Dogs are loyal companions of people, not without reason, over 10 million dogs live in the households in Germany. It is all the more important to integrate the dog in everyday life and raise it. Training with the dog is not only a good way to build a strong bond with the animal, but also an essential part of the upbringing. But what motivates a dog the most during training? Food or toy? We find out for you which method is the best choice for your dog.
Why do dog treats like
The image of the “eaten” Labrador is certainly well known. Many a dog would do everything for food.
One should not forget that he descends from his ancestor, the wolf. In nature, the dog is a feed collector and by hunting, finding AAS or other prey he deserves his next meal. This is how his reward center is served and he is satisfied. He learns: "If I catch something, I have a full abdomen and I am satisfied." For this reason, he will want to repeat it. Food can therefore be a very large and natural motivation for dogs to reinforce its behavior.
Healthy snacks for the dog's vitality
When training with food, it is important to pay attention to healthy snacks. Obesity and Diseases can arise from the gifts of unhealthy treats. Keep a healthy level in feeding snacks. So only give goodies if the training session demands. In addition, one should include the calories in the dog's daily requirement.
Healthy snacks are a good choice for the training sessions of your fur nose. They are tailored to the individual needs of your dog and do not contain any unhealthy additives. The tasty and health -promoting snacks from ITICO are an optimal choice for training with your darling. With them you even cover the nutrient requirement of your dog, as this contains valuable vitamins and micro elements.
What should you watch out for in healthy snacks for the dog?
Not all treats that are available on the market are also suitable for feeding in everyday life. Loined fabrics that smell good for the dog are often incorporated so that the dog develops a kind of addiction to the snacks.
The situation is similar when artificial sugar is processed in it. As with humans, dogs can also develop a kind of addiction with sugar consumption. In addition, sugar causes overweight, diseases of the cardiovascular system and can lead to caries on the teeth.
Therefore, do not feed treats with sugar or attracting substances.
Pay attention to the following points when choosing the snacks:
- Look at the composition: it is ideal if vitamins, herbs and micro elements are contained so that the daily requirement is covered.
- Do not take treats that contain additives and industrial sugar.
- Use only treats that were made for dogs.
Feeding games as a training session for your dog
The dog and owner are particularly joy when you integrate feed games in a walk and in your own four walls. We give you 3 varied training tips for your dog:
- Search games at home: hide the treat and at the same time your dog stays sitting until you give the search command. Let the dog sit in advance and initially hide the treat not far from the dog. If the procedure is known to him, the search games can be expanded through several rooms in the apartment. Nose work for the four -legged friend is fun and promotes it cognitively.
- During the walk, delicacies can be hidden in tree trunks. Similar to the 1st example, your dog sits first and then searches for the hidden snack on the tree trunk. Simplify the search at the beginning by hiding the treat on its nasal height. Later, your dog can also climb a little with the front paws to get the reward.
- You can also train your dog on feed dummies. Fill in delicacies and let it applort the feed bag.
There are no limits to creativity in the feed game. Become an inventive or look for professional suggestions from a dog trainer.
If food is not the first choice: reward through game
Even if food is a very good choice for dog training, not every dog finds food exciting enough to react to it. Dogs in particular that are “feeding” will not react to this. In addition, allergies or overweight can be reasons for a feed diet, so training with toys is the better choice.
Some training sessions are primarily tailored to the dog's play instinct, for example the retrieving or other games that appeal to the senses of the dogs.
In everyday life, however, the toy is not always easy to carry. Balls with a slingshot, a dew or game stupid make your four -legged friend joy. It is important to pay attention to toys that do not have any risk of injury for your dog.
If possible, play with wooden sticks! These can splinter when sniffing and your dog can suffocate. In addition, you can hurt your dog when throwing the stick if it is faster than the stick. Other injuries with wooden sticks can also arise when romping. The specialist trade for animal supplies has a variety of alternatives that are optimal for your dog.
The best way to choose the toy is on the preferences of your four -legged friend.
It is important for dog training to see exactly what reward for your dog is really important. A dog whose greatest passion is hunting a ball cannot be motivated if you keep a liver sausage paste under his nose to praise it for desired behavior.
Regardless of whether reward with treats or play as an impulse for the right behavior, both methods also need a positive reinforcement from praise!
Positive reinforcement: Why the praise is so important!
The type of dog training has changed significantly in the past 20 years. It has been recognized that working with blame, scolding or even violence is in no way effective and harms the dog.
In order to promote certain behavior in your dog, the positive reinforcement has established itself among most dog trainers.
If a positive behavior is shown by the dog, you introduce a marker signal and repeat this. This can be a praising word, a clicker or a hand signal, the dog receives his reward directly. So your four -legged friend quickly realizes that it is worth showing the desired behavior of itself.
This type of dog training has two advantages:
- On the one hand, your dog really enjoys training and you strengthen the basis of trust to him.
- On the other hand, the training also enjoys you, you no longer have stress with your dog!
Conclusion: toys or feed as a reward for your dog?
Dog training is a very elementary component for living together with a dog. No matter what reward method you choose, the most important thing is to make them dependent individually according to the preferences of your four -legged friend. If you have a dog that is easy to motivate by feed, the choice should fall on a healthy snack. Varied food games will strengthen the bond with your dog and at the same time you promote your dog's health with the right snack.
If your dog is passionate about balls and other toys, a reward with toys is a better choice. You can find the right equipment in specialist shops. Also get advice on playing opportunities in training by a dog trainer.
With the help of positive reinforcement, both you and your four -legged friend have fun training. Talk to your dog well and do not save with praise. Just like we humans, dogs like to hear a positive word addressed to them. Coat units will also fall as a reward for your dog.
Have fun training with your dog.