5 Reasons you SHOULD train with food

Most of my dog training clients know that I prefer to train WITHOUT the use of food as a reward for most dogs.  

That doesn't mean food is a bad thing in training.  

In fact, there are a lot of instances where food is very helpful!  But as a 'non-foodie' trainer, treating a dog is not the first thing I reach for in my dog training toolbox.

So, since we've welcomed Jennifer Pearson, MSW, MSc to our team, and she's got a long background in the correct use of food in training, I decided to issue a challenge:

I'm sharing the following article that I've put together on the MERITS OF TRAINING WITH FOOD, and Jennifer Pearson is writing a counter article - on the downsides of using food in training.

More than anything, this is an exercise for the 2 lead trainers at Front Range K9 Academy to stretch our brains and our belief system boundaries by presenting and arguing for a view that is actually the exact opposite of our own natural training instincts...

So without further adieu, here are 5 reasons why you SHOULD train with food:

 1. Clarity

If your timing & delivery of food is correct, and you’re careful to use your treat as a reward and not a bribe* – then there are not many ways to be more precise and clear about the EXACT behavior you liked, than to train with food.

If your dog is food motivated and understands marker training, then shaping very specific behaviors is comparatively easy when using food in training.  

This is because the combination of using a marker or ‘bridge’ at the moment the behavior occurs, followed by the food treat you’ve paired with the marker allows the dog to know exactly which behavior you liked and are rewarding.

It’s a little bit like taking a snapshot of the behavior, showing it to your dog, and saying, “See this perfect sit?  That’s the behavior this cookie if for.”

(*TIP:  a bribe comes before a behavior...a reward comes after a behavior!)

2. Food is a great way to tell what frame of mind a dog is in.

If you have a dog who is normally very food motivated, and he won’t eat when you’re in new places, or if he’s overexcited, or afraid (like at the vet’s office) – then you should realize he’s either too distracted or too stressed to eat, let alone learn much. 

It’s normal for a dog’s food drive to drop when he’s under too much pressure.  

Think of it like this:  If you’re driving to work on a sunny day, on your normal route, and traffic is light…you probably have no problem drinking your coffee and maybe snacking on a banana along the way.

BUT, if you’re in a strange town, in a rental car, at night, in a blizzard, and you can’t find your hotel – you’re probably not feeling like eating!

The same thing happens for most dogs; if the pressure of excitement or stress is too high, they lose their appetites. 

So, if you’re working on something new or tough with your dog, remember that your dog’s level of food drive is one way to tell just how stressed he is.

3.  Stress-Reduction

Tying into the idea above about stress-gauging and eating:  

If your dog is a bit stressed, but is able to eat, the act of eating can stimulate a dopamine release in your dog’s brain –  and these ‘pleasure chemicals’ can influence the activity you’re doing in a positive way.

This technique is commonly used when we’re trying to change a dog’s mind about a stressful situation or object.

By example, if a dog is afraid of motorcycles, we find out how far away we have to be from motorcycles for the dog to be able to take a treat.  From that point - called a threshold - we can gradually desensitize the dog anytime he sees a motorcycle and stays relaxed enough to take the treat from that distance.  Eventually, the dog will begin to see the motorcycle and look for the food reward – making a positive association with motorcycles and food. 

The next step is to very gradually reduce the distance between the dog and the motorcycle, using food to keep the dog in a positive frame of mind.

By using food in this way, we can actually change a dog's brain chemistry - and their behavior about stressful events or objects in their worlds.

4. Using food can speed up the process of training.

As pointed out above, when used correctly, food can greatly improve your dog’s understanding of what you want, as well as increase dopamine in the system – giving the dog pleasure and increasing his desire to work for more food.

While all of this is good, you must be careful not to use the food as a bribe, but only as a reward; and must understand that in many (most?) cases, dogs working for food will almost always need you to continue to use food in training.

While speeding up the training process may seem like a positive thing, just recognize that there are no shortcuts in training.  

Also, folks on the opposite end of the training spectrum might also point out that using electronic collars also speeds up training!

All of this leads us down the rabbit hole of debate regarding training methods in general - a discussion for another day.

5. Using food can give YOUR brain a break.

If you’ve done much training at all, you know there are different levels of connection with your dog at different times.  

Sometimes he’s totally focused on you; others, he’s more interested in the birds, the wind, the dog across the street, or just not really in the mood to train…

The same is true for US, as humans.  Sometimes, we know we just need to get through 20 minutes or so of training homework to keep our dogs on track, but we’re tired!  It’s been a long day at work, dinner needs to be made, the human kids need help with their homework, and you feel a migraine coming on….

If you’re too tired, too busy, not focused, or just not feeling connected to your dog at the moment, food can be a great way to tell your dog you liked what they did, without having to engage with them further.  It’s certainly a way to ‘pay’ your dog for a job well done, when you’re just not up to connecting to him with praise, play, or affection.

While this use of food does work and can be used occasionally, I wouldn’t recommend it as a regular technique.  

After all, the dog & human emotional bond is an exceptionally strong one – it’s probably at least partly why you have a dog – so in the end, I am still in favor of using that bond to reward the dog more often than using a tidbit.

Whew!  There you have it - 5 reasons food can be good in training...

A good reminder for those of us who 'never' want to use food:  It DOES have a place in good dog training!

Stay tuned for the flip side of the coin in Jennifer Pearson's upcoming article on the downsides of using food in training.

Jennifer Hime is the owner and training director of Front Range K9 Academy in Wheat Ridge, CO.  You can find her at k9counselor.com