September 12, 2011
We are trying to train a 1 year old dog who is not motivated by food treats or toys. How can we motivate this dog?
Full Question:
We are trying to train a 1 year old dog who is not motivated by food treats (any kind) or toys. He won't even follow a treat with his eyes. He was found at 6 months of age and was adopted by the current handler. He is always cautious and alert, frightened of noises and people he doesn't know, but much more social than when he was found. He is been rewarded for being calm and interracting calmly with people. We are trying to teach him to sit, stay and relax, but he won't respond to treats.How can we motivate this dog?
Cindy's Answer:
I would limit his food and use his daily meals fed by hand as rewards. A dog has to be hungry to think of food as a reward. This may mean withholding food for a day or so before you start training again.
You also may need to find something that is higher value, just because something says on the package it’s a dog treat doesn’t mean the dog will like it. We have a short video on the website about high value food rewards for dogs.
Cindy Rhodes
You also may need to find something that is higher value, just because something says on the package it’s a dog treat doesn’t mean the dog will like it. We have a short video on the website about high value food rewards for dogs.
Cindy Rhodes
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