Treat your Way to a Healthier Companion
First of all, I do feel strongly about the obesity epidemic concerning our pets in today's society because it truly can be a life-threatening condition that leads to a long list of medical issues. This, often, is due to not only over-feeding, but also giving too many treats. Most people are unaware that treats, even though they are small, are, typically, extremely high in calories and for some dogs, 1-2 treats a day are enough to replace a meal, if not more. So, I am not endorsing feeding a ton of treats every day, especially if your pet is overweight, but you can adjust how much food you are feeding if you are giving treats so that your pet is not gaining weight.
Next Segment: Assessing Pet Body Condition & Not Keeping Feeding Plans Static
Overall there are 3 main groups of owners:
1) No Treats! Or my pet will only listen if I have treats.
2) Middle of the road owners: Most people fall into this category & may use treats as a form of love (which often leads to obesity)
3) The Treat-Intelligent Owners: Those that create stronger bonds between themselves and their pets through training and the use of treats as a gateway reward.
Side Bar: Most pets are happier/ more satisfied when they have a job or purpose. Dogs want to please their owners, so training them (Giving them a job) keeps them engaged with their human counterpart, which makes them happier and strengthens the human-animal bond. This is a better way to show how much you love your pet.
P.S.
The best treat to use is
PLAIN CHEERIOS
because they are very low-calorie and the pet still feels rewarded because you are giving them something. Some dogs will even accept their own dog food to have the chance to be engaged with their owner (You may have to decrease the amount of food given at an actual meal to compensate). Other treats if your pet does not respond to cheerios: dried cranberries or green beans. If you need more ideas, ask!
Do not feel that you've missed the boat on training your pet. It is certainly easier sometimes to train younger dogs, aside from the short attention spans, but once adult or even older dogs realize what they are gaining from the interaction, they can be just as trainable as puppies. Dogs, like us, enjoy eating, so as long as they are not over-eating otherwise, treats can be a very strong motivator (No, I'm not telling you to starve your dog, so they will listen to you :), but you can make use of doggy mealtimes to teach.)
Food for Thought & for the Soul
Treats for Training! Whenever you are attempting to teach your dog something new or just trying to bond with you pet, food is a great tool. Keep in mind, Learning new skills is not always easy and quick. Your dog will make mistakes, but so will you with timing of treats or how you instruct your pet. If you become frustrated, try again later. It's most important that frustration and anger not cause the dog to learn to fear and hate training!
Treats have great power to keep dogs happy. Happiness often leads to healthier lives.
Happiness:
1) Protects the Heart
2) Strengthens the Immune System
3) Combats Stress
4) Can lead to fewer Aches and Pains
5) Combats Disease and Disability
6) Lengthens Lives
Stimulating the mind through training engages pets with their owners, making the human-animal bond tighter, which equals happiness for pets. They yearn for our love, affection, and attention.
Lesson #1:
Do I know my name?
Many owners have multiple names for their pets, which can be confusing. Make sure the pet knows his/her name. Also, if you are adopting a pet, it's often a good idea to give the dog a new name.
If you associate the new name with pleasant things like mealtimes and treats, the dog will learn it within a few days.
Lesson #2:
Teaching Commands at Mealtime
Coming when I call...
Dinnertime? Plan to feed your dog. Have the dog bowl in your hand and move away from the dog as he/she is moving forward to eat, calling to the dog with your chosen cue ("come" or "here"). You are essentially conditioning your pet to respond to whatever command you have chosen to come. This is creating a foundation for the command as the pet associates being rewarded if he/she comes when you call.
Next: "sit"
Simply hold the dish at your waist height until the dog sits, and then lower the dish to the ground with a release cue (such as "eat") for the dog to leave the sit position and dig into the food.
In the mind of a dog, the "down" cue is often associated with submission and helplessness. Mealtimes are perfect for working on "down" because of the reward aspect, but don't overdo it. All you need is one "down" from the dog, and then give the dish.
"One reason this mealtime training works is that it's not prolonged. Short training sessions have great power, when done well. "
"Stay"
Have your dog do a "down-stay," walk across the room, stand for 15 seconds, and then release.
Caution: If you have multiple dogs, training is easier if you do it one at a time, so that you are focused on the pet you are training and he/she is focused back on you. Until everyone is trained properly, it may be a good idea to separate them for meals. It will also be important to not get them wildly excited with any training, particularly prior to meals. Always release your dog from any command in a calm manner. Wild praise and reward AFTER any command is not reinforcing the command, it's reinforcing a wild release!
Reason: Wildly releasing multiple dogs from a particular command at mealtime is the kind of excitement that can trigger a dog fight. Just be aware.
Lesson #3:
Transitioning to Other "Treats"
Always praise your pet prior to giving any form of food. This helps them associate following commands with good things. The praise becomes a bridge to other rewards, such as petting or telling him what a good boy he is. Some enjoy hugs and kisses, playing catch or chasing toys, going on a walk/run or for a car ride. These are all forms of "treats" for your dog.
