So you got a dog or a puppy. You researched the training, and everything says to give them a treat as a reward – so you reward! But your puppy doesn’t want it… maybe they’re not food motivated?
Your puppy has zero interest in that reward, then as a result, your dog doesn’t learn what you’re asking them. And the trainer in the video doesn’t cover that…
Well, crap, what now? How do make best use of positive reinforcement training if you can’t positively reinforce the behavior Let me re-assure you really quickly, many puppy parents go through this, whether they’re hounding training methods on YouTube or heading for professional dog training.
So, where do we start? Let’s look at why dogs ignore treats first…
Let’s start with understanding, so why do dogs ignore treats? There’s a few reasons for this, so I’m hoping that if we go through some reasons, it might just resonate with you and your pup.
Training is hard enough without your rewards not working. So,
So what’s going on when your dog rejects a reward?
Oftentimes, kibble and regular dog treats just don’t cut it so those milk bones? You may want to re-assess. If you’re reading this and wondering if you’ve been using the wrong things, that’s really common! And I encourage you to re-assess that for yourself!
Increase your rewards; try what’s called “Single protein” rewards also called High-value treats. Things from the list below only need to be around the size of a pea, so huge volumes are just not needed. Your dog just needs the taste of something super tasty to encourage them to do the right thing next time.
These are (generally) really rewarding for your dog and can be a great motivation. But we do have to remember that your dog is unique, so play around with your treats and figure out what your dog likes the best!
If you don’t have time to prep these treats, that’s ok! I get it, sometimes they’re gross, or take too much time. There are some phenomenal pre-made options available, too!
Liver lovers
Freeze Dried Beef Liver Treats
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9.7
Freeze dried liver is one of the most fantastic treats for dogs, you may choose to break this down smaller though as it's a great treat but very rich. Too much will give your dog the runs!
Vital Essentials Chicken Hearts Dog Treats, 3.75 oz | Freeze-Dried Raw | Single Ingredient | Premium
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Vital Essentials Salmon Bites Dog Treats, 5 oz | Freeze-Dried Raw | Single Protein | Premium Quality
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It absolutely can; it’s simply about finding what works for your dog.
Remember, Positive Reinforcement is not a one-size-fits-all – though it can initially appear that way. It’s all about finding something that specifically works for your dog.
For example, with grooming, as I explained above, I use fetch as a reward for my shepherd, but that absolutely doesn’t work for my coonhounds. So we use lickimats for them instead. Two use food, and one uses play. My shepherd would go through the grooming process for a lickimat, but his ball and play are much more motivating.
Clicker training (a variant of positive reinforcement training) is also typically done with treats. However, it can be done with another reinforcer!
* Positive Reinforcement refers to a method of dog training that encourages desired behaviours by rewarding dogs when they perform them. This training approach is based on the principle of operant conditioning, defined by B. F. Skinner in the 1960s, where positive outcomes increase the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated.
Whether it’s fetch or tug, these work well – particularly with young dogs who are still very playful. So, where you would typically give a food reward, jumping into a quick game of tug can work!
Example: My favourite thing is to couple are fetch with my grooming of my shepherd; he is highly ball-driven and will quickly work for a little playtime. So, when grooming, we’ll work together cooperatively, and when he tells me he’s done with grooming for a bit, we take a play break! It works really well.
Another great alternative to food rewards is to use real-world rewards! This means that your dog gets to do something engaging if they behave well. This works well for things like Jumping up or loose leash walking, where we can use what our dog wants (i.e. attention from the new exciting human or getting to move towards the next new thing, respectively) as the reward they want!
However, I strongly recommend you ensure you have reliable control before electing to use these types of rewards, as it is inherently challenging to shape new behaviour.
This one is only a kind of reward. For many, dogs’ affection may not be a reward, let alone a sufficient...
Your puppy has zero interest in that reward, then as a result, your dog doesn’t learn what you’re asking them. And the trainer in the video doesn’t cover that…
Well, crap, what now? How do make best use of positive reinforcement training if you can’t positively reinforce the behavior Let me re-assure you really quickly, many puppy parents go through this, whether they’re hounding training methods on YouTube or heading for professional dog training.
So, where do we start? Let’s look at why dogs ignore treats first…
4 Reasons Why Dogs Ignore Treats
Let’s start with understanding, so why do dogs ignore treats? There’s a few reasons for this, so I’m hoping that if we go through some reasons, it might just resonate with you and your pup.
- When the reward isn’t valuable enough – if you’re trying to use something really uninteresting (such as kibble…) then pup might just not give it enough value to want to listen
- When the other thing is more rewarding – This is the balance we’re always trying to push in our favour. Still, we also cannot expect a treat to be more exciting than everything in the world (the 3D’s have a significant bearing on this!). Also, don’t be tempted to get suckered into the “encouraging appetite in puppies” by withholding food malarkey. It’s not fair.
