[remymartin511]

I want to start teaching 12 wk old Duke the basics such as stay, sit/lay down, and come. So far he knows his name and obeys the come here command 75% of the time, but I feel there's still work to be done. I know this training should've already been taken care of, so my apologies in advance. The question is:
What kind of treats besides praise should i use? I'm thinking something with quantity without sacrificing quality? Any brand names or ideas on treats would be appreciated.

 

[performanceknls]

I do not have time to go into detail but I will when I get back online. Using a reward is very important like food or a toy when you are teaching the basics. Later on you wean them off food but you use a ton in the beginning. I use cheap hot dogs they work the best. Don't waste your money on training treats there is no need when a 89 cent pack of hot dogs works better than anything else. At 12 weeks you can teach the basics but don't go over kill or it will cause problems down the road. I will post more when I come back.

 

[MY MIKADO]

He is only 12wks he needs to be trained everyday for a long time before he will have it all down completely and be 100% all the time. So don't think you should be past this you are just getting started.

A lot of people use treats I perfer to just use praise. I did start using treats with tracking and I like the soft ones like Bil Jac. I can break up so it is just tiny so she it is getting something but not enough to slow her down on the track. At the last training we had the trainer had tiny tiny cut up hot dog that she had microwaved the dogs all loved this.

 

[remymartin511]

@ performance and mikado: I was thinking the same thing! I figure since training requires consistency then I should be consistent with the rewards. And hotdogs are always available, lol. And also I understand about overwhelmin the lil guy. Ill take baby steps. I just want a well mannered pup is all. He's been doing great on the leash. And I'm working with getting him to differentiate a chew toy from my daughters sandals. but so far so good

 

[MY MIKADO]

Your right you have to be consistent with them and have loads of patience too. He is still a baby. It sure is fun to teach them new things. Are you enrolled in any puppy classes?

 

[remymartin511]

no not as of yet....I've heard those classes do wonders though. I'm hoping I can teach him proper etiquette w/o having to enroll him. He seems pretty lax for a pup so far, I'm hoping he stays that way.

 

[MY MIKADO]

If you have the time to introduce him to as many different things as you can then yes you can do it on our own but I have to say puppy class is worth thinking about. My girl is 2.5 yrs old and I still try to find different places to take her so she is always exposed to new things. I never worry about socializing her with other dogs but I do take her where there will be dogs so I can work on her ignoring them.

 

[performanceknls]

Puppy classes are great and you will learn a lot! I am a trainer and there is nothing better than getting the exposure to other dogs an people. I have a new pup who is 4 months old and I am starting a class with her next week with a trainer friend of mine. I obviously can teach her what she needs to know but getting her around all the dogs and people I can recreate myself.

If you use hot dogs you can cut them in half long ways then roll them a quarter turn and cut again. then dice them into small pieces. You only need to use 1/3 of the hot dog for your training sessions and your sessions at this point should be under 5 mins and max twice a day. Any longer than that and you will burn your pup out quick. Do several sits, downs, and comes for your first Weeks session and you can start building from there. Your session can get longer as the pup grows but you still do not want to go longer than about 15-20 mins for an adult.

There are a few reasons I use food as a reward for puppies. There are two ways to train a dog to do something. Motivational- using a food or toy lure to get the behavior you want and shape the behavior or Force- making the dog do what you want. Force is an older way of training where the dogs were forced to do an action by a correction or even simply by putting the dog in a sit. When you are teaching a dog a new behavior like sit, how else do you show them what you want? You have to place them or force them into a sit then praise. Dogs learn much better through motivation and you have a better chance of long lasting obedience with little resistance.

Now you do have dogs who refuse to take treats and the only alternative is force. Now force does not mean you are overly rough but you are making the dog do what you want instead of them doing it voluntarily. I only use force when the dogs personality requires it.

Another reason I use food as a reward instead of praise is the dogs want to get paid for working for you. A good example is would you go to work every day for just a pat on the back? Probably not you would expect to get your pay check. The same thing applies to your dogs. They want to earn that pay check and will work harder and longer to get it. With out some type of reward you hit a point where there is nothing in it for the dogs and many times those dogs will shut down. Some dogs have the personality where praise is fine but those types are not as common.

Now one major complaint people say about using food is the dogs then will only work for food, and I agree to a point. I use food to teach the dog what I want and reward them. After they fully understand what I am asking I will slowing start weaning them off the food and only rewarding them after the training session instead for every command. Around the house I do not walk around with food if I give my dogs a command (after they know the command) however if I am doing a training session I always reward my dogs with food after and during. That keeps the dogs motivated and willing to work.

