Types of treats 

Teething

These are best for puppies between 3 to 4 months up until 7 to 8 months. This is when the puppies start to lose their baby teeth. These treats help relieve the pain they are facing from their gums. 

Brushing teeth 

While there is a wide range of dental chews that can be used to remove plaque and tartar from your dogs mouth the very best was to properly clean you dogs teeth it my using a brush, some paste, and scrubbing away. By always using the chews and never brushing, dogs are likely to develop different types of dental diseases by the ages of 3-4.  

Training 

These should start early, from the ages of 8 months to as old as you would like. These treats are very important for development, but make sure not to overdo it. This should be between a 5 to 10-minute training period per day, and you have to make sure you are using the same commands every time. For using these treats, it's important to make sure it's a constant thing and you use this time to engage your dog with others and in other environments. 

Rewards

Reward treats are important for reassuring your pet. You have to make sure that when you are rewarding your dog, you use not only treats but also words of encouragement to have them learn that treats are not given for everyday actions. 

Welcome!

In this section, I won't be giving recipes, but instead I will be talking about treating systems as well as which types are best for when. I will also try to talk about the effects of over- and under-rewarding and giving treats to your pets. This next part will highlight the two most important types of giving treats, which are training and rewarding treats for dogs. 

Training 

Training treats are the most necessary thing for a well-rounded and happy dog, as well as for a positive relationship between you and your dog. training and the use of treats. The treats are not just for commands, they're also for teaching behavior habits and strengthening the bond between owner and pet. starting training off early in early puppyhood, to make starting at around 8 months old, to strengthen the methods and training off early. Patience, consistency, and being clear are very important in training dogs to let them know what is expected of them, as well as what isn't permitted. Using very positive reinforcements as well as treats will encourage your dog to learn in an enjoyable and stress-free way. As training continues, you should increase difficulty and distractions to build reliability and strength in each skill. Be sure to keep the training short and especially when they are young, to make sure the dog will be focused and engaged. 

Tips

  • Be sure to start with the basics like sit, stay, come, leave it, etc.
  • Start your training in silence and then add in distractions and different noises to increase the effectiveness of the training. 
  • Have a happy and encouraging tone to motivate and reassure your dog. 
  • Practice daily for around 5 to 10 minutes. 

General treats - Rewards   

As an owner of a dog, making sure to give treats to your dog is a very important thing. When you give treats to a dog in the correct moments, it is reinforcing the good behavior they have, which helps to make them learn faster about what is right and wrong, as well as helping to make your dog feel more motivated and confident in themselves. Most times treats are used for rewards, but depending on the owner and dog, it can also be based on toys, petting, and even just as a quick game. Back to my original statement, treats and their effectiveness are all dependent on timing and how you use them. Treats should be given right after the desired behavior or action is done, so your dog will clearly know the action is good and therefore gets a reward. As the dog grows, the need for treats becomes less essential and more loving, but in the early puppy years, it's very important to let the puppy know what actions and behaviors are good and bad. Treats are not only a good thing for training, but also for general bonding with your animals. 

Tips

  • Using treats that are soft and small is easier because they are faster to eat.
  • Remember to stay calm, and when the desired outcome happens, be sure to show appreciation not only through treats but also actions.
  • Mix up rewards (treats, words of affirmation, love and cuddles, etc.)
  • Try not to constantly use food because it can reduce effectiveness if it is always used. 
  • Make sure treats come after and not before the action is done.

Problems of over- and under-giving treats 

OVER                                                                                         UNDER

Weight gain

Weight gain is a big effect of giving too many treats. Each treat contains excess calories that will then as up if you give 10% of your dog's food calorie intake. In obesity, there are many different side effects for dogs, such as joint issues, diabetes, and shorter lifespans due to heart and lung problems. Smaller dogs are especially sensitive to treat quantity as they are at higher risk for problems because of their size and metabolism. Making sure to use tiny treat portions is very important to reduce calorie impact whilst also rewarding and loving your dog. To monitor consumption, you should also be sure to consider part of your dog's calorie consumption on training and treats. 

Lack of efficiency

When you constantly use treats as a reward and in everyday life, their effectiveness will decrease. This is because the dog will lose interest in food as a reward. After all, it seems to be a natural and very normal thing to them. Another outcome is your pet thinking that food is the only response when they do something, and that every time they sit, even without you asking, they automatically get treats. Based on this, you need to make sure that you have a mix of praise, toys, and motivation in general so that food and treats don't become the only solution. 

Reinforcing bad habits

By giving treats at the wrong time, your dog can get the wrong idea and think that the unwanted behavior is one that you can and one that will be praised and rewarded, which would lead to them doing it constantly. An example of this is rewarding your dog after they bark or jump unintentionally, and after that, they do it constantly. To avoid this, wait for your dog to be calm and do your desired behavior before giving them a treat. Timing is very important; rewarding you within a couple of seconds after the correct action is important, as it will show that this is the desired outcome and will be rewarded. 

Lack of motivation

By not giving treats or motivation, your dog may lose interest in training and learning skills, which will affect to effectiveness of your training. Dogs and especially food-driven breeds like Labs or Beagles will lose all motivation in their training and rebel by not doing it or giving inadequate attention to their owner. In times like early training, the frequent use of treats and constant reinforcement is very important, as they won't be easily swayed and trained by just love and motivation. The use of treats will help to keep their attention in distracting environments and will show your appreciation for the skill. 

Slower learning process

By rewarding dogs, it helps them connect the good behaviors they have with a positive outcome and therefore increases the desire for it. Without the use of treats, progress can take a lot longer because there is no reward, and instead, just an expectation to learn. Dogs such as puppies and rescue dogs need a more frequent and telling reinforcement to truly understand what the difference is between good and bad, and treats are that signal. Using treats is a very important learning tool, and by not using them, you may miss critical teaching times because of low engagement and interest. 

A weaker bond between pet and owner

Using treats is not only for training, but also a tool to build trust and affection between you and your pet. By usually, rewarding your dog and then suddenly stopping may feel like a punishment to them and can give them the wrong idea, which would therefore break the loving bond you guys have. Treat time can be a very joyful and loving bonding experience, so by not having that, you are limiting the strength of your bond with your pet. 

Proper amounts for weight 

Tips for treats 

 

  • Use very small, around pea-sized, treats for training to avoid overfeeding and high-calorie increases. 
  • If larger treats, you can cut in half or use a small part to help their ration 
  • As said before, don't just use treats, mix with love, toys, and play to keep a good balance. 

 

Small dogs - 1 to 5 training treats / small treats

(5-20 lbs)

Medium - 3 to 10 small treats or 1 to 3 standard treats

(20-50 lbs)

Large - 5 to 15 small treats or 2 to 5 standard treats 

(50-100+ lbs)

Create Your Own Website With Webador