Knowing what motivates a dog is important when pet owners attempt to modify pet behavior. Exploring what drives your dog can be used to your advantage during training. Dogs differ in their drives, and despite these differences, food drive and prey drive are almost always on top of the list.

Dogs are highly motivated by food. Even if they are given adequate food for each meal, offering your dog a tasty treat can certainly command his full attention. Here are some pointers which are useful when you are using food as a reward during training sessions:

• Training is best done when your pooch is a bit hungry because this will make him more motivated to learn.  Training sessions held before mealtime is recommended.
• Be consistent when giving food as reward. It should only be offered once your pooch has successfully completed a task.
• Be quick to offer the food treat immediately once the task has been completed. Your dog will soon learn that in order to have a bite of his favorite treat, he has to successfully finish a specific task.

Your Madison veterinarian can further enlighten you about your dog’s behavior. Check out more information about pet care here.