My dog only obeys with treats. How do I train him without them?

In the beginning when training, treats train dogs to do these commands due to positive reinforcement. At a certain point, dogs will respond to commands regardless of getting treats or not because they become conditioned to the response to the command. At this age, you will likely have to continue giving Grace treats to get the response you want. Gradually reduce the frequency at which she receives treats and try and get her to respond to a command without a treat. Rather than a treat, try praising her and telling her how good she is. Dogs like praise as a reward as well. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Try this. Let him see the treat. Then give him the command with no hand signals. He may move through all the tricks that he knows but as soon as he does the correct one, give him the reward and repeat the trick, something like ‘good sit’. Some dogs will not perform a command without a reward. Sometimes this is because they are young or easily distracted. This may change as they get older. Important thing is to remain positive and encourage the desired behavior. Best of luck.

Hi there. Brody sounds like a very normal dog :) Very often, we humans overestimate how rewarding our dogs find praise and petting... most dogs think these are okay, but not much to be worth working for. And that's okay! We expect payment for doing our jobs too, not just a pat on the back from our boss. There is no harm in continuing to use treats to reward Brody when he does what you ask. If there is a specific reason you need to work up to working without treats (such as for formal obedience competition, or something similar), this can certainly be done - but it's a lot of extra work, so honestly I don't usually recommend it for my pet dog students. Just keep some treats handy around the house and in your pockets, and pay Brody for a job well done.

Your puppy is still a bit young for lots of training, he is still a baby. I suggest you book in to a puppy training class once his vaccinations are done. As for treats, it is not always necessary to give food treats. Praising is a great treat and works just as well, if not better. Here is some additional information that will be helpful: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/puppy-behavior-and-training-training-basics

The snacks can interfere with training because Pocky is more interested in the treats than in you. It is certainly not necessary to use treats to train, and I don't use them in beginner obedience for this reason. Second, treats can undermine the trainer's confidence if he relies on them--he comes to think he "needs" them to make his dog respond. . And last, rewards need to be given aat precisely the right time, and most amateur trainers are not good at rewarding with goodies initially. Aussies are very receptive to training, so feel free to forget about the treats and just let the trainng be between you and your dog. Good luck!

It's a dog thing. Most dogs are incredibly food motivated. Start by trying to get Noble to do a command when you are just around the house or out for a walk. Give him lots of praise for performing the command. Continue using treats when you are in a training session. As he gets older, he will be less dependent on treats for positive reinforcement.

Poor Tyson! It sounds like he's very anxious about walks for some reason. Without more information, it's hard to say if he is afraid of the leash, or being outdoors in general. Other than taking him outside to potty, I would stop trying to take him on any walks right now - dragging him outside and forcing him to go is probably making the problem worse, unfortunately. Instead, start wherever he is comfortable and use very tasty food treats - things like chicken, roast beef, hot dog slices, or cheese often work well for anxious dogs. For example, you might sit on the doorstep with him at first and just feed him a handful of treats, one at a time. Do this a few times a day, until he seems comfortable and happy about sitting on the doorstep. At that point, you can try taking a step or two into the yard or driveway - sit down there and feed him treats again. Gradually work up to walking a tiny bit further each time, as long as he seems relaxed and happy - if he gets scared, just stop and back up to where he was comfortable. If you don't make any significant progress with this approach in the next 1-2 weeks, I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist to address his anxiety issues - this level of fear of normal, everyday things is very worrying in a puppy this age. The behaviorist can help you put together a more detailed plan to help him, which may include medication if needed for his anxiety. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org