Training your puppy or young adult pup can be a trying and frustrating process but the rewards for you and your dog will last a lifetime. One tactic that you may be using is rewarding your pup with treats. This is a great method, but if done incorrectly it can create a demanding, overweight and/or disobedient pet.

When using treats in training avoid the following common mistakes:

Using high fat “people” food such as cheese or lunch meat
Providing a treat without verbal praise and petting
Rewarding when the desired behavior is not performed
Using large treats such as a whole biscuit

In order to ensure that your puppy or dog is receiving high quality nutrition in line with his regular diet, use small pieces of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul™ brand Dog Treats. These tasty treats contain all natural ingredients that help to support and maintain your dog or puppy’s health, even when they are being trained or treated!

It is important that the treat reward is given at the appropriate time during training. You can present the treat while giving a command such as “sit” and actually give it to him when he performs the desired behavior. Refrain from giving the treat when he does not fully complete his task. As he improves and progresses in training, you can start to gradually remove the treat from the process, rewarding him with praise and petting.