Treats: They're Not Just Milk And Cookies Anymore

Part 2

In part one we talked about the importance of the quality and quantity of treats.  We also talked about size, texture and variety. Variety is very important. Your dog will stay focused as long as you keep the variety interesting. Sometimes even dogs get totally bored with their food and stop eating. That's a foreign idea in this house. Being in the business, I'm always trying new and exciting treats for training. That's my dogs favorite part of my job.

The 25% to 33% Plan

If I have a pocketful of treats it's likely that there are 3 or 4 different kinds of treats with different values. Value refers to how yummy a particular treat tastes. It's important to vary the food and treats your dogs eat so they don't get too much of one thing. Allergies can develop in both animals and humans if too much of one particular food is fed too often. If you're working on a particular special new behavior use high value treats. The same thing is true when you are in a high distraction area or for counter conditioning. When you switch behaviors you can use different treats. When it's the everyday, all around treat combination, I like the 25% to 33% plan. When working with a training savvy dog, or doing maintenance, vary the treats. Keep the dog guessing and every once in a while throw in the best one. If you keep them varied and interesting, your dog will respond with even more attention and his work ethic will stay strong and happy.

A high value treat is that very very special treat that your dog goes crazy over. In my house the peaking order is this, from highest to lowest:

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