Are you rewarding at the right time?

Using treats can be a helpful tool when training a young pup or an adult dog, but when is the correct time to be rewarding them with treats?

A lot of people tend to use treats to bribe their dog to do something they may be hesitant to do, for example getting into the car or brushing them. If the treat is not given at the correct time or you reward them with pats and cuddles it can send the wrong message that you are encouraging them for the negative behaviour.

Never give a reward for bad behaviour; you should also never praise a dog that is in an anxious, scared or highly excitable state of mind. By giving dogs a reward in this state you are telling them that ‘Yes, this is how you should behave and there is something to be afraid of.’ Remember you are the pack leader and it is your job to show calm and assertive behaviour. A common issue is dogs jumping on new guests or visitors, if they in turn get a pat, cuddles or treats you are showing them that in order to get what they want they need to continue jumping and displaying the unwanted behaviour. If you are using food to bribe your dog, for example to get into the car, and are rewarding them before they get into the car you are telling your dog that in fact there is something to be afraid of and by acting this way they will get treats and cuddles.

By rewarding at the wrong time we can actually be responsible for creating an unstable mind for our dogs, this can then lead to further behaviour problems such as separation anxiety, lead aggression, and food aggression, running in circles or barking at shadows.

Only reward your dog when they have done something you wanted them to. For example; if you have asked your dog to drop at you only reward them once they have left it for approx. 10 seconds, if they pick the toy up before then take the toy away. If they leave it for the desired amount of time then you can reward them by allowing them to have the toy and lots of praise from you. This way, you are teaching your dog that you are the pack leader, that you are in control and confident of the situation.