Remember that treats are only used during the early stages of training. Once the behavior is learned, treats are no longer needed for reinforcement. However, if you want to teach the behavior in a new or challenging environment, treats are necessary.
Some pet owners get confused about the types of treats used during clicker puppy training. It's best not to use commercial or store-bought treats. This is because most treats are too large and take too long for the puppy to chew. Yes--even the ones labeled for training purposes are too large!
It's also beneficial to use "human food" during clicker training because this is something the puppy doesn't get at any other time. At least he shouldn't! This makes the reinforcer (the treat) even more rewarding to the puppy. If you use the same old treats, kibble or biscuits that the puppy is used to, he'll probably be less interested in what you're trying to teach him.
You want to use VERY small pieces of food. Pea-size pieces work best. Your puppy shouldn't really have to chew the treat at all. You'll also want to increase the value of the treat based on the environment. If you're working at home with minimal distractions you can use an "average" treat. When working out at the dog park, at a friends house, or anywhere else the puppy isn't used to, you'll want to make sure you use the tastiest treat possible!
Remember that all these treats add calories to your puppies daily intake of food. You'll need to decrease his daily ration of kibble accordingly to avoid excessive weight gain.
For more information on clicker training your puppy including a list of the best human foods to use for training, visit: http://www.squidoo.com/clickertrainingyourpuppy
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