Lisa Davis brings her twenty-five years of health experience and her love of dogs together in her PodCast “Dog-Eared” to interview authors of dog related books, memoirs like A Dog Named Boo and other advice and inspirational dog-related titles.

Check out Dog-Eared and enjoy.

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Treats are often called bribery.

Bribery assumes you are trying to influence an authority in an illegal or unethical way. It would be odd if your dog had enough authority over you that you needed to influence their behavior though illegal means.

Bribery (according to Cornell Law School) refers to the offering, giving, soliciting, or receiving of any item of value as a means of influencing the actions of an individual holding a public or legal duty .

I have been told that treats are not good for dogs and make dogs sick.

Training rewards, often generalized as “treats” are neither good nor bad for a dog. They are calories that your dog likes. And if they like them a lot, it’s even better. This means that training rewards can be kibble, boiled chicken, Pupperoni, or cheese. Or if you like, freeze dried organic free-range duck shipped in from a farm in the south of France. All that matters is that your dog likes what you’re giving them, will work for it, and it agrees with their system.

If there is food that is making your dog sick, there should be a discussion with your dog’s veterinarian.

However, when we are doing new training or behavior modification, there is a level of stress or excitement involved. That could be what is upsetting your dog’s stomach.

Every parent who has taken their child to an amusement park has had the same thought on the way home when the child pukes in the car, “Was it the corndog or the excitement?”

So, certain foods might not agree with your dog and perhaps a stressful situation might upset your dog’s stomach. The training rewards you use for you dog should be chosen based on your dog’s desire and their gut health.

Variety is good for all of us. Here are some my my dog’s and clients’ favorite food rewards/treats.

I’ve heard people say, “your dog shouldn’t think they’re getting a treat each time they do something.”

We do want our dogs to think they are getting a food reward each time they do something we’ve asked them to do, at least in the early learning stages. That’s how we get them hooked on the behavior.

Then, we begin to randomize the rewards. Sometimes they get a reward and sometimes they don’t. When we keep rewards randomized, the dog will work harder. They will hope each time will be the time they get rewarded because they have been conditioned to get a reward every time. If we don’t condition them to know/believe they will get a treat each time, they would give up when we tried to fade out the treats.

The variable-ratio schedule of reinforcement is the most resistant to extinction. This is because the reinforcement is given after an unpredictable number of responses, making it more difficult for the behavior to cease. Examples include gambling or lottery games, where a win is unpredictable but can occur anytime. – Simply Psychology

This is where things get dark…

By giving them rewards every time in the learning stages, you won’t have to give them a treat every time they do what you’ve asked for the rest of their lifetime.

Lastly – you are going to feed them every day, aren’t you?

Call it what you like, rewards, treats, reinforcers, reinforcement, or payment. Ultimately you will feed your dogs meals daily so why not use these calories to strengthen their desire to do the things you’ve asked them to do? Instead of 100% of their daily calories coming in a “free” bowl, you can give them their calories for hanging out with you for a settle while you drink your coffee in the morning.

By having containers of treats all over you home, you can easily and quickly reward any behavior you like. Use a “train mix” of treats and kibble. Keeping it tamper proof is important. Here are some that lock and open with one hand.

You can give them goodies along the walk to keep them from rolling in something stinky and you’d rather they walk with you instead. Having a treat pouch is imperative for quick delivery of reinforcers so you dog knows what it was that got them a delicious treat.

You can give them their food in puzzle toys, like some of these for enrichment.

The post “I Don’t Want to Give My Dog Treats All the Time!” appeared first on Three Dogs Training.

To ring in the New Year, I will be talking with Dr. Frank Adams who hosts Pets and Your Health on SiriusXM Dr. Radio.

This a wonderful show (not just because they like me) but because Dr. Adams and his guests address a variety of pet-related topics that help us take care of the pets that make our lives better.

Pets and Your Health broadcasts live this Tuesday January 4, 2022 at 6AM, and again rebroadcasts later that day at 4pm.

If your dog gets you up this early for that pre-dawn walk, tune us in – Channel 110, SiriusXM.

If you are luck enough to sleep in, you can always stream this episode and others on SiriusXM Doctor Radio..

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Here’s a quote:

[quote style=”boxed”]An easy read that draws you in right from the start, filled with warmth and heart, Boo shows how loving, supporting and believing in oneself and others can bring about extraordinary results. A perfect book to curl up with as the evenings turn chilly and autumn is in the air.[/quote]

Here’s a link to the full article!

The post 8 Paws and 2 Tails reviewed A Dog Named Boo! appeared first on Three Dogs Training.

The event itself will be held at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum – here’s a link to the details!

See you there!

The post A Dog Named Boo book signing in Ridgefield, CT on September 27th! appeared first on Three Dogs Training.

A tremendous amount of effort went into writing A Dog Named Boo and it’s extremely gratifying to have that work acknowledged on such a high level in such a competitive market!

(If you’ve never heard of Publisher’s Weekly, it is to book publishing as Variety is to show business.)

As we get closer and closer to the release date for A Dog Named Boo there will be a ton of stuff coming down the pike – so much so that we’ve decided to give the book it’s own website!

For the past couple of weeks Lawrence has been busy putting the new website together behind the scenes and now it’s ready for its debut – I’m really happy with what he put together and hope you will be, too!

Head on over and check it out:  www.adognamedboo.com.

Please don’t forget to like it on Facebook too!

The post A Dog Named Boo has been named one of the Top Ten Memoirs of 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly! (And Boo’s got his own website, too!) appeared first on Three Dogs Training.

I’ve said it before – and there’s no doubt that I’ll say it again – it’s incredibly moving to see Boo’s story touch so many people’s lives.

Here’s a link!

The post A Dog Named Boo is in The Philadelphia Tribune! appeared first on Three Dogs Training.

The post A Dog Named Boo is in The Sacramento Bee! appeared first on Three Dogs Training.

It’s on the homepage page of the book section!

Here’s a link!

The post A Dog Named Boo is in USA Today! appeared first on Three Dogs Training.

Google Books is primarily focused on digital books, but if you love the feel of a real book in your hands there’s a bunch of links that show places you can order a hard copy!

Here’s a link!

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