Should You Use Food & Treats as Dog Training Methods?

[Jeff and Kathy]

This is what I found so far trying to determine what method is best for training my new puppy, with treats or praise? They say I’m only bribing her if I use treats, and that risks performing only for the food and not responding to the command.

Bribe: If you dangle a treat in front of your trainee, then give your dog a command and the task is accomplished, you’re bribing them to deliver the desired behavior.
Lure: By presenting food first to entice your animal to do something, like come when they’re called, you’re luring them to you and not training them to perform that task.
Reward: Therefore, putting the food out first as a bribe or using it as a lure, you’re risking them performing only for the food and not responding to the command.

So I think using praise is the better way to go! Does anybody have any good tricks I can teach her? Thx!

[Author]

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