My wife and I have an 8-month-old mixed breed. Yesterday, he tried to grab a veggie straw. I told him to sit and stay before I gave it to him, and he did exactly that. My wife then suggested I give him a piece of pepperoni from my pizza instead of the veggie straw, saying he deserved a high-value treat for listening. I stuck to the veggie straw because I didn’t want to share my pizza. Was I wrong to say no to the pepperoni?
My dog only gets dog food or special treats like beef liver or cheese occasionally. I never give her my food because I don’t want her to beg. If I eat, it’s my food. She’s very food motivated, but she doesn’t beg because I’ve never encouraged it.
Also, people food can have things like spices or seasonings that are bad for dogs. I’d suggest deciding if you want your dog to be a beggar or not, and stick to that plan.
@Jennifer
Exactly. I’ve trained my dogs to not expect food from me. It’s so nice not having them beg at the table. But I made the mistake of giving them veggies while prepping dinner, and now they come running as soon as the cutting board is out. It really does matter what you allow.
Stick to treats made for dogs, not pepperoni. There are great quality treats out there. My dogs love veggies like cucumbers and lettuce as snacks, but for training, we use high-quality dog treats.
Also, dogs prefer multiple small treats over one big one, so break the treats into smaller pieces and give them one by one during training.
Giving a higher-value treat is helpful for training, but only if you give it immediately after the behavior. If there’s a delay, like discussing what to give, the dog won’t connect the reward with what they just did.
Use high-value treats for special situations where you need the dog to listen, like dropping something dangerous. But make sure it’s safe for dogs; pepperoni has garlic and spices that aren’t good for them. Instead, try plain dehydrated turkey or beef jerky made for dogs.
Veggie sticks are a great choice if your dog enjoys them. Pepperoni, not so much; it’s greasy and has seasonings that aren’t good for dogs. If you want to give real food, do some research and keep it simple and plain. Dogs don’t need a treat every time; verbal praise often works just fine.
My dogs get part of their daily kibble as treats during training. The value of the treat should match the task. For something simple like sitting, there’s no need to go all out with a high-value reward.
Your wife has a point about using a slightly better treat to reward the dog immediately after dropping something. It doesn’t have to be pizza or anything extreme, but giving them something better than what they gave up teaches them that listening to you is worth it. This can be crucial for situations where they pick up something harmful like chocolate or chicken bones.
Any healthy snack your dog enjoys is fine. Mine love lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers. Simple and safe.