Are Dog Treats Beneficial? Understanding the Pros and Cons

by Autumn, Guest Dog Blogger

I’ve been testing out quite a few new dog treats now that my owners have subscribed to the Bark Box. Each one tastes better than the next but I know too many treats will make my waistline stretch…something not so good now that I’m almost 9 years old (or about 68 in human years).  The extra poundage puts a good deal of strain on joints and my vital organs.

This got me thinking about all the dog owners who are using dog treats who believe…

Food work is intended to induce a dog to want to do what you want, but does it really do what it is intended?

For me (and I’m sure most dogs I know) it’s always easier to make us do what we to do.  But, what most dog owners don’t know is the big down fall with relying primarily on motivating us dogs with treats is that we’re almost always in charge.

Why is that a bad thing? A dog may not be hungry or may prefer to check out a distraction which is greater than his food drive. These decisions affect the consequences, which makes us in charge.  I have no problem with this but over the years if I hadn’t obeyed a command, well, let’s just say I might not be here today.  Commands are our line of communication with the human world.  We don’t always know danger or see problems, but our owner’s do.

As much as I like to eat, I have to admit treat trained dogs have limitations as to their reliability and responsiveness to commands.   Don’t get me wrong, treats are great to teach tricks but for a truly reliable dog, I know from experience, praise and consequence using the balanced method of training produce the best results.