Do you need a treat pouch to train your puppy?

Is your puppy food driven? A chow hound? Seemingly always hungry? If the answer is yes, I highly recommend using your pup's food drive as a motivator when training. Which means you need to have food rewards handy.

If you have pockets, keep treats in them. Otherwise, get some kind of treat pouch. There are all kinds, just google "dog treat pouches". 

One of the best treats is your dog's dry dog food. To this day (I have a four-year-old Lab), I always have kibble in my pocket. I want to reward her if she does something special - with something she loves. She's a Lab. There is no greater love for her than food. 

 

Here's one way to use the treats that you tote around with you all day. Use your puppy's dry dog food to train house manners. Each morning measure out a day's worth of dog food. Let's say you feed two cups a day. Feed your puppy 3/4 cup morning and evening. Put the other 1/2 cup in pocket or pouch. Use this food to reward good puppy stuff. Let's say your puppy comes running up to you and instead of jumping, sits ... looking up at you. As it's happening, be reaching for a couple of pieces of his food. That sit won't last long, so say "good sit" as you reach down with one hand to give him an "atta boy" pat while bringing your other open hand under his chin. This is so he can eat his reward right out of your hand without moving his body. As he finishes his treat, stand, tell him he's a good boy one more time and walk away. In those few seconds (it happens fast and you have to respond fast), you are teaching your baby puppy what sit means, that sit gets rewarded, and that you're paying attention. Bravo!