Using Food Rewards for Training Dogs

Using Food Rewards for Training Dogs

By: LukEli K-9, Dog Training and Behavior Modification Professionals

The topic of using a food rewards system for training is one of the most heated discussions in the dog training industry. Many dog owners and even “professional” trainers have opposing ideas on the topic of a food rewards system, some feel it is bribing the dog to do whatever it is we ask of them, while others feel it will make their dog fat and cause them to beg for food uncontrollably. Not one dog owner, myself included, wants a fat, begging, bribe motivated dog for a pet, so the argument ensues. Why is it after all the scientific and psychological research done on the subject of reward vs. bribe that so many people still hold onto the idea that treats are a bad idea?

Marley likes getting paid in treats,
he works hard and diligently for those!

Dogs are like any other living organism on the planet, they are self-motivated beings focused on the well being of their own survival.  These same self-preservation tactics, as much as we may try to argue the opposite, motivate humans as well. In other words we, just like our dogs, are motivated by our primal instincts of survival; food, water, social freedom, and reproduction. How is it as humans we obtain what it is we want? We work for it.

How many working adults do you know that attend a nine to five job, five days a week and do not get a paycheck? Probably none. You see, when posed with the question “Do you work for free?” the answer is always, with the utmost inflection, “Absolutely not!”. So why, if we require that we get paid for a hard day’s work, should our dogs be any different?

Some “trainers” rely on the idea that your dog will work for your praise, because they want to “please” you.  The idea of working for praise sounds like a pretty good theory, after all we can see how excited our dogs get from a high pitched voice and a good job pat on the head. We too enjoy a pat on the back and a public recognition of a job well done, but we still expect to be paid for our time and efforts in the most universal payment method, money. It is an accurate statement to imply that our dog complied with our wishes because he was seeking our praise, at least that’s the way it looks on the surface. However the proposal that dogs will do what we ask because they want to is more logically placed in line with the idea that dogs abide by our rules in hopes of avoiding something unpleasant.

I have heard many a trainer try to convince me that their dog works for their praise and they do not ever use a food rewards system of training. However, upon observation of these “trainers,” I start to notice a trend. Their dogs are not doing what they ask of them because they want to please their owners, instead these dogs do what they are asked free of charge (food rewards) for fear of an aversive happening.  

The definition of an aversive as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is “any situation, object or behavior that causes an unpleasant or punishing stimulus.” That being said any training tool from choke chains, prong collars, or remote collars to head halters, gentle leaders, and yes even plain flat collars can be used as an aversive, along with the leash itself. Any and every tool no matter how tame or malicious they seem can be used as an aversive.

As an example, let’s go with one of the more subdued versions of a trainer against using food rewards. The trainer asks the dog to sit and the dog does not adhere to the command. The trainer then applies a mild pull to the dog’s leash. The dog then sits and no food rewards were given. After a few cycles of this happening the dog, when asked to sit does so, again without the use of a treat. The trainer will then believe that they have proved their point, the dog was learned to sit without the use of treats. The more likely explanation is NOT that the dog obeyed the command because he wanted to “please” the trainer but instead because he feared the aversive leash correction, no matter how mild it was, he learned would follow if he did not sit when asked to do so.

I just blew your mind right?

How many times do we teach our dogs that an aversive is to follow if they do not abide by what we ask them to do? How many times do we use training tools, leashes, collars, head halters, etc. as an aversive?  As humans we are hard wired to believe that our dogs have reasoning skills similar to ours that should allow them to understand the reasons we use those aversive techniques. This is largely due to the fact that we anthropomorphize (giving human-like characteristics to animals or objects) mans best friend.  Dogs do not know what it means to “please” their owners; they are only concerned with avoiding the unpleasant stimulus that follows the non-compliance of whatever it is you ask.

Cain the GSD really liked cheese
 this pup would work all day for a piece!

In 95% of humans money is their highest, or primary motivator, as we call it in the dog training world. Humans see money as the most important object in our daily lives, followed very closely by food, water, social freedom, and reproduction (yes just the same as animals). Dogs, as I hope you are aware, have no use for money (please don’t attempt to pay your dog for a good sit with a five dollar bill. You will have just lost five dollars). In using a food rewards system, just as we get paid with money when we clock in at our job, our dog is essentially being paid for his time, attention and obedience.

Those of you concerned with having an over weight dog on your hands, I have an easy solution. Instead of feeding Rover his full cup of food in the morning, give him only half at meal time and use the rest for his training. Now Rover cannot gain weight from training treats because he has gotten no more during the course of the day then he would have gotten during his regular meal.

As for the pet parents concerned with having a begging dog on their hands; yes, the dog has learned he gets treats from you when he sits in front of you. However, remember yesterday’s blog about extinction of unwanted behaviors? NEVER reinforce him for begging, aka sitting at your feet while you’re eating, and the behavior will no longer exist. If the behavior was never reinforced in the beginning chances are the dog will give up on the idea that sitting at your feet gets him food.

I am by no means trying to convince you that treat based training methods are the only ways to teach your dog. I am however asking you not to shoot down the idea of treats as a training tool so quickly. Your boss does not expect you to come to work and do a good job without handing you a paycheck, therefore you should not expect your dog to do a job well done without paying him for his efforts. Food is very hot commodity in the dog brain use it to your advantage!

****In the same way not every person is as motivated by money, not every dog is motivated by the same rewards, food being one of those. Though it may be that you haven’t found the right food reward. Dry dog biscuits wouldn’t get me to do much either, but offer me a piece of cheese? Heck, yeah! I’m all for it! Your dog will be too, once you find the right treat. For dogs who are not highly food motivated other primary motivators can be used for reinforcement such as toys or functional rewards. Stay tuned for another post about how to use different kinds of rewards.