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by the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
TRAINING WITH TREATS
An Owner’s Manual for:
Training With Treats | 2AKC OWNER’S MANUAL
ABOUT THIS SERIESAt the AKC, we know better than anyone that your dog can’t be treated like a car or an appliance, but we’ve named this series “An Owner’s Manual” because sometimes you probably wish your lovable companions came with one.
These concise guides give you the tools, tips, and direction to be a responsible and confident dog owner who brings out the best in your dog. Give them a test drive!
Training With Treats | 3AKC OWNER’S MANUAL
Just about any dog can learn such basic commands as sit, come and heel. Some can master surprisingly complex tricks. Training your dog simply requires an investment of time, patience and, of course, treats. Rewarding desired behavior with treats is likely easier when training dogs than circus lions, but there are a few things you should know about effectively using treats:
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Training With Treats | 4AKC OWNER’S MANUAL
LURE AND REWARDA popular training method is to use a treat as a lure to entice your dog to follow a command and then as a reward for completing the task. For example, to teach your dog to lie down, hold a treat in front of his nose while he’s sitting. Then lower the treat slowly to the floor. As he follows the treat, he eventually lies down. At that point, say “Yes” and immediately give him the treat as a reward.
Training With Treats | 5AKC OWNER’S MANUAL
TREAT PLACEMENTWhen teaching your dog to move into a desired position, it’s important to only reward him when he’s completed the task. For example, if you’re teach-ing your dog to walk next to you on a leash without pulling, you must deliver the treat at your side, where you want him to be. If you’re teaching your dog to lie down, deliver the treat low to the floor and between his front paws, so he doesn’t have to move out of position to get the reward.
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Training With Treats | 6AKC OWNER’S MANUAL
FADING THE LUREOf course, you want your dog to obey a command without being lured or “bribed” by a treat. Consider the exam-ple of training your dog to lie down. Once your dog has learned to follow the treat into a lie-down position, it’s im-portant to make the luring gesture with your empty hand. “Yes,” you say when your dog follows your hand and is ly-ing down. Then use your other hand to deliver a treat.
The strategy is to gradually replace or fade the luring motion of the treat with a simple hand cue. Eventually, the hand cue can be replaced by a vocal command.
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Training With Treats | 7AKC OWNER’S MANUAL
FADING THE TREATSDogs need continuous reinforcement to learn a new behavior, so constantly reward him during the learning phase. Once your dog re-liably responds to your command, continue to praise him, but gradually reduce the number of times he receives a treat for performing the desired behavior.
At first, reward him with a treat four out of every five times he performs the task. Even-tually, reward him three out of five times, then two out of five times. The goal is to re-ward him only occasionally. But remember to praise him every time! Your dog will learn that responding to your command will get him was he wants – your praise and an occasional treat.
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Training With Treats | 8AKC OWNER’S MANUAL
Be careful not to rush this process. Your dog will become disappointed and frustrated if you cut off the treats as soon as he’s learned the desired behavior.
Training With Treats | 9AKC OWNER’S MANUAL
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TYPES OF TREATSTreats should be soft and small. Don’t use biscuits that your dog would need to chew and could break into bits and fall to the floor. Small treats allow you to be generous with your rewards without overfeeding your dog.
Training With Treats | 10AKC OWNER’S MANUAL
Use a variety of treats so your dog doesn’t become bored. Bits of cooked meats, cheese, hotdogs and even fruits and vegetables can work as treats. Try mixing some of your dog’s kibble in a baggie with a few pieces of hot dog. The kibble will take on the hot dog scent.
Training With Treats | 11AKC OWNER’S MANUAL
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Use high-value treats, such as the cheese your dog loves, for training sessions where there are a lot of distractions, such as the outdoor walk or a puppy class.
Training With Treats | 12AKC OWNER’S MANUAL
DON’T OVERDO IT.Consider cutting back on your dog’s food at mealtime when you’re using a lot of treats during training. You could also set aside some of your dog’s dinner kibble to use as treats.
Praise and pet your dog when you give him a treat. The extra attention can become a reward in itself.
THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
The AKC is a not-for-profit organization and the largest
purebred dog registry in the world. We are the
sports-governing body for over 22,000 dog events a year,
including conformation (dog shows) and exciting sports like
agility, obedience, rally, tracking, lure coursing, earthdog,
herding trials, among others.
WHO AND WHAT WE ARE:
THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
But the AKC is so much more! Here are just some of the ways we support and enrich the lives of dogs—purebreds and
mixed-breeds alike—and their families. We:
n Created the AKC Humane Fund, which supports breed
rescue activities, assists shelters that permit domestic-abuse
victims to bring their pets, and educates dog lovers about re-
sponsible dog ownership.
n Offer the Canine Good Citizen® program: A 10-step test
that certifies dogs who have good manners at home and in
their community. Over 725,000 dogs across the United States
have become Canine Good Citizens , and 42 states have passed
resolutions recognizing the program’s merit and importance.
n Founded AKC Reunite, which has brought more than 400,000
lost pets back together with their owners.
n Created the AKC Canine Health Foundation, which funds
research projects and clinical studies. Since 1995 the AKC has
donated over $24 million to the CHF. (The AKC is the only
registry that incorporates health-screening results into its per-
manent dog records.)
n Conduct thousands of kennel inspections annually to mon-
itor care and conditions at kennels across the country and
ensure the integrity of the AKC registry.
n Offer the largest, most comprehensive set of DNA programs
for parentage verification and genetic identity to ensure reli-
able registration records.
n Support one of the world’s largest collections of dog-related
fine art and artifacts at the AKC Museum of the Dog, and we
have the world’s largest dog library at AKC headquarters in
New York, both of which are open to the public.
THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
THANK YOU FOR READING!We hope this information was valuable to you in helping your puppy live a long, healthy, happy life. Below, find additional
books in our Owner’s Manual series designed to strengthen the bond between you and your furry family member.
THE FIVE COMMANDS EVERY DOG SHOULD
KNOW
CRATE TRAINING PUPPY FOOD & NUTRITION
PUPPY SOCIALIZATION
WHY DOES MY DOG DO THAT?
WHAT’S HE THINKING?
10 ESSENTIAL SKILLS:CGC TEST ITEMS
FIVE TRICKS YOU’LL WANT TO SHOW OFF
THE ALL-PURPOSEGROOMING TOOL KIT
TOOTH-BRUSHING: WHY TO DO IT, AND
HOW
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PET GOES MISSING
WHAT ARE ALL THESE VACCINES?
CANINE BODY LANGUAGE: YOUR DOG IS TRYING TO
TELL YOU SOMETHING
TRAINING WITH TREATS
PUPPY POINTERS:TIPS FOR SELECTING A CANINE COMPANION
MOVING WITH YOUR PETS