What if “giving your dog a bone” doesn’t help reward your dog? You may have found that eating sometimes does not help during dog training to change the behavior of the animal.
Some dogs don’t seem interested in eating with items like dog treats. Your dog may experience behavioral problems, such as anxiety.
If so, you may want to consider inedible options, such as natural remedies for canine anxiety or modified yoga poses for dogs known as “Doga”.
The problem with treats
Some dogs do not respond to treats as a reward. For example, some mature dogs are more interested in other things. Meanwhile, young dogs may prefer playtime, such as dried treats or dog liver.
Even if your dog likes food rewards, many veterinarians recommend that treats make up no more than 10% of the dog’s diet.
How to choose a toy for dogs
Toys such as outdoor dog toys can be an alternative to dog treats when they do not motivate mature dogs or your puppy wants to play constantly.
Your dog may have a favorite toy, such as a squeaky ball. However, for the best results when training your dog, try using a variety of toys for the best results.
When choosing pet toys, you should consider those that your dog likes to play with. If you are not sure about the problem, you can conduct a toy test to determine which ones your pet prefers.
Sometimes you can find a universal use for some toys. For example, consider a plush toy for a dog. It can perform various functions, like a tug toy.
Here are some of the most important issues to consider when choosing a dog training toy:
Toy durability: Try to choose a toy that is difficult to break, made of strong materials such as rubber or nylon.
Toy Size: Make sure the toy is not small enough for the dog to swallow. It would also be useful if you avoided large toys for small dogs.
Dog age: Think about soft toys for puppies and the elderly, as well as hard toys for mature dogs.
Dog Personality: If your dog likes to chew, avoid fluff. Do not buy noisy and squeaky toys if they cause anxiety in your dog.
How to use dog toys for training
Here are some effective tips and tricks that you can apply when using dog toys to train your pet:
Buy new training toys
There will be times when your dog will want to take a toy and play with it every time he gets bored. Hide new toys until your next workout.
The reason is that your canine companion will take the toys as new and exciting play rewards. They will be more valuable as new toys.
Use the “throw it away” signal sequentially
Be sure to practice this Sign while playing with your dog, using pet play accessories, such as a squeaky toy.
When you play tug of war, your dog needs to know when it’s time to throw the toy away. This practice can strengthen your dog’s self-control.
Use the clicker as a guide
This option makes the clicker indicate that it will reward your pet with a toy. It is a positive reinforcement method of “evaluation and reward”. It would be useful if you click at the right time to reward your pet every time you click.
Use toys at short intervals
For example, one of the goals when using a reward system with toys is to stay effective. When training dogs, the goal of positive reinforcement, like toys, is to achieve certain behaviors.
One approach is to minimize the playing time to 3 or 4 seconds, whether you are playing a tug of war or picking up a ball or a Frisbee.
After training, hide the toy under your arm, in your pocket or behind your back. Then ask your precious dog to repeat this behavior.
Dog training mistakes you should avoid
When training dogs with toys, here are some of the main mistakes that you should avoid for the best results:
Ineffective repetition practice
Do not expect a completely different result if you continue to use the same ineffective training. If one training method doesn’t work, try another.
If a specific toy for the dog does not cause changes in behavior, try another toy.
Lack of a clear definition of “toxic signals”
This phenomenon occurs when your pet relates the signal he is giving to something negative. Suppose your dog hates bathing and you waved her to come to you. Using this gesture while bathing, your pet will associate a “come” signal with a negative feeling.
Falling into the “team pursuit” trap
This practice assumes that the trainer repeats the signal when the dog does not respond. The problem is that your dog thinks he doesn’t need to pay attention to you until he repeats the signal several times.
Do not practice between workouts
As the old proverb says, “Practice perfects.” do you want to radically change the behavior of your dog? If so, a dog training course once a week is probably not enough.
Try to use dog toys every day with your pet. By doing so, they would have done their homework and would be more than ready for their next training class.
