Tricks & Training
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High vs. Low Value Treats

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Treats are a powerful training tool, and understanding when and how to use high-value and low-value treats can significantly improve training success.

What Are High-Value Treats?

  • Definition: These are extra-delicious, irresistible treats that your dog doesn’t get every day. They’re used to capture attention, motivate during challenging tasks, or reinforce behaviors in high-distraction environments.

  • Examples:

    • Cooked chicken or turkey.

    • Peanut Butter

    • Cheese (small chunks).

    • Store-bought "training treats" labeled as soft and meaty.

  • When to Use:

    1. Training in Distractions: Recall training in a dog park or busy area.

    2. Shaping Difficult Behaviors: Teaching advanced tricks or overcoming fear.

    3. Reinforcing Critical Commands: Emergency recall or "leave it" during high-stakes situations.

What Are Low-Value Treats?

  • Definition: These are treats your dog enjoys but doesn’t find overwhelmingly exciting. They’re for everyday training or low-distraction environments.

  • Examples:

    • Dry kibble (especially a different brand from their daily meals).

    • Small pieces of carrots or apples.

  • When to Use:

    1. Basic Training at Home: Sit, stay, lay down, or paw commands in a quiet space.

    2. Maintenance Training: Reinforcing already-learned behaviors.

    3. Reducing Over-Excitement: Dogs may remain more focused with low-value treats during repetitive drills.

How to Use Them Effectively

  1. Match the Treat to the Training Situation:

    • Use high-value treats for harder tasks or environments where distractions are higher.

    • Reserve low-value treats for simple tasks or when your dog is already focused.

  2. Introduce Variety:

    • Keep treats exciting by mixing high-value and low-value options. Dogs are less likely to lose interest when there’s unpredictability.

  3. Pair with Verbal Rewards:

    • Gradually fade treats over time by pairing them with praise or a clicker. This ensures your dog doesn’t rely solely on food.

  4. Manage Portions:

    • Use tiny treat pieces to avoid overfeeding during training sessions. A high-value treat like chicken can be cut into fingernail-sized pieces.

  5. Prevent Overuse of High-Value Treats:

    • Don’t overuse high-value treats for everyday commands, or they may lose their "special" appeal.

Questions?

Email me at kevin@pawsitivetraining.org your questions and I will help in any way that I can!

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