We all have at least one animal we are fond of and have or would like to have as a pet, regardless of whether we are talking about most common pets, domestic or even wild animals. What those who don’t have a pet at home overlook pretty often is how big of a responsibility it is to have a cat or a dog, and no, we are not talking about feeding them, far from it. Yes, these animals eventually become family members, and we cherish and love the moments we spend with them, as pets are the ones that cause us so much joy but also anger.
The last one mentioned above is probably the most crucial, as yes, having a dog that will welcome you every day you come home from work will surely bring joy even in the darkest of hours, but in order to get to this point, so that even pets will learn and know what they can and mustn’t do, well, much time is needed.
But even training and spending hours with the pet would be for nothing if one doesn’t know what to do or when it is time to give them a treat, for example. Namely, the role of a treat is much bigger than some might first think, and it can be a great training tool, which is why we will focus more on that and also provide some tips regarding training your dog.
Positive reinforcement
From the psychological point of view, the reward and the right type of punishment play a tremendous role in learning, even with us humans, and you can use the same principle for training your dogs. Every expert will surely say that when it is “training time,” for each correct action, we should reward our pets or “punish” them if they don’t oblige.
Now, a great thing with treats is that there are so many of them, meaning that every dog surely has at least one they really, really like, and you can use it as a reward for training.
Of course, the more progress puppies show, the more treats we should give them, but even here, make sure not to give them too much, as they need to remember that they behaved well, and that’s why you gave that treat to them. So, from all this, make sure to use a treat your dog really loves for training, as the whole process will be much easier and more effective.
Reducing the use of food treats
This one is crucial, as when dogs start learning a new trick or command, you will use more treats, especially more complex tricks, as you will need to reward them for every part of the learning process. The main thing to keep in mind here is when it is time to start reducing the number of treats, and here, there are a couple of ways to do it.
Use substitutes
One of the best ways to reduce treats is to use substitutes to award the desired behavior instead of them. It can be petting, playing with them, or going for a walk when they deserve it, and they will pretty soon realize how it works and continue learning without any problem.
Change the model of rewarding
There are various models of reinforcement, and, in most cases, the continuous one is the model many of us use when we start training, and it implies giving a reward every time our pet does something good. It is a good model and can help the animal to understand what is expected from it, but, on the other side, it also can imply too many goodies and a few extra pounds. It might be necessary to change the model of rewarding after some time, and you need to learn more about them and choose the best one.
Ease of use
One of the main reasons people decide to use treats to train their pets is easy usage and the fact that we can carry them around with us in our purses or pockets. But why is that so important? Well, having goodies with us every time we go for a walk means being able to reward the desired behavior at the right moment, which is crucial for proper training.
In that way, the animal will experience constancy and consistency in training, which will make it much easier for both.
Accepting new people
Sometimes our pets will not accept other people, no matter how hard we try to make a connection and help them become friends too. Those rejections can be various, and in some cases, the animal can be aggressive and dangerous.
Of course, if that behavior is intensive, it is necessary to find professional help and avoid any accident, but if it is not, goodies can be a great way to suppress it. Once the animal makes the connection between the person and the treat, it will easily accept them.
Suppressing negative behavior
Not only that we can use goodies to encourage positive behavior, which is their primary function, but we can also use them to suppress some negative ones. One of the best examples is chewing, as many pets like to chew our shoes or furniture, which can be pretty annoying and expensive when we need to replace them. Luckily there are various toys where you can put the treats inside and give the pet them to chew instead of things they shouldn’t.
To summarize
Having a pet is something beautiful, and the bond between them and us cannot ever be described as each of them is unique and special, but one thing is certain – it is also a big responsibility, and one should do everything to train them.
Luckily, it is when treats can become pretty useful, and no matter how much some people avoid them, there is no valid reason for that, as they are not dangerous for our pets’ health. Of course, it is necessary to be careful when choosing the best ones and make sure that they are made of high-quality ingredients, and if you are in a search for dog treats, check PawsPurrs and choose from their vast offer.
