Frequently Asked QuestionsFor most dogs food is very high on their list of motivators. If your dog responds to a cue, i.e., he does the behavior you ask, and you reward him with a small tasty treat, how is that bribery? Your dog can choose to do as you ask or not.
Developing a taste for people food will not cause food-stealing behavior or mean your dog will become obese. Good training is a result of your dog learning that his good behavior may occasionally be rewarded with a delicious taste of roast beef, chicken, etc.
Remember, dogs also like healthy foods like vegetables, fruit and cereal.
Some dogs are more food motivated than others. What you can do to increase food motivation is cut back on the amount of food you feed your dog at mealtimes and start offering him a variety of small tasty treats.
When using food in training, feed your dog at scheduled times . Do not leave food in his bowl to nibble on whenever he chooses throughout the day.
If your dog stops what he is doing when you quietly say, "No," if he does not act fearfully and if you immediately distract him, ask him to do something appropriate and reward that, then "No" is a piece of information for your dog.
On the other hand, if you yell, "No!", frightening your dog into stopping the problem behavior, then he is reacting emotionally. The difference in these two scenarios lies in the relationship your have with your dog and the trust he has in you. Dogs trained by punishment become unpredictable in stressful situations.
Dogs taught with positive methods such as clicker training learn to trust their owners and look to them when feeling anxious.
No. The clicker is just a teaching tool like a leash and collar. Food treats are reinforcers, the same as play or attention. The goal of training is to have a dog that will respond to your cue whether or not you have a clicker and treats in your pocket.
To help perk up your dog’s desire for food, first do not free feed. Feed your dog at regular times (usually twice a day, more often for puppies).
You can use anything your dog likes (chicken wieners, cheese, liver, chicken or Cheerios) cut into tiny pieces that are easy for him to eat quickly. (If your dog will work for his daily ration of kibble, use that.)
Don’t worry about it. We all make mistakes. If you click too early, or late or miss an opportunity for reinforcement, no harm has been done to you or your dogs. Just think about your timing and try a little harder next time.
In clicker training we use the term cue rather than command. When you add the cue, you are naming the behavior. When you are 80-100% sure your dog will perform the behavior, add the cue before you click and treat.
Don’t do anything! If you punish or correct the dog, it will only confuse him. Instead, try to break the behavior down into smaller steps and try again. For example, in teaching down, click and treat when your dog looks at the food lure, lowers his head, lowers his elbows, and so on, until you get the desired behvav8iro. (This is known as shaping the behavior.)
For sound-sensitive dogs, you can muffle the sound of the clicker by putting it in your pocket or in an oven mitt, or clicking from a distance. When your dog realizes the sound is always followed by something good to eat or fun to do, he soon looks forward to hearing your click.