We briefly spoke about the use of toys in our previous blog ‘Benefits of Play’. If we look at dogs who are trained to sniff out substances, their reward is usually a small ball such as a tennis ball, or a chew or squeaker toy. Giving this type of reward has many pros, one being that the dog is not distracted by the smell of food or by the person holding it. While it can be a good idea to begin with treats to grab their attention, especially when training puppies, it is important to note that having your pet rely soley on food like the shake of a treat packet is something that should not be encouraged. A well balanced pet should also rely on other ways such as a squeaker toy, followed by the sound of your voice in a key word like “yes” or “good” - this enables you to use this word as a marker.
Also, when training a dog using food treats, one needs to consider that it may lead the dog to consume more than their daily food intake. Many pet food companies will encourage pet owners to use food treats in order to boost sales.
Personally, we prefer using toys as they are stimulating, economical, easy to bring out or put away and are healthy for the body and mind. Food and treats on the other hand require special care in its storage, and can easily spoil in hot weather or unsafe conditions.
Lastly, everyone can give advice, but ultimately you as the owner should recognise the body language of your pet when they are being given their favourite toy or treat. See what works best for them in terms of encouraging a positive reaction and behaviour.
You should be able to find many good trainers who give advice or demonstrate how to play with your pet in trusted pet magazines, or online sites. Check their reviews and go with your gut with what will suit your pet!
Here is a list of our favourite trainers:
Cesar Millan (Nat Geo TV channel)
Upstate Canine Academy (You Tube)
The Dog Daddy (You Tube/ Tik-Tok)
Victoria Stillwell (British TV channel)
Karen Pryor (Instagram)
Joel Silverman (Instagram)
Jas Leverette (Netflix)
Joel Beckman (Instagram)
Emily Laraham (Instagram)
Jenna – Dog Liaison (Instagram)