Introduction

At Lola’s House, we believe treats are a valuable tool in early training — but they are just that: a tool, not the foundation of the relationship. While food rewards can help teach new behaviours and motivate young puppies to engage, overusing treats can quickly create dependency, frustration, and misunderstanding. In this article, we’ll explore why treats are useful, how over-reliance causes problems, and how to build a lasting bond based on trust, communication, and respect — not snacks alone.

Why Treats Have Their Place in Training

When used thoughtfully, treats can be incredibly useful for shaping early learning. Food is a primary reinforcer: puppies are naturally motivated by it. In the early stages of training — especially when teaching basic cues like “sit”, “down”, or “recall” — using small, tasty rewards helps:

• Capture attention quickly
• Reinforce behaviours clearly
• Make learning sessions fun and positive
• Build positive associations with new experiences

We absolutely use treats as part of the early stages of training at Lola’s House, particularly with very young puppies who are still learning how the world works. Rewarding good choices with food is a clear, consistent way to show your puppy when they are on the right track. However, it’s crucial to understand that treats are just a bridge to something much bigger.

How Overusing Treats Can Fuel Frustration and Anxiety

Another often-overlooked issue with heavy treat use is the emotional impact on the dog. If a dog expects a treat every time they perform a behaviour and that expectation is broken (for example, the owner forgets the treats or delays giving one), it can create:

• Frustration barking
• Demand behaviours (pawing, whining, jumping up)
• Anxiety about getting it "wrong"
• Overexcitement around training situations

Instead of building a calm, thinking puppy, we inadvertently create a dog that feels uncertain or agitated when rewards are inconsistent. You can see how this links closely to the ideas we discussed in Excitement Doesn’t Equal Happiness and Are We Causing Our Dogs Anxiety?. Unchecked emotional arousal and misplaced reward structures are key contributors to emotional instability.

Treats Should Be a Treat, Not a Crutch

At Lola’s House, we believe that treats should remain a treat — a special way to say "well done" at the right moments, not a crutch that dogs come to expect for every action.

When treats are used carefully, they:

• Support early learning
• Build enthusiasm without dependency
• Act as occasional bonuses to reinforce especially good choices
• Help dogs transition into responding to more meaningful rewards (like access to the environment, verbal praise, or physical affection)
• Can mark certain points of the day such as bedtime

This approach creates dogs who work with you because they want to, not because they have been conditioned to expect constant payment.

What a Trust-Based Relationship Looks Like

When your puppy is trained thoughtfully, they will:

• Check in with you naturally
• Respond willingly even when distractions are high
• Look to you for guidance and reassurance
• Feel secure in the relationship, not anxious about missing out on a treat

Trust isn’t built on transactions — it’s built on consistency, communication, calmness, and mutual understanding. This is the heart of everything we teach at Lola’s House, and why our approach is often described as a holistic style of dog training (Holistic Dog Training).

Practical Ways to Use Treats Without Creating Dependency

If you want to use treats effectively without creating frustration or dependency, here are some simple strategies:

    1. Start With High Reinforcement, Then Fade - Use treats generously when teaching brand new behaviours. Once your puppy understands the behaviour, begin spacing out rewards — sometimes offering verbal praise only, other times giving a treat. This helps build resilience and removes the expectation of constant food rewards.

    2. Vary the Reward - Mix in different types of rewards: verbal praise, gentle physical affection, permission to sniff or explore, play with a toy. This teaches your puppy that good behaviour has many positive outcomes, not just food.

    3. Use Treats for Emotions, Not Just Actions - Reward calmness, eye contact, patience — not just flashy tricks or obedience cues. This builds emotional stability alongside behavioural reliability.

    4. Keep Treats Small and High-Value - When you do use treats, keep them tiny (pea-sized - you can break up a treat into multiple pieces if needed) and choose a mixture of some high-value options and some low-value options. This keeps your puppy engaged without overloading them on food.

    5. Prioritise Connection Over Treats - Always remember that the real reward you are offering is your relationship. Treats are just a stepping stone towards a lifetime of trust and communication.

In Summary

Treats are a useful part of early training — but they must be used thoughtfully. At Lola’s House, we aim to move puppies from food-driven behaviour to trust-driven behaviour, creating calm, confident, and emotionally secure dogs. The goal is not to have a dog who listens because of what you are holding — but a dog who listens because of who you are.

If you’re interested in a more thoughtful approach to puppy training, with an emphasis on emotional resilience and real-world skills, get in touch with us to learn more about our Puppy Programme.