I use treats to train my pups to a high level of obedience.
By the time they leave they are not reliant upon treats and work just for the reward of doing it right and because I have made it fun and they enjoy it.
They do not just look to me for the treats...they look to me for guidance about what I would like them to do next.
Treats, like any other training aid, can be abused, but they are very useful used correctly.
As for gundog owners etc in the Uk not using them, well in my experience, many do... I also know of some appalling gundog training methods that go on here in the UK, none of which are to do with anything but fear and submission.
Every dog and every trainer is different and you need to find what kind method works for a given partnership.

I thought you owned a Lab mix "Greenluva"?
Many ringsports etc you mention use prong and electric collars - so the romanticism of dogs doing things for the love of the owner is not as it always seems, is it. Dogs are not Lassie.
Thank goodness we are now coming out of the dark ages and using methods dogs do understand - including dogs who are independent such as salukis and elkhounds. Don't see much pack drive naturally with that lot.

Please tell us what methods you use to train your dogs.

although i use treats for my dogs i do use others things like saying good boy/girl also a touch pat or big fuss usually a big fuss or using the toy that worked very well for recall

Here's my ten anyway:

1) Praise (does something I want, lots of fusses and praise)
2) Food (must come to me before allowed to eat, thus his reward is he can go gobble up his food)
3) Action (must sit before being let through the door - his reward is being allowed to go through the door)
4) Toys (does something I want, he gets a toy as a reward)
5) Games - we play a game after he's been good at training
6) Fetch - he sees something in the garden, I get him to sit then say 'go on then' and he's allowed to get it (normally a toy/bone etc)
7) Search - I can hide stuff and then, once he's done his 'training' I can say 'go on then' and he goes to find.
8 ) as above with the lights out
9) Play with other dogs - must come to me first, sit and then I say go on then.
10) off lead play - when we go on a walk, after he's told to sit (so I can get his lead off) he can then go to run.

Basically his rewards are all positive things - they essentially get him to want to please me because he knows he'll get rewarded someway which = happiness.

Do I control every minute of his day? No of course not, most of the times he's allowed to be a dog and do what he wants, I am just using the above examples to show 10 ways to reward without a treat - basically almost anything can be turned into a rewardable experience, and generally I find he is most willing to please and do what I want this way.

wow i never thought those i use most of them if not all but i never thought of some of them as rewards eg: the waiting for me to walk through the door + then they can come through.
thats why you run a dog site then big memory

I use a variety of methods, but mainly my dogs do as I say because they think the sun shines out of my butt, and all things wonderful emanate from me They are wonderful judges of character

Treat or not to treat that is the question, I used to use treats on my last dog (bella) but ony a few each time she was being trained, but I did go to a KC registed training class and to tell the truth I was amazed at the amount of treats being usedthere. Many people there had 2 packs of treats and used that amount each night. this was incouraged by the trainer. I now dont use treats as in food any time, just a stroke and joyfull words seem to do the trick, ( most of the time) But as they say Different strokes for different blokes.

Gaz

This is the feeling I've got from some posts in this thread too.

This is true, I am currently using food rewards to teach Isla the basics, once she's got the idea the food rewards are slowly weaned and she learns to work to please me. And yes there are still many, many gundog trainers in the UK that still think it is acceptable to teach their dog something they will never forget.

Whatever works for you, that's the best way.

I use food to teach new behaviors. Once the behaviors are learned, I use food intermittently and in combination with a variety other rewards.

Rewards for my dogs other than food:
1. affection/praise
2. access to the backyard
3. access to the car
4. toys
5. play
6. walks
7. butt scratches
8. access to the bed
9. access to the couch
10. off-leash time