Food is a motivator to every living being on the planet. Without food, we would perish. When the feeling of hunger strikes, it’s pretty hard to think of anything else but eating, especially as your stomach starts to growl.
Having such a powerful motivator is almost like having a magic wand. Food gets a dog’s attention. Dogs focus when food is in the training game. Food motivates. Period. This is cause to celebrate not complain! Reinforcing behaviors with food makes training dogs a win-win proposition. The dog is getting nourished and the dog trainer is able to create or modify behaviors in a humane and efficient way.
When it’s time for your dog to eat his meals, instead of placing a bowl in front of him day after day, use the food to train. Meals can be a time of bonding and fun for you and your dog. Imagine the repertoire of tricks you can teach your dog over the years if you train your dog at meal time instead of putting that bowl on the ground.
Here’s one from my back yard.
If you want to learn how to train your dog to do tricks, contact me. I’m a Certified Trick Dog Instructor in the Fort Lauderdale area.
By Helen Verte
Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Trick Dog Instructor
South Florida, Fort Lauderdale
