Less Is More

So, you've now got this wonderful Pet Botanics dog treat and your dog loves it!  Let's talk about how much you should feed.

For commands already learned (sit, down, shake; things they've known since their first month or two with you and they do accurately the first time you ask 85-100% of the time) they should be getting minimal treats.   I actually suggest using a lower value treat than dog log for these commands, such as Charlie Bears or kibble. If you do use dog log, use no bigger than a PEA SIZED amount.  This is NOT just a figure of speech.  If the piece you handed your dog is bigger than one of those green, round, starchy vegetables, it is most likely too big.  An extra side note: do a random reward schedule, meaning, they only get a treat every once in awhile to reinforce these commands.  This will help you to begin weaning the dog off treats.

For commands they are learning (new agility obstacles, crawl, etc.) or ones that are difficult to master (heeling, stay...), you should be using a small sized treat, about the size of a marble.

For a command they've been having a hard time with, but they finally do it successfully (they have been skipping the last section of the weaves, but after some directed practice, they finally complete it all the way through); when they've been learning a new command and it finally clicks; when they've been a brat and finally do what you ask; or when they do a recall in a distracting environment...for all of these and other great behaviors, you can give your dog a jackpot reward.  My favorite way to give a jackpot is to give 3-5 larger pieces of dog log (dice-sized), all in a row with a ton of verbal/physical praise.

If you overuse this (or any other) treat, IT WILL LOSE ITS VALUE.  Overusing can consist of:

• not making your dog work for the treat/giving him or her freebies
• giving too big of treats (your dog will get full)
• always using your highest value treat for all commands
• giving the same amount for all commands ("Let's see, she gives me a treat the size of her hand for sitting, and a treat the size of her hand for going through the weaves.  Sitting is so much less work, so maybe I'll only do that and that way I'll still get treats..."-Okay, so dogs may not cognitively go through this exact process, but you get the idea.)

A few (hopefully obvious) disclaimers that should still be mentioned:  First, if you have a Great-Dane-sized dog, you may need to up the size portions on these (still think small though).  Second, treats are not the only forms of rewards!  Your dog should always receive a auditory positive marker (clicker, "Yes!", etc.) and possibly other praise as well.  And third, when you add new environmental factors that are considered high distraction for your dog, you should make adjustments on treat sizes as necessary.  For example, Cheri obviously knows how to sit, she sits for us the first time we ask at home, and most of the time when we are in public, and so she only gets verbal praise for doing it.  However, if there is another dog around, this is the most distracting environment possible for her, and so we make sure to reward her with a pea-sized or marble-sized amount when she does well.