Three Reasons Treats Are Essential in Puppy Training Sessions
When you bring your puppy home from a shelter, training them might be the first thing in your mind. However, most first-time pet owners are unaware that effective and successful puppy training takes more than confidence and hand cues. If you want a puppy to learn fast, you need a few supplies as motivation. For example, dog treats are an absolute necessity in every puppy training session. Here are the reasons you need treats for successful puppy training.
Obedience
It is perhaps the main benefit of using treats when training a puppy. Ideally, the purpose of training a puppy is to make them do what you ask. You can make a puppy listen and obey your cues by reinforcing positive actions, and treats are excellent agents. Some people use fear and force to get their puppies to do what they ask. However, the effects of such training do not last long since a puppy will do things out of fear, not obedience. Although you have to reduce the number of treats you give your puppy throughout a training period, you will have instilled a sense of obedience in them.
Pet IQ
Like humans, dogs have varying intelligence levels, which is often apparent when you begin training your puppy. Notably, some puppies grasp cues faster than others, which can be frustrating for pet owners. Treats can significantly improve your puppy's IQ during training, but only when used correctly. For instance, when a puppy does what you ask them, do not give them a treat with your hands. Instead, place the treat in an interactive toy and let your puppy retrieve it every time they get a cue right. Since your pet will engage their brain in retrieving the treat, their IQ will significantly improve over time. However, you must be patient with your puppy for the best results.
Confidence
Positive reinforcement builds confidence, which in turn encourages more action. Therefore, when you give a puppy treats during training, you can rest assured they will learn fast. It is mainly true in situations a puppy finds nerve-racking. For instance, some puppies will not go down a flight of stairs, no matter how hard you verbally encourage them. However, if you give them a treat every time they go down one step, they will gain the confidence to go all the way. Over time, and with the help of treats, your puppy will overcome their fear of stairs as their confidence grows. What was previously a nerve-racking obstacle soon becomes a harmless activity.