Dog Treats: Considerations And Advice

We know that dogs work for love and that many of the things they do are dictated by the search for our smile and our approval. Sometimes, however, we would like to give them more motivation, and for this we want to reward them in a more appropriate way. What can we use to reward our dog? What are the options? Which treats are healthier for dogs?

Today we will answer all these questions.

When to use dog treats

We can reward our dog on many occasions. We normally tend to limit the rewards to times when we are teaching them something, such as the sit or paw order . Once he has learned this, we usually eliminate the extra rewards. However, there are plenty of other times we can take advantage of it to reward our furry friends. Other ideal occasions to give our dogs a gift are when:

• Anticipate our orders and do something we approve of. For example, when instead of waiting for our order to get off the sofa to leave us the place, he does so of his own free will. 
• He is containing negative attitudes and strives to be good. If, for example, in front of the set table he does nothing to try to reach the food, but merely stares at it.
• We are teaching him something new and, even if he is not quite capable yet, he is slowly succeeding. If we want to teach him to lie down, we can start rewarding him when he gets a little closer to the goal.

• When we are in the park and he comes to us without us calling him. The fact that he stops what he is doing and comes to us should always be a reason to reward him. Even if you haven’t called him, reward him for showing attachment.
• Because yes. Because ours is a good dog that usually behaves well and we want to thank him for being so loving, loyal and patient with us.

When to reward the dog?

We must be careful to reward only the behaviors that we want to repeat. It is not okay to reward the dog after he has barked at another dog or poked his nose in the garbage, for example. We need to identify which behaviors we like and focus on them.

The moment in which you are rewarded is more important than the prize itself. Rewarding at the right time will make the dog understand in an unmistakable way that in that instant he has done something that we approve of. Only in this way will he repeat it. It is therefore necessary to reward him the moment he does something positive, since it is enough to delay a few seconds to make that association more difficult for the dog.

What not to give to dogs

When we give a prize, especially when we are trying to teach our dog something positive, we must choose one that is healthy, suitable for the dog and above all that has a certain value for him.

If we want to teach our dog to sit, lie down and give the paw, we will spend several days practicing the commands. We will therefore have to give him more than one prize. For this reason, it cannot be unhealthy foods: you have to opt for something that he can eat every day but that does not hurt him or make him gain weight.

Rewards should be small in size, but tailored to suit the dog. We cannot shred a sausage and still give it to a Maltese or a Belgian Shepherd. It is also good to take into account the teeth, which vary in power from young dogs to adult or older ones.

But the most important thing is: he has to like it. We cannot consider something that our dog does not like as a reward, because he will not consider it as such and he will not want it. The more difficult the teaching we are giving him, the more luscious the prize must be, so that he feels it is worth the effort.

What to use to reward dogs?

Normally they use to give bits of food as a reward, which does not mean that the normal ration should be less: the prizes are an extra, not blackmail to make him do something.

The value of the prizes will depend on the taste of each dog, but normally you can use:

• Sausages for human consumption

• Bits of aged cheese or peel
• Ham or mortadella in small pieces
• Industrial biscuits for shredded dogs
• Wet food or pate for dogs
• Food of better quality or of a different flavor than usual

Other awards

It is possible to reward the animal with other things that are not food, but that the dog likes. For example, you can easily reward him with caresses (as long as you appreciate them). There are dogs who love toys, and if they can bite one of them, they will already consider themselves rewarded.

The secret to choosing nice treats for your dog is knowing his tastes. You can choose various rewards and see how he reacts and which one he likes best, so that you can choose the most effective and healthy ones.