Treats

Dogs are all about associations – it doesn’t take long for them to know that it’s time for a walk when you pick up a leash. We use similar associations with treats. By saying a word and giving a treat, it becomes associated with something delicious. So as you SLOWLY – AND RANDOMLY lower and change up the goodies, your dog stays just as excited due to the association.

When I first work with a dog, I’m very generous with treats. Every YES gets a treat, and I’m big with repetition. Our dogs have often come from a less-than-generous atmosphere, so I need to reset them to where they don’t have to try so hard to score a delicious hot dog. Every time they do something right, they get a YES and a treat (called mark and treat).
Your marker word doesn’t need to be YES, but it should be short and said with enthusiasm. I will often start with larger treats, then work to smaller ones before beginning to vary them. Initially, every correct action gets a marker word and treat, until the dog trusts and understands what’s happening.

Once the dog understands my expectations and responds consistently, I begin to vary how I give the treats. First, every sit gets a treat; then I’ll ask for two sits and give two treats. Then two sits only gets one treat, or I might ask for three sits before giving one treat. It would be best to give random treats for anything you ask during the first three months of training. After that, reinforce the behavior in new locations, or with commotion around, such as another dog or a kid, etc.