There’s a delicate balance between guiding your dog with rewards and inadvertently undermining the trust you’ve built. Have you got it right?
Using treats in dog training is a common and effective way to motivate your dog, encourage good behaviour, and build new skills. However, there’s a delicate balance between guiding your dog with rewards and inadvertently undermining the trust you’ve built.
In training, the goal should always be to foster cooperation based on mutual respect, not to manipulate or pressure a dog into behaviours they’re uncomfortable with.
In this post, we’ll explore how you can use treats respectfully without compromising your dog’s trust.
The Power and Pitfalls of Treats
Treats are a fantastic tool in positive reinforcement training. They provide immediate feedback and motivate your dog to repeat behaviours that lead to good outcomes. But sometimes, in the eagerness to train or solve a problem quickly, treats can become a form of coercion. This can happen when they’re used to pressure a dog into situations they don’t want to be in, like forcing them to meet new people, pushing them toward scary objects, or making them endure discomfort.
When this happens, it’s easy to break the bond of trust you’ve worked hard to build. Instead of feeling safe and confident, your dog may begin to associate training with stress or anxiety. And once trust is compromised, it can take a lot of work to rebuild it.
10 Signs That Treats Are Being Used Coercively
Here are 10 common scenarios where the use of treats might cross the line from positive reinforcement into coercion:
Forcing a fearful dog into a car: Offering treats to lure a dog into the car when they’re visibly scared without addressing the root cause of the fear.
Getting a dog to approach a feared person: Using treats to encourage your dog to interact with someone they are afraid of, which ignores their need to feel safe.
Making a dog tolerate handling: Using treats to keep a dog still during uncomfortable grooming sessions or veterinary exams without first building trust.
Pressuring a dog to go near an unfamiliar object: Luring a dog with treats toward a vacuum cleaner or other scary object, even though they’re clearly nervous or frightened.
Encouraging a dog to enter a crate when they have separation or containment anxiety: Using treats to lure a dog into a crate despite their intense distress at being left alone.
Using treats to make a dog interact with other dogs when they’re anxious: Pushing a dog to join a playgroup or meet another dog when they’re showing signs of anxiety or stress.
Forcing a dog to walk on an uncomfortable surface: Luring a dog across a slippery, hot, or otherwise uncomfortable surface with treats, ignoring their physical discomfort.
Coaxing a dog to perform a behaviour in pain: Using treats to get a dog to sit, lie down, or perform other movements when they’re in physical pain without the express guidance of a veterinary physiotherapist.
Luring a dog into a tight space: Offering treats to get a dog into a confined or uncomfortable space (like an entranceway) when they’re fearful or anxious about it.
Pushing a dog into social situations: Using treats to force a dog to interact with guests or strangers when they’re clearly uncomfortable.
In these examples, treats are being used not to build confidence but to pressure the dog into compliance. This can lead to a breakdown in trust, which can be hard to repair.
How to Use Treats Respectfully
To ensure you’re using treats in a way that fosters trust rather than undermining it, consider the following guidelines:
Listen to your dog’s body language: Pay attention to your dog’s signals. If they’re showing signs of stress, fear, or discomfort, stop and reevaluate the situation.
Respect your dog’s boundaries: Training should never involve forcing your dog into situations they find overwhelming. Instead of using treats to push them, focus on understanding and building trust around the scary or uncomfortable thing.
Build trust through positive experiences: Use treats to reinforce good experiences and help your dog feel more comfortable, but never at the expense of their emotional well-being.
Give your dog a choice: Allow your dog to make choices in training. Allowing them to opt-out can build their confidence and trust in you.
Pair treats with trust-building activities: Focus on activities that naturally build trust, like calm engagement, play, or simply spending time together without pressure.
Key Takeaways
Treats can be a wonderful tool for training and bonding with your dog, but only when used with care and respect. By ensuring that treats don’t cross the line into coercion, you can build a strong, trusting relationship with your dog.
Always remember that trust is earned through understanding, patience, and respect, not by pushing your dog into uncomfortable situations. When training is done with your dog’s emotional well-being in mind, you’ll find that their cooperation and confidence grow naturally, and that trust is strengthened with every positive interaction.
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Stephie is a dog professional specialising in trauma-informed behavioural support for shouty-barky dogs, dogs with separation anxiety, and sensitive rescues.
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