When you are teaching a new command there is no correction. After they know the command 100% then you can start teaching them they have to do it even if you do not have food in your hand. Once they know it you can start giving small corrections to help them understand they need to do it the first time you ask. If you correct without the dogs knowing what you are asking them you create confusion. Only give your commands once do not repeat them. When you are teaching you should be helping the dog do the command so they cannot do it wrong and associating the word with the action.

This should be enough to get you started there is a lot that goes into training dogs and how they learn. That is why a good obedience class is great to get involved in.

 

[Boogieman]

I wouldn't use hot dogs. You may as well pick up turds out of the yard and use. Same thing IMO.

Go buy a cheap dehydrator and use organs such as beef hearts. Cut them into thin strips and sprinkle with garlic. Dehydrate and then you can break that into pieces. Very healthy treats that are an excellent source of protein for any dog.

I agree when they know the command that you slowly take away the treats every time. That doesn't mean to never give them one for doing it though.

 

[performanceknls]

You want to use something quick to eat that does not need chewing. You can use cheese, liver, heart, or anything else that is a really good high value treat but it cannot be chewy. The whole idea is a quick reward where they do not have the chew or drop their head to eat it. You can use what every you want and I train too many dogs to cook meat or dehydrate it. When you use something like hot dogs they are not eating a lot of it they are only getting small pieces and small amount. Sodium is a concern with any treat so watch you are not giving anything too high in sodium.

Again to each their own with what to use but hot dogs are cheap and a high value treat. It is nothing more than meat by products and fat. If you want to use hot dogs look for the ones with lower sodium.

 

[Celestial88]

Awww y'all beat me to the hot dogs.

 

[ames]

Gargamel is not really into food rewards, he can;t have beef its horrible on his belly so hot dogs are out I am able to reward him with chuck it balls. AND he does love cheese or peanut butter (just grab a spoon with a couple teaspoons, and he gets a lick real quick after he does the trick) and I also use a laser pointer about once a month. THAT is his favorite and he will do anything to please me to get the laser!

I was also told not to teach him additional tricks until he gets it 90% of the time. Like teach him sit, only 15-20 minutes a day until he gets sit. THEN start training high five, (or come, wait, lay down, etc whatever you want next) and teach that daily to be at 90% success, and still practice the other tricks he knows in that 15-20 minutes a day.

good luck!

 

[Boogieman]

You want to use something quick to eat that does not need chewing. You can use cheese, liver, heart, or anything else that is a really good high value treat but it cannot be chewy. The whole idea is a quick reward where they do not have the chew or drop their head to eat it. You can use what every you want and I train too many dogs to cook meat or dehydrate it. When you use something like hot dogs they are not eating a lot of it they are only getting small pieces and small amount. Sodium is a concern with any treat so watch you are not giving anything too high in sodium.

Again to each their own with what to use but hot dogs are cheap and a high value treat. It is nothing more than meat by products and fat. If you want to use hot dogs look for the ones with lower sodium.

Well the advice isn't for you, it was for the OP. So how many dogs you train at a time is irrelevant. They are training one dog so dehydrating beef hearts is an excellent idea for them. Giving hot dogs in any amount is a horrible suggestion IMO. . As for the part about they are eating small amounts? If you're training consistently every day they are eating one or more hot dogs per day. So if you think 30 hot dogs or more a month is ok, well that's just bad advice IMO.

 

[performanceknls]

Well the advice isn't for you, it was for the OP. So how many dogs you train at a time is irrelevant. They are training one dog so dehydrating beef hearts is an excellent idea for them. Giving hot dogs in any amount is a horrible suggestion IMO. \ As for the part about they are eating small amounts? If you're training consistently every day they are eating one or more hot dogs per day. So if you think 30 hot dogs or more a month is ok, well that's just bad advice IMO.

No reason to get rude and you better check your attitude at the door.... If someone wants to make dehydrated treats then more power to you. The treats you are suggesting while ok are chewy and most dogs will drop the head to chew and not what I would recommend for training. You can use other things besides hot dogs like I suggested cheese or something else that is eaten quickly. One pack of hot dogs lasts me about 1 week to two weeks and that is with training 8 dogs. They only get about 1/4 of a hot dog, I train once a day and not every day. If you are giving a dog a whole hot dog every day that is way too much. You want them to get a taste of the treat not make a meal out of it. Again what ever floats your boat for treats most trainers out here use hot dogs as a reward for the reasons I mentioned and they are not as horrible as you are making it sound. It is a cheap easy alternative for making your own treats.

 

[Sadie]

Guy's this is a matter of opinion agree to disagree and move forward. I can't tell ANYONE what they should or shouldn't feed their dog's. You both have offered two very valuable opinions on what type's of treats can be used during training. What works for some may not work for others. Everyone is entitled to their opinions agree to disagree and move on. I will close this thread no more of this. Lisa is a mod here and if you have any issues with her Boogie take it to VIP or Pm's.

Thanks,

Sadie