Top 5 dog training tips with our Salty Paws Designs Treat Pouch
1. Consistency is key:
Always reward good behaviour. Avoid reaching for the treat until you have used your verbal marker reward of “yes” (or a clicker), then treat and reward as close to the exact moment of the desired behaviour as possible. We want to PAY our dog for a JOB well done. When we get this right, the behaviour is strengthened, making it more likely to be repeated.
2. Quick access to treats:
As discussed we want to reward our dog as close to the exact moment of the desired behaviour as possible, using a Salty Paws treat pouch, with its large treat pocket and secure magnetic closure, allows you hands free training, and access to treats is quick and easy.
3. Size matters:
Use small treats. Unless using part of your dogs daily food allowance when training, be sure to keep treats small, this keeps the training moving and reduces calories. Also take into account the environment you are training in when choosing your treat. An environment with higher distraction will require a higher value treat.
4. Daily foundations:
Practice basic commands like “sit”, “stay”, “wait”, “come”, “here” consistently, these are the foundations which allow you and your dog to be successful when undertaking more advanced training.
5. Positive reinforcement:
Encourage the behaviour you want more of by always following desired behaviours with a reward. Remembering not all dogs are food driven. Depending on your dog, they may have a preference for play, such as tug or a squeaky ball, physical touch, such as pats or maybe you have a dog that loves nothing more than to sniff, this can also be used as a reward.