[BUFFY]

everybody loves to use dog treats. the dogs love 'em and respond to them quikly, and the owner loves how the dog reacts so fast when they pull out a treat. in the beginning of training, when your dog is first learning a command, these yummy little bones and buiscuts can be quite helpful. but as your dog progresses, and learns the command very well, treats should not be needed. i see too many people at the dog park hauling around dog treats just so their dog will sit for them. what happens, is that the dog learns that every time he sits, or stays, (or what ever) the owner will give him a treat. but when the owner tries to do it with out a treat, (after using a treat for that specific command for a long time) the dog will become stubborn and only sit (or the like) if the owner hase a treat in hand. and once the dog hase done what the owner asks, he will immediatly spring up and do what ever he wants.

this doesn't refer to all dogs, but it does refer to many, and i agree that treats are good in the begining, but if they are over used, the owner is going to constantly be wasting money buying treats all their dog's life that shouldn't be necisary.

[drfong]

I resemble that remark.

[Curbside Prophet]

lol drfong...you make me laugh. Thank you!

[missieluver]

if I have a treat (most of the time) I will give it to her but if I do not I just give her love.

[GSD lover]

That's exactly why you should wean your dog off the treats through out the training. Slowly go to pets and simple verbal praise. It's a lot easier than spending tons of money on treats.

[bigdawgs]

I don't completely agree. My dogs will obey the command on the CHANCE they might get a treat. They don't have to see it, smell it or taste it.
Someone who knows more than I can correct me, but a lot of dogs get discouraged if there is nothing in it for them all the time. During rescue operations after 911, trainers had to have the dogs find alive people, that were planted, because they were so discouraged about not finding any real live victims.

[GSD lover]

Many dogs also don't have a food drive so treats don't work in the first place. I tried treats and toys with my GSD and neither did he really care for but when I started using petting he was training harder than any other dog I had trained. It all really just depends on the dog's preference.

[bigdawgs]

Yep, I agree with that. My basset hound (believe it or not!) is completely unmotivated by food. My Dane, on the other hand, starts drooling when you walk into the kitchen!