Getting to do it with no treat

Hi,

I know it's all about praise and it will praise and treats when I finally get my puppy. However, at what stage can you actually say, 'paw' or 'sit' without a treat in your hand?

Surely, they don't always need it! Otherwise, I'm going to very skint and she is going to be very fat!!!

Hi Lottie,

no they certainly don't need treats every time you give them a command. Treats and praise are excellent for teaching new commands, occassionally reinforcing commands in training sessions, and for when the puppy goes through the bizarre condition known as adolescence. But you shouldn't have a dog you have to bribe each and every time.

Start as a puppy with lots of treats, praise and fuss, or if the puppy's not food motivated (and not all of them are), playing with toys is an alternative reward. Once the command is fully learned, start hiding the treats so she doesn't know she's definitely getting something. Once that stage is secured, move on to giving treats on a random basis - so sometimes she gets a treat, sometimes she doesn't. Once this stage is secured, try just giving lots of fuss without treats, or playing with a toy instead. Rewards should always be just that - not bribes. Don't be tempted to fall into the trap of resorting to treats when you know she fully understands the command. So, for example, don't give the command 'come' and when she doesn't do it, go and get a biscuit. This teaches the dog two things: that you can't be trusted, and that if she holds out on the command alone, she'll end up getting a treat.

Hope this helps!

Becs

Thanks, I thought it was something like that! So, it's when you think the puppy has got it, not any particular stage or age?

I'm asking, but I know that my mum knows as she has had dogs before and successfully trained them so I have nothing to worry about really! hehe.

Thanks again
Lottie

It's like with people, there's no particular stage or age for anything - they're all individuals, and learn and develop at their own rate. With most puppies you'll find they learn at a really fast rate when they're tiny - they're like little knowledge sponges. I taught Satch his first 4 commands at the age of 9 weeks - all four taught in a day, each taking about 10 mins to teach. As with humans, it's harder for them to learn new things as they get older - so now it takes much longer to teach Satchmo a command.

You should be fine, but dalmatians can be complete fruitcakes (in the nicest possible way ) to train - that said, a dalmatian in our puppy class was the best dog there, so it depends on the dog, and on finding a method of training and handling that suits the dog, not just you.

lecture over!

Becs

Agree with Archaopath.
Started doing sit and paw at about 7-8 weeks by using the command when he did it naturally and praising + a treat, then encouraging with treats. At first it was all treat based and we still do that, but gradually he started to do things without treats. We too didn't want to end up bribing and substituted some treats just for cuddles and praise.

Just wanted to add: make the training fun and exciting.
That way your dog will also learn that with you its exciting to be and you have fun together.

As your dog grow older it will (if you´re training by less and less treats and more and more paraise) work to please you as it has learnt it makes you happy.

I use treats to teach mine where i want them to be then i start using treats and a toy, i will treat after each excercise and then they get a big game with a tugger, with my older ones sometimes ill go out with them for training and take no treats only a toy, i also use alot of stupid talk to them, they love it and wag their tails and bums like mad lol