Treats Are Your Dog-Training Buddies

Dog training is no different from any other activity — you need the right equipment for the job. Many choices are available to you; other than your ingenuity and intellect, treats are the most powerful training tool you can use with your dog.

How to use treats

You can use treats in one of two ways:

• As a reward for a desired response: When you use it as a reward, you keep the treat hidden from the dog, who doesn't know whether or not he's going to get it. For example, you say "Down," and Buddy lies down. He may get a treat, or he may not.

When conditioning your dog to a particular command, to be effective, the treat has to immediately follow the desired response so the dog understands that he's being rewarded for that particular response. Don't diddle around fumbling for a treat and give it to him just as he's getting up again. You'd be rewarding Buddy for getting up, not what you wanted at all.

• As a lure or inducement to obtain a desired response: Now the treat is in the open and you use it to entice the dog to lie down, and when he does, he gets the treat. When used as an inducement, it's within the dog's control whether he gets the treat or not.

Because you're going to use treats both as a reward and as an inducement, you need to decide where to carry them. Some people use fanny packs, some a trouser pocket, and still others a shirt pocket. All these options are fine as long as you realize that as soon as your hand moves, your dog will focus on where you keep the treats. Wherever you keep them, you must be able to reach them quickly to reward the desired response. Having a few in the palm of your hand when working on a particular exercise isn't a bad idea. The key is to use the treat before the dog does something you don't intend to reward. If you can't get to the treat quickly, there's a good chance that Buddy will do something you don't want to reward — and you'll have lost the moment to reinforce the right behavior. Make a habit of having some treats with you at all times.

Selecting the ideal treat

Dry treats, rather than something moist or soggy, are easier to handle and kinder to your pockets. In addition there is a wide variety of dry and semidry treats available. You do, however, need to be careful of both salt and sugar content so that treats don't ruin your dog's diet. Experiment to find out what your dog likes and what he responds to. Trying to train a dog with treats he doesn't like is pointless. Treats also aren't going to be very effective after Buddy has just been fed.

Homemade liver treats

Consider using homemade liver treats, which you should use sparingly so as not to upset Buddy's stomach. These treats are simple to make and contain no salt or sugar:

1. Parboil (boil briefly) some beef liver and let cool.

2. Cut liver into 1/4-inch cubes.

3. Place on a baking sheet and liberally sprinkle with garlic powder.

4. Bake in a 250-degree oven until dry, about one hour.

5. Store in the refrigerator.

Kong treats

Your dog might like the TOTs (Training Opportunity Treats) made by the Kong Company TOTs are made of liver and milo — a gluten-free grain that's highly digestible — and contain no salt or sugar. (Milo is a variety of sorghum that resembles millet.) TOTs are just the right size for a training treat and are dry and don't need to be refrigerated. Unless exposed to moisture, they have a good chance of lasting a long time. Few dogs can resist this treat.

thedog8it!

Thedog8it! Inc.makes another excellent training treat called Bribery Bits, which are also dry and don't require refrigeration. They're made with human-grade ingredients and are organic whenever possible. Bribery Bits come in different flavors, such as Chicken Liver & Garlic and Cheese & Herb, and the original recipe is made with whole smoked kipper fillets. They sound so good, it's hard to believe they're intended just for dogs. The base grain is organic barley flour. Dogs love them.

Some dogs don't respond as well to treats as they do to other objects, such as a ball, Frisbee, stone, or stick. In that case, use whatever turns your dog on, so long as it doesn't become a hindrance in your training. Alternate treats can be an inviting body posture; verbal praise; or physical affection, such as petting.