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The Best Training Rewards For Your Puppy

PupBox

November 11, 2014

So you have a new puppy in the house, how exciting!!! After you get your pup settled in, and you snap a few selfies to share with the fam, it is time to jump right into training. Early training lessons such as crate training, housetraining and general obedience should begin as soon as possible. One question new puppy owners often ask is, what should I use as a training reward? It is a good question, so we thought we would break it down a bit for you.

The Three Best Rewards For Your Puppy

Food Based Puppy Treats


Treats, treats, and more treats! This category tends to be the most universally used reward edible items are the best things to work with when teaching new behaviors for the vast majority of dogs.

Puppy Toys And Chews


A favorite toy, his chew bone, a tummy rub, etc. can all be used as a training reward.

Special Puppy Priviledges


Things like getting on the furniture, jumping into the car, going out the door, etc. Privileges help your pup learn that good behavior leads to a good outcome for him, and will reinforce the training you have been working on.

Remember Puppies Are Food Driven

When you are just starting out treats are really the best thing to use. Most dogs are very food driven and will respond to a meaty treat in each training session. The treat should be quite small (fingernail sized) so that it’s a quick reward and not overly filling. Moist treats tend to be the best because dry ones such as biscuits make your dog thirsty, and take much longer to eat.

Puppy Treats Aren’t Created Equal

There is also a difference in the value of treats. This just means that there are treats your dog likes, some he loves, and others he would flip over the moon for. Use a variety of treats and values to keep your puppy interested in training. At home, you can use lower value treats on commands that your pup already understands. Higher value treats work best on brand new commands, or in settings that offer a lot of distractions.

Once your dog is familiar with a command (at least 75% accuracy), you may begin to incorporate some of the other reward types listed above. Try to hold your pup’s favorite toy up and state the command sit, and see if he responds. If he does, toss him the toy and let him romp around the house.


Bringing a new family addition into the home is extremely exciting! Becoming a new puppy parent comes with a ton of new joys, challenges and responsibilities. PupBox was created to help new puppy parents like yourself, by providing all of the toys, treats, accessories and training information you need, when you need it. CLICK HERE to learn more about PupBox.


And remember, puppyhood is fast and is gone before you know it. Make sure to savor the time when your pup is young, and take lots of pictures along the way!


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