Do I have to use food treats in class?

Rewards are not just food treats. In fact, for some dogs, other things such as toys or play with another dog may be far more rewarding than food. The things that dogs value can be food, play, attention, or access to a desired place. These are all important and the appropriate reward should be delivered to your pup when he or she does something right. Sometimes treats may be most important to your dog, sometimes play may be, sometimes it will be attention (eye contact, petting, praise), and sometimes the opportunity to get somewhere (like jumping into the creek) will be the top on your dog's list.

But here is why we use food often in training: for many dogs, the fastest way to their brain is through their stomach, so food treats are often an effective way to reward behaviors as they are being taught. Also, the use of very small, tasty food treats means that rewards can be delivered quickly and repetitiously. However, food should never be the ONLY reward used. Once a dog has learned a behavior, food should be faded out and other rewards should be substituted.