🍖 Treat Training: Using High-Value Rewards to Master Complex Commands

Hello Positive Reinforcers and PetPaws Emporium Customers!

Positive reinforcement using treats is the most effective way to teach your dog new behaviors. But not all treats are created equal! Using a "treat hierarchy"—ranking rewards by how much your dog values them—is the secret to making training effective, especially when mastering complex or difficult commands in distracting environments.

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1. Establishing the Treat Hierarchy

 

Your dog's preference determines the value, but here is a typical ranking:

• Low-Value: Everyday kibble, plain biscuits. (Used for simple, known behaviors in a quiet environment, like "Sit" at home.)

• Mid-Value: Soft, easily digestible commercial training treats. (Used for teaching new commands in a quiet environment, like "Down.")

• High-Value (The Jackpot): Cooked chicken pieces, cheese cubes, liverwurst, or dehydrated beef liver. (Used for mastering difficult commands, introducing training in distracting environments like parks, or during recalls.)

 

2. Strategic Use

 

• Motivation: Always use a high-value reward when introducing a new, difficult, or scary command. This provides high motivation.

• Fading the Lure: Once your dog performs the command successfully, immediately stop using the treat as a lure and transition to using the treat as a reward after the dog performs the action.

• Variety: Keep a variety of mid- and high-value treats on hand and switch them up often. If the dog always gets the same thing, the reward value decreases.

Remember, the reward must be given instantly (within 1-2 seconds) of the desired behavior for the dog to make the correct association.

 

🛒 Reward Success: Shop Training Treats!

 

Ready to motivate your dog and make training fun and effective?

Explore our selection of soft, mid-value training treats and high-value dehydrated rewards at PetPaws Emporium!

Click Here to Shop Training Treats, High-Value Rewards, and Treat Pouches at PetPaws Emporium!