradually stop as they get older. By the time they're 8 months they don't get any more food rewards. My dogs work for lots of praise and/or a toy. Everydog I've ever had, even if they were very food motivated loved to work simply for our praise. It made them feel so proud that they were able to make us happy...lol

[sammy101]

When Kodie went to Obediance class, the trainer only used praise,not treats. Like you said, she said that the dog with only respond to food. She only used food to teach the down command though. I would rather use praise, not treats.

[tessa_s212]

I use treats and toys to train everything. I NEVER train a behavior with corrections. Corrections ONLY come after the dog has FULLY learned the behaviors(which if properly trained, they should RARELY need any type of correction).

The whole thing about treats making an unreliable dog that will not work without treats is a complete lie. It is sad that trainers are still stuck in their old ways and refuse to acknowledge new, better training methods.

[K9karen]

I'm almosty too embarrased to admit....When I adopted Logan, i used praise as a reward. However, I was getting worried and frustrated that every time she went out for an outie, she never did a thing. She gets easily distracted with the squirrels and russling leaves and people walking by. So I started giving her a "Lite" dog cookie after she did her duty, and within 1 day, she learned that everytime she comes back inside, she jumps up and down, looks at her cookie jar, barks her "Rrr Rrr" and gets a cookie. So now she gets praise AND a cookie! Yes, I'm wrapped.

[anna_66]

I use praise AND rewards to train all my dogs. I'll tell you what my trainer said...
Would you go to work for ONLY a thank you? Nope!

[lv4dogs]

First I think it depends on the dog. If food is a good motivator than that is what I would start with, but some dogs enjoy a toy as a reward just as much as food, if not more.

Personally all of my dogs so far are very food motivated therefore that is what I use.

When first training a new command or for overall training like in puppies or newbies & the like I always use food for EVERY command.
Once they learn the command I start cutting back, giving them a food reward maybe every second to fourth time they obey the command. If toys are a good motivator I introduce them as a reward as well. I always try to alternate, I think it makes the dog work harder as they never know to expect as a reward. I believe in their minds they think like "hey whats mom gonna give me next, liver, chicken, my ball, what what what my oh my I must obey her to get what ever goodie she has this time".

I NEVER stop giving rewards completely, even the best trained dogs need a little reward & reminder once in a while otherwise they may stop working all together. I just cut back & alternate more.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I've used food rewards and praise with my dogs for training and gradually weaned them off of the food rewards. They are very happy to get praised but I can't imagine having trained them without the food rewards, it would have been much more difficult.

[elizabethann]

Fenway did Dog Obedience I two times and it was non-food praise. He just graduated from Dog Obedience II (at a different facility) and they used food as praise. You'd think he died and went to heaven. He would have walked a tightrope or jumped through a flaming hoop just for a little piece of snack food.

[RobiLee]

I use praise AND rewards to train all my dogs. I'll tell you what my trainer said...
Would you go to work for ONLY a thank you? Nope!

LOL..I like that one!

Praise and rewards for my dogs also.

[lv4dogs]

I use praise AND rewards to train all my dogs. I'll tell you what my trainer said...
Would you go to work for ONLY a thank you? Nope!

Somehow I missed your post earlier.
My trainer says the exact same thing!

[Kfamr]

I use both praise and food. My dogs have no problem listening to me without food. I think it all depends on the dog, though.

My youngest's favorite thing to work for is a tennis ball.

[luvofallhorses]

yep, they get food rewards. and praise of course.