Sometimes, when giving your pup a treat, they can be slightly ‘chompy’, grabbing the treat hard – and though your dog doesn’t mean to hurt you, it can be painful!
But if you’re training your dog, or you’re out for a walk, and you’re planning on giving them some of the best dog treats, what can you do?
Fortunately, certified dog trainer Melissa Goodman of Mission Pawsitive, who trained at the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior, has got some advice to share in a recent Instagram post.
“If you have a dog that takes treats from your hand really hard,” says Goodman, “One thing you can do is toss treats on the ground and get good with your aim, so it doesn’t mess up your timing.”
In the video she posted, she’s working on loose-leash walking with a puppy, and tosses the treat about a foot in front of her as they walk. So, by the time the puppy gets the treat, he’s being rewarded in the position she’d like him to be in – still next to her, while he’s on a loose leash. (For more on loose-leash walking, here are three of the most common loose-leash walking mistakes and how to fix them!)
In the caption, Goodman explains that the timing and delivery of the reward have a huge impact in terms of the associations your dog will make when training. She explains that lickable treats that you squeeze out of pouches can be helpful when it comes to perfecting timing, as well as tossing treats on the ground.
“It’s important to practice your aim, though, so it doesn’t mess with your timing,” she adds. “Other things I like about tossing treats on the ground is that it naturally gets your dog to slow down, and also gets them to use their nose, which is calming/enriching.”
But are dog treats healthy? Many dogs love receiving treats as part of a balanced diet – hence them sometimes getting so excited that they chomp them out of your hand – but it's important they only make up a small portion of your dog's daily caloric intake. And if your dog is overweight or obese, you may want to look at other reward options.
That said, treats in moderation are okay, and here are 12 natural treats for dogs you can feed from your kitchen!
