Training a dog requires a lot of work, though the efforts are worthwhile if you want to raise an obedient, friendly, and well-behaved canine. Positive reinforcement goes a long way in making training programs more effective. It is all about rewarding the pet to reinforce a behavior you like so that the animal understands that you expect it to follow the same routine. When it comes to choosing rewards for dog training, you need to identify the ones that motivate the animal and make the training sessions interesting. Here are the best options you can experiment with.
Attention
Attention is probably the best way you can reward your furry friends. Most dogs love praise, snuggle time, and lots of attention from their owners. The best part is that this treat comes free of cost, and you can give it anytime and anywhere, whether the animal behaves well at home or outdoors. Once you establish a system for attention-based rewards, the animal will quickly learn and understand the behaviors that earn your love and attention. You will need to set expectations for this form of rewarding, from waiting for the animal to come to you for petting or showering it with affection when it obeys you. Clear expectations right from the start will help you train and cultivate positive behavior in your pet faster than you expect.
Treats
Lavish food treats make one of the most common ways of rewarding your pet’s obedience during training sessions and in the routine as well. They are great for instant gratification, so the animal would easily understand what they can do to earn treats. While you choose treats, make sure that they are something that the dog relishes, yet it should be nutritious as well. Stocking up on salmon dog treats is a good move as they make your dog happy and offer health benefits too. As you use a treat-based reward system, keep an eye on the weight of your pet because you wouldn’t want it to become overweight while making it well-behaved. You may take guidance from your vet before making the choices for reward treats.
Outdoor time
Another effective positive reinforcement measure is outdoor time for your pet because this is something most dogs love to do. They love to explore new sights and smells in the open. This type of reward is ideal for housebreaking training. You can take the animal to the spot where you want it to relieve itself. Keep it on the leash, and do not allow it to explore. Take it back inside if it does not relieve itself. You can praise the animal and take it for a walk if it relieves itself, but this time you can allow it to stop and explore. Eventually, the dog will learn that it will be rewarded with outdoor time only if it relieves itself in the right spot.
Positive reinforcement takes good thinking if you want your canine to learn the best way. You can create an ideal mix, considering the choices and behavior of your pet. It is all about experimenting and knowing your dog better with time.
