{"id":1188,"date":"2025-04-10T09:10:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T14:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.petworks.com\/?p=1188"},"modified":"2026-03-01T14:39:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T19:39:42","slug":"food-is-a-problem-in-dog-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petworks.com\/articles\/food-is-a-problem-in-dog-training\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons Why Food Rewards Don’t Work For Dog Training"},"content":{"rendered":"

Food Rewards Don’t Work For Dog Training. Dog owners and dog trainers unite! Let’s talk dog training and why using food isn’t good when you’re training your dog. As a dog owner, the idea of reward-based training is likely very appealing to you. After all, you love your dog and want her to be happy! When we see a dog with laser focus and attentiveness to her handler, it looks awesome, right? She takes her treat eagerly and may even offer other behaviors in the hopes of keeping the game going. What could possibly be wrong with a training system that does that?<\/p>\n

\"dogIf we, the motivational trainers, would be brutally honest with ourselves (and with you, our clients!), there are in fact several problems that have the potential to seriously impact the human-canine relationship when food is involved.<\/p>\n

Here are my top five concerns about utilizing food in training:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Food = Love
\n<\/strong>The first thing that comes to mind is how rewarding with food takes over a relationship \u2013 it\u2019s not just during \u201ctraining\u201d time, but motivational trainers rely on having food stuffed in pockets, baggies or pouches\u00a0every moment we\u2019re with the dog.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cReward behaviors you want to see again\u201d is a solid learning principle, but in reality we\u2019re shoveling cookies at our dogs for the most basic of responses and feeling guilty if we have to just pat them when they sat next to us because we ran out of treats. Healthy relationships aren\u2019t about tit-for-tat, transactions,\u00a0or a \u201cwhat\u2019s in it for me\u201d attitude.<\/p>\n

2. Food can be addictive
\n<\/strong>There are serious mental health problems associated with addictions, as well as eating disorders. Have you ever suffered from an addiction, or known someone who has? It is a profoundly unhealthy state of being\u2026 for any species. And yet,\u00a0motivational trainers are carefully and deliberately making dogs actually\u00a0addicted\u00a0to training.<\/em>\u00a0Just like with gaming patterns \u2013 whether online, lottery or in casinos \u2013 in the earliest stages and lowest levels, we reward every attempt. Then we start to reward only for really good attempts, until eventually it\u2019s more random.<\/p>\n

Our dogs have become like the person at the slot machine, continuously pulling that lever thinking, \u201cNext time! I\u2019ll get my payoff next time!\u201d Some dogs (and people!) can get addicted to food, and paired with a reward schedule designed to create addiction, and I have to wonder how ethical it is to try to turn my canine friend into an addict hoping for his next fix.<\/p>\n

\"\"3. \u201cHappy\u201d vs functional
\n<\/strong>To most people, training-addicted dogs look \u201chappy\u201d to do their task \u2013 they\u2019re very focused, intense, and bouncy. But are we mistaking desire, excitement and pleasure for happiness? Addiction creates desire for sure, and there is certainly excitement in anticipating the \u201cfix.\u201d There\u2019s no that doubt addicts feel pleasure when they get their drug of choice. But are they fundamentally happy? Or are they living in a constant feedback loop of seeking and acquiring?<\/p>\n

Instant Gratification<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"dogBoth children and dogs of today seem to need instant gratification in order to feel \u201chappy.\u201d But good parenting doesn\u2019t mean you try to make your kids (2- or 4-legged!) happy all the time! In fact, doing that would actually make you a pretty\u00a0poor<\/em>\u00a0parent. In the end, the job of a parent \u2013 and a dog trainer \u2013 is to produce functional members of society. If we try to protect them from any stress, and never teach them how to handle situations where they don\u2019t get what their way, we haven\u2019t done our job.<\/p>\n

4. That moment when\u2026
\n<\/strong>Motivational dog training<\/a><\/span> depends upon our pooches wanting what we offer them \u2013 there\u2019s no way around that. If it\u2019s food, our dog has to be hungry (or addicted). But even addicts get their fill, and there are moments when they may not want their drug. When those moments occur during an emergency, like a loose dog in traffic, we\u2019re in trouble\u2026 and so are our dogs. Every rewards-based trainer, if they are honest, knows that sinking feeling in your gut when you watch a dog make the choice to refuse their reward<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 whether because they\u2019re under too much stress, or because there\u2019s something more interesting out in the world (squirrel!). And biology insists that such moments will occur \u2013 there are times when eating simply isn\u2019t appealing, no matter how many repetitions you\u2019ve done!<\/p>\n

5. Time fixes everything
\n<\/strong>\"\"In short, it doesn\u2019t. And when we allow ourselves to recognize that simple life truth, a major tenant of \u201cpositive only\u201d training collapses. Our dogs aren\u2019t robots, and trying to program them as such \u2013 the \u201cyou just need to practice more and they will do it out of habit\u201d mentality \u2013 doesn\u2019t respect the dog\u2019s nature as a thinking, feeling being with the ability to make choices, both wise and poor ones!<\/p>\n

The Realization<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You know what I\u2019ve realized really does<\/em>\u00a0work? Showing the dog the whole picture: If you make Choice A, the consequence will be X. If you make Choice B, the consequence is Y.\u00a0Sometimes consequences are pleasant, and Choice A is something I like\u2026 so X is something you like. But other times, the consequence (Y) is unpleasant because I need you not to make Choice B again.<\/p>\n

\"Food<\/p>\n

Are you finding this article useful?<\/strong> <\/em>Would you like 100% free access to more articles like these, and free access to over 5,000 vetted pet care service professionals<\/a><\/span> throughout the United States? Sign up here <\/a><\/span>for a free Petworks account, and we’ll email you a\u00a0 10% discount code, good towards your first pet care services booking on Petworks!<\/span><\/p>\n

Animal Behaviorists Can Be Booked on Petworks<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s unreasonable and unfair to ask people to live with their dogs\u2019 poor behavior choices for months or years, if there is a clearer, more efficient way to get the message across. It seems to me a much more well-rounded education for our dogs. PetWorks has certified dog trainers and animal behaviorists<\/a><\/span> on call to help you.<\/p>\n

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About the Author:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"JenniferJennifer Pearson, MSW, MSc, is an Applied Animal Behaviorist (Master of Science, University of Edinburgh\u2019s College of\u00a0 Medicine and Veterinary Medicine), an animal-assisted clinical social worker (Master of Social Work,\u00a0 University of Denver), and teaches classes in the field of the human-animal bond (University of Denver). She has over twenty years\u2019 experience working with dogs professionally as a trainer, behaviorist, handler,\u00a0 and kennel associate. Jennifer has been an adjunct faculty member for the Institute of Human-Animal Connection, Graduate\u00a0 School of Social Work, University of Denver since 2008 where she has taught nearly thirty courses to date in their Animal and Human Health professional development series, and on campus in the Animal- Assisted Social Work certificate program. She has also guest lectured for a number of universities, including the University of Edinburgh and West Chester University, and presented at national and international peer-reviewed professional conferences. She can be reached at\u00a0www.k9counselor.com<\/span>.\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Key Points <\/strong><\/h3>\n