2 Rules for Using Treats with Come

There is a reoccurring theme that I hear every time I teach come:

“I need my dog to come every time I tell them to, BUT I don’t want to use treats.”

Honestly, a reliable come is your number one safety command. Even if you live in an apartment, you should know that if something crazy happens, your dog will come when called. Let’s say your leash breaks while you’re on a walk… you need that reliable come.

Regarding treats, what people usually mean is that they don’t want to use treats forever. Treats are a great motivator for most dogs. Let’s use them to build reliability and enthusiasm!

I have 2 rules for using treats in a productive way to reinforce come.

Rule #1: Don’t have the food in your hand when you say “come.”

Dogs are really good at reading body language. When someone says, “But my dog only comes when I have treats,” I would argue that the issue isn’t the treats. The issue is your predictability.

I almost always have a treat pouch on my waist. But just because the pouch is there, that doesn’t mean that the dog will always get a treat.

This is important: Do NOT have the treat in your hand when you say “come.” Have the dog come, pet him, THEN (and only then) reach your hand into your pocket/treat pouch/fanny pack to retrieve the tasty bit. So sometimes the dog gets food and sometimes he doesn’t, but he doesn’t know until the end.

So the one day you don’t have food in your pocket? No problem. Your dog comes, anyway.

 

Rule #2: Be a slot machine, not a vending machine.

Think about that vending machine in your office. You put quarters into it every day at lunch, and every day you get a bag of chips. Then one day, you put your quarters in and no chips come out. You certainly don’t stand there and keep putting money into the machine.

This is the risk that you run if you give your dog a treat every single times he comes. Your reward is too reliable. And the one time you don’t have a treat… your dog might say, “Ugh. This vending machine is broken! I’m not doing this game anymore!”

Instead, think about slot machines. Humans will sit at a slot machine all day and push that button.

Sometimes no money comes out. (For our dogs, that means only pets and no treats.) Sometimes a few dollars come out. (For our dogs, that means a boring treat. Perhaps a piece of kibble.) And sometimes you hit the jackpot! (For our dogs, that means smelly, special treats. Maybe salmon jerky or a piece of cheese.)

Now that the reward is unpredictable, you will see increased enthusiasm from your dog. If you want more info about the type of treats I use, you can check out Let’s Talk TREATS.

Come is one of the most important commands that you can teach. So go practice and don’t forget to use my two “treat rules.”