Tag: training treats

Goof goodies

Everybody messes up. We’re human. It happens.

I goofed up! I should give my dog a "Goof Goodie!"

It happens in training all the time. We say the wrong thing, look the wrong way, click at the wrong time, turn in the wrong direction.

Guess what? You’re the only one that knows. Keep it secret from your dog!

When you make a mistake, give your dog a treat. Reward with a “goof goodie!”

Why?

It keeps your dog from thinking that it’s his/her fault.

Think about it. What’s everybody’s first reaction when they screw up? They sigh, or say “ugh” (or worse). How does your dog know you’re not talking to him? Whenever you’re together, you always talk to her!

A dog trained with positive reinforcement probably won’t repeat something that hasn’t been rewarded. And may avoid doing things that got a negative reaction. So if we say “dammit” out loud, the dog thinks we’re talking to him. And, because he’s a very good dog, he won’t do it again. Even if he was right and we were the ones that screwed up.

You may know you’re talking to yourself – metaphorically slapping yourself. But your dog doesn’t. And she’s the only other one there. Let her know she’s good. 

Give her a Goof Goodie and let it go. You’ll do better next time.

Too many treats?

Some people have expressed concern that, with constant food rewards, their dogs will get fat.

No, your dog will not get fat!

While you may be increasing the number of food reinforcements your dog is getting – you don’t have to increase his/her overall calories. 

Some ideas …

Some ideas to keep the pounds away:

Substitute frozen green beans for a part of your dog's meal.
Substitute part of your dog’s meal with frozen cut green beans.
  • Especially if your dog eats dry food – use a portion of each meal as training treats. Many serious dog trainers “ditch the bowl” entirely and hand-feed every meal to their dogs, using meal time as training time.
  • Replace some of your dog’s meal with frozen, cut, green beans. Most dogs love frozen beans. We don’t know why – we just know it’s true.
  • Get a refillable squeeze tube (most camping supply departments have them) and fill it with low-fat yogurt. It fits nicely in your hand and you can squeeze out a dab as a reward quickly.
  • Include lots of low-calorie options in your training treat trail mix; Cheerios, pretzel pieces, diced-up carrots or celery. Hope’s Torque is bonkers for celery. We don’t know why. We just capitalize on the fact that he is.

Your dog’s consumption may go up – especially as you both realize how much fun training is and do it more often. It’s somewhat offset by the increase in activity for your dog. Instead of lying on the couch, he/she is actively engaged and burning more calories.

No need to resist those big brown eyes!

Relax. You don’t have to resist those puppy-dog eyes. Find some alternatives that work for you and your dog.