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Overheard a guy at the dog park say treats are bribery, not training
I was standing there with my terrier mix Milo while this dude lectured his friend that using treats during walks just creates a beggar. Meanwhile his golden retriever was pulling so hard on the leash I thought he’d flip over. I’ve been using tiny training treats on every walk for 6 months now and Milo walks right next to me, no tugging, no lunging. No way I’d trade that for some weird pride about not using food. Has anyone else heard this kind of gatekeeping from other owners?
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tylerj2212d ago
Treats are just a tool, same as any other training method.
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tara79312d agoMost Upvoted
I heard a trainer say treats should only be used to teach new behaviors, not forever.
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I've been using treats as a regular part of walks for years and my dog does great with them. The idea that you're supposed to wean them off completely doesn't match my experience at all. A lot of dogs need that reinforcement to stay focused, especially in distracting places like a dog park. Gatekeeping how other people train their dogs is just silly when your own dog is clearly not behaving well. If treats work for you and your dog is happy and under control, then that's good training in my book.
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