As we all know, dog training is never as easy as it sounds. If you listen to some people, you would think potty-training your puppy is as easy as taking it outside for a walk and then the puppy does the rest. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is training a dog takes time, patience and above all, the proper training tools and when I say training tools, I mean treats. Dog treats as a reward are quite effective during all stages of training.

The reason dog treats work as a training tool is because dogs love them. While some words of encouragement might work for some pets, most dogs require a little more incentive for sitting, staying, or going potty outside and not in the house. Treats such as Greenies dog treats or bones are a great way to have your pet to without fail respond to your commands. I personally use them to reinforce desired positive behavior.

Dog treats as a training reinforcement is a better option to other methods of training which implement negative reinforcement, threats of violence or worse yet, actual physical punishment. How is a dog supposed to behave after being subjected to that type of behavior? The short answer is it won’t. Dog treats when used together with positive praising has been shown to be the best method for training a dog or puppy. For training treats to be effective, use one the dog really likes.

Another reason to use treats during training is to give the dog something to anticipate and look forward to during times of training. Dogs love treats and are appreciative to receive them even if they don’t fully understand the reasons for them. They’ll just associate treats with good behavior and thus continue that good behavior in hopes of receiving the reward.

One fact to consider is that is very important to the training that the dog receives the treat reward immediately. If it doesn’t, the animal either won’t know what the treat is for or worse yet, confuse being rewarded for something other than the positive behavior. This can threaten all your established behavior and training.

Above all else, consistency is the key. Try to practice it all the time and remind everyone close to the dog of the training rule and behavior guidelines. Make sure everyone who interacts with the dog uses the same commands in order to avoid confusing the dog. Everyone should also reward the dog for positive behaviors and not unwanted ones.