- If they’re sick. – Now, this doesn’t just extend to major illnesses; this also may be when your puppy is teething (around
4 months old/16 weeks) or when they’re coming into season (6-12 months for females only). A lack of
appetite is one of those big signs that something is up and is often worth calling your vet. - Inconsistent history of reward – Something that is surprisingly powerful is the history of getting that reward also. So, if you don’t reward often, or reward inconsistently (whilst you start rewarding) it might be what’s causing your dog to “ignore” your rewards
Training is hard enough without your rewards not working. So,
So what’s going on when your dog rejects a reward?
Ask Yourself: Is My Dog Truly Not Motivated By Treats?
Oftentimes, kibble and regular dog treats just don’t cut it so those milk bones? You may want to re-assess. If you’re reading this and wondering if you’ve been using the wrong things, that’s really common! And I encourage you to re-assess that for yourself!
Increase your rewards; try what’s called “Single protein” rewards also called High-value treats. Things from the list below only need to be around the size of a pea, so huge volumes are just not needed. Your dog just needs the taste of something super tasty to encourage them to do the right thing next time.
Some Great Single Protein Rewards
- Chicken
- Hot dogs (I know it’s not really a single protein, shh)
- Liver
- Ham
- Sausage
- Cheese
These are (generally) really rewarding for your dog and can be a great motivation. But we do have to remember that your dog is unique, so play around with your treats and figure out what your dog likes the best!
If you don’t have time to prep these treats, that’s ok! I get it, sometimes they’re gross, or take too much time. There are some phenomenal pre-made options available, too!
Liver lovers
Freeze Dried Beef Liver Treats
Check Price
9.7
Freeze dried liver is one of the most fantastic treats for dogs, you may choose to break this down smaller though as it's a great treat but very rich. Too much will give your dog the runs!
Vital Essentials Chicken Hearts Dog Treats, 3.75 oz | Freeze-Dried Raw | Single Ingredient | Premium
Check Price
9.5
- Freeze-dried raw chicken heart dog treat: vital essentials freeze dried dog treats pack more protein
- Better protein = better benefits: the best freeze dried dog treats on the market use premium butcher
- Proudly american crafted: all our dog treats and food are responsibly sourced and humanely harvested
- Made without: dog treat additives, fillers, dyes, flavorings, artificial preservatives, grains, or r
- Raw dog treats freeze dried for peak freshness: our protein is frozen within 45-minutes of harvestin
Vital Essentials Salmon Bites Dog Treats, 5 oz | Freeze-Dried Raw | Single Protein | Premium Quality
Check Price
9.1
- Freeze-dried raw salmon dog treat: vital essentials freeze dried dog treats pack more protein than i
- Better protein = better benefits: the best freeze dried dog treats on the market use premium butcher
- Proudly american crafted: all our dog treats and food are responsibly sourced and humanely harvested
- Made without: dog treat additives, fillers, dyes, flavorings, artificial preservatives, grains, or r
- Raw dog treats freeze dried for peak freshness: our protein is frozen within 45-minutes of harvestin
Does Positive Reinforcement* Training Work Without Treats?
It absolutely can; it’s simply about finding what works for your dog.
Remember, Positive Reinforcement is not a one-size-fits-all – though it can initially appear that way. It’s all about finding something that specifically works for your dog.
For example, with grooming, as I explained above, I use fetch as a reward for my shepherd, but that absolutely doesn’t work for my coonhounds. So we use lickimats for them instead. Two use food, and one uses play. My shepherd would go through the grooming process for a lickimat, but his ball and play are much more motivating.
Does Clicker Training Work Without Treats?
Clicker training (a variant of positive reinforcement training) is also typically done with treats. However, it can be done with another reinforcer!
* Positive Reinforcement refers to a method of dog training that encourages desired behaviours by rewarding dogs when they perform them. This training approach is based on the principle of operant conditioning, defined by B. F. Skinner in the 1960s, where positive outcomes increase the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated.
5 Alternative Non-Food Rewards for Dogs & Puppies
1 – Play
Whether it’s fetch or tug, these work well – particularly with young dogs who are still very playful. So, where you would typically give a food reward, jumping into a quick game of tug can work!
Example: My favourite thing is to couple are fetch with my grooming of my shepherd; he is highly ball-driven and will quickly work for a little playtime. So, when grooming, we’ll work together cooperatively, and when he tells me he’s done with grooming for a bit, we take a play break! It works really well.
2 – Real World Rewards
Another great alternative to food rewards is to use real-world rewards! This means that your dog gets to do something engaging if they behave well. This works well for things like Jumping up or loose leash walking, where we can use what our dog wants (i.e. attention from the new exciting human or getting to move towards the next new thing, respectively) as the reward they want!
However, I strongly recommend you ensure you have reliable control before electing to use these types of rewards, as it is inherently challenging to shape new behaviour.
3(ish) – Affection
This one is only a kind of reward. For many, dogs’ affection may not be a reward, let alone a sufficient...