After a while, the pet is gradually weaned back from food treats, where every time he responds appropriately, he may not receive a food treat, just a good boy or a pat on the head. It may not be until every 3-5+ correct actions that he gets the food treat. Don't discontinue food treats abruptly, and don't discontinue them too soon. Make sure the dog's good training habits and working attitude are well established first, and that you have developed your relationship with your dog to the point that you have several other rewards the dog enjoys.
IMPORTANT: The reward must be something the DOG wants at THAT moment.
As you spend time training and caring for your dog, one of your goals is to find out what your dog likes, and to develop the behaviors your dog enjoys into things you can use as rewards.
You can choose not to transition away from food but make sure your pet is not overweight or gaining weight. Some people just prefer to carry food whenever they're around their dogs, and that's okay, but again, they do not need a food treat every time and you may have to adjust their diet accordingly.
Lesson #4:
Learning to Love the Vet Visit
Patients certainly can be fearful of veterinarians because they often mean pokes, prods, and needles. Treats help dogs enjoy visits to the veterinarian's office, which is why we try to keep some on hand at all times. When food will not interfere with the procedure, this is a "feel good" application rather than a training one, so we do not typically transition away from them.
For each negative interaction, some patients need at least 10 positive visits.
Which means, especially for fearful or nervous patients, that social visits are a must. This starts with socialization in general often times. Pets, like us, get into normal, every day routines. When they are taken out of their comfort zones, they become more nervous, sometimes even fearful and more likely to bite.
To build confidence, make it a habit to interact with new people, new pets, and in new environments at least on a weekly basis, if not more depending on your pet.
Frequent trips to Pet Stores where they give treats as soon as you come through the door is a good place to start. This is, by far, easier if you are able to start with a new puppy, but adult dogs can become accustomed to it as well. It just may take more time and patients. I adopted a 2-year old cocker spaniel when I was in vet school that was globally fearful, but now I just shake my head at her because she is like a social butterfly. It can be done and, thankfully, she was not a nervous pee-er or a fear-biter. Those are special cases that need special attention that I will more than gladly help you with if needed. Please send me a message.
For the vet office, some owners note that their pet becomes nervous just turning onto the same street as the clinic. This may mean that you drive up and down that street with the pet multiple times a week until he relaxes, then in and out of the parking lot before even stepping inside the building. Once in the building, we give love, treats and praise. Note: The best time to do this is when the clinic is empty from other clients and their pets, such as during lunch time. Make sure we know that you are coming so we can be ready. After comfortable in the waiting room, it may be on/off the scale and in/out of the exam room.
The more your pet experiences new things and new environment, the more confident he/she will be in every day life.
The same holds true if you trim dog toenails at home, put medicine in your dog's ears, give the dog a bath, or anything else where "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."
Lesson #5:
Out of Sight
Food shown to the dog along with the command can become, from the dog's point of view, PART OF THE COMMAND. Dogs have a hard time, particularly if they are food motivated, not focusing on the treat when they are supposed to be listening for the command. That's an unclear message that leads to the problem of the dog not listening to you unless you show food. Keeps treats in your pocket or in a bag around your waist. If you keep them there a all times, the pet will not expect them every time they smell them. If they have to see the treat to listen, it will be difficult to not give one every time for you and the dog.
Transitioning to not giving treats every time keeps a dog working harder and longer because he doesn't know which times will bring a treat and which won't, and he really wants to please to get that treat.
Conversely, for "feel good" uses of the treats such as the veterinarian's office or the home bath, showing the treats in advance can be wise. In fact, start the treats before you start the procedure, to start the happy mood.
Treats reduce stress in training, and build canine enthusiasm for behaviors that are not inherently rewarding, like the vet office.
Lesson #6:
Scary Things
If a dog has already developed a fear, like instructed with the vet clinic, back off from that fearful situation to the point the dog is not afraid, and use food along with other rewards you've developed with that dog to build confidence. Proceed gradually while being aware of your pet's comfort level. Approach closer to the feared person, place or thing only very slowly. In cases of severe fears, you may need to do it over a period of months.
It is important, also, for you as the owner to have confidence. Animals are smart and can sense if you are stressed. If you are waiting for them to fail, they probably will.
The goal is never to advance faster than the dog's comfort level. If you do, you create a setback. If that happens, you'll need to retreat, get the dog happy again, and approach more slowly the next time.
Give the dog something to do to earn the treats you're using for this happy-time work. Having the dog give you eye contact and move with you is a powerful tool in these situations (say Attention, Please!). Alternatively, you could work on basic training skills, tricks, or any other activity that fully engages your dog's attention. You want the dog to learn to trust you in any situation.
Reward your dog when the dog is doing behavior you want to see repeated. Don't reward bad behavior you wish the dog to stop doing! Watch yourself to make sure you are rewarding the right things. This is a lifelong task with your dog.
