Dog Only Listens With Treats? Use This 5 Step Process To Build Better Behaviors #306
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May 23, 2025
Do you think your dog only obeys for treats? Break that myth! Discover a five-step process that helps your furry friend learn anywhere with joy. Learn how to effectively use your relationship bank with your dog and transfer food value to toys and activities. Real-life examples, including training tips and surprise reinforcement strategies, showcase how to reshape behaviors. Plus, find out what to do when your pup becomes demanding. This is training evolution at its best!
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insights INSIGHT
Training Builds Relationship Bank
Training builds a relationship like a bank account with deposits (reinforcement).
Behaviors are more likely when reinforced and part of a cooperative team.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Husband's Feeding Shows Behavior Loophole
Susan's late husband fed dogs without contingencies, causing dogs to manipulate timing.
Dogs signaled when to feed, proving reinforcement without rules erodes behavior reliability.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Begin With Food Your Dog Loves
Start training with food your dog loves to build behavior.
Use varied food values and games like 'It's Your Choice' to create contingencies.
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Do you feel your dog only listens when you have treats? Or maybe you've been told dogs should work because you said so. No one needs to choose between insisting on their dog's compliance without rewards or getting stuck as a treat-dispensing machine, so I'm sharing my 5 step process to help you build better behaviors. This process is the solution for our dogs to listen anywhere, anytime, with joy and clarity!
In this episode, you'll hear:
• Debunking the myth that "your dog should work because you said so". • How to use your relationship bank with your dog effectively. • A real-life example with my dogs, treats, and my husband, John. • The 5 Step Process to build better behaviors and use food to your training advantage. • How to transfer value from food into other reinforcers like toys, games, and activities. • The power of surprise reinforcement deposits - dog bed example. • What to do when your dog becomes a bit of a "demand-ica." • A training example with a target stick and my dog, This! on eroding great behavior. • An invitation to join Home School the Dog or Recallers.
To know more about our online programs: Write to us at wag@dogsthat.com with the subject line: I want to know more about rewarding
Hand Target and More Functional Games Get the Hand Target Game and more foundational training games in our free Connected Dog Season of Nuance Video Series running for a limited time - https://learn.doggyflix.com/interactive/
Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett