Dog Reward Training
Coming when called is a vital skill that every dog must
learn, both for its own safety and that of those around it.
A disobedient dog that refuses to come when called could
easily be hit by a car, get into a fight with another dog,
or suffer a variety of other bad experiences. A well
trained dog that comes when called can safely be taken out
to play in the local park, at the beach, on the hiking
trail, or anywhere else the owner and dog may wish to go.
Basic training to come when called is relatively easy and
straightforward, and involves providing praise, treats and
other perks when the dog does as his owner wants. After
these basic come when called training exercises are
mastered, there are a number of fun exercises that can be
introduced to challenge the dog and pique its interest.
Making training into a fun game is one of the best ways to
motivate both dog and handler alike. It is easy for
training sessions to become routine and boring, and it is
important to keep them from degenerating into this state.
Before beginning any food based training exercise, it is
important to make sure that the dog is properly motivated
and ready to respond to treat based training. Testing the
dog is simply a matter of taking a piece of his regular
food and waving it in front of the dog’s nose. If the dog
shows great enthusiasm for the food, it is ready to start
the training. If not, it is best to wait until the dog is
in a more receptive mood.
The treats that work best for treat based training games
like hide and seek are cut up quarter inch or smaller
pieces of chicken, cheese or liver. In other words,
something your dog will love. It is best to use very small
pieces to avoid overfeeding the dog during he training
sessions.