Rewards for Your Little Canine: Trainer-Recommended Techniques to Consider
Amelia Steele, a renowned dog trainer and behavioral consultant, shares her insights on rewarding small dogs during training sessions. Steele emphasizes the importance of using high-value, easily consumable treats that are suitable for small mouths and can be delivered quickly to maintain training flow and engagement.
While Steele does not mention specific dog treats in her advice, Pupford Beef Liver Training Freeze-Dried Dog Treats have been found to be a suitable size for training small dogs. According to Isaiah, a tester, these treats have become his new favourite for training his dog Hayes.
Steele advises using small, soft treats that can be quickly eaten, which helps keep the dog focused and ready for the next training session without long pauses. She also suggests rewarding frequently, especially for short periods of loose leash walking, to build the desired behavior.
Choosing treats that your dog highly values is particularly important for small dogs who can be easily distracted. Food that is more motivating will help keep their attention. Steele also encourages trainers to pair treats with praise and engagement to reinforce the connection between the behavior and the positive outcome, supporting ongoing motivation.
As the dog reliably walks on a loose leash, Steele advises gradually reducing treat frequency to maintain the behavior. However, she suggests intermittent rewards to keep the dog motivated.
Steele's approach to training small dogs also includes teaching them to catch treats, making training easier. She demonstrates this technique by teaching a dog named Brooklyn to catch treats.
Steele also addresses the issue of scavenging behaviour in dogs. She asserts that rewarding dogs to the floor won't encourage them to scavenge. Instead, she suggests giving dogs an outlet for their natural scavenging behaviour, such as hiding treats around the house for them to find.
Steele further suggests saying "One, two, three, catch" before throwing a treat towards a dog's nose. This technique helps to maintain focus even when there are competing stimuli, ensuring the dog remains engaged in the training session.
For more comprehensive strategies on loose leash training, Steele offers her 30 Day Loose Lead Course, which provides structured guidance on these training steps. This course covers engagement and maintaining behaviors around distractions, ensuring that rewards are delivered in a way that maintains focus even when there are competing stimuli.
- Amelia Steele, who specializes in dog training and behavior, advocates for the use of high-value, easily consumable treats for small dogs during training.
- Pupford Beef Liver Training Freeze-Dried Dog Treats, suitable for small dogs, were reported by tester Isaiah to be his preferred choice for training his dog Hayes.
- Steele advises using small, soft treats that can be quickly eaten to keep the dog focused and ready for the next training session without extensive pauses.
- Frequent rewarding, especially for short periods of loose leash walking, is essential, according to Steele, to instill the desired behavior.
- Choosing treats that the dog finds highly motivating is crucial for small dogs, as they often get easily distracted; this will help keep their attention during training.
- Steele advocates for saying "One, two, three, catch" before throwing a treat to a dog's nose, a technique that helps maintain focus even in the presence of competing stimuli.
