When to Give Snacks to a Dog

Food is any dog's passion, probably due to its extraordinary sense of smell, capable of even detecting the ingredients in any dog snack.

That's why we need to know when to give snacks to a dog, taking advantage of when it follows one of our commands well and encouraging positive reinforcement, so important in training and education.

What Is a Snack and Why Is It Important?

Snacks are small pieces of food given to dogs as a treat, a reward they get when they do something right, such as obeying the "come here" or "sit" command.

It's very important to reward our dogs when they obey, since this sets in motion what's known as positive reinforcement. The dog associates following the command correctly with getting a reward, and therefore learns much faster.

There are many types of snacks, with different flavors so we can choose the one our dog likes best, and even different sizes, so every breed, whether tiny or giant, can enjoy them.

Some people use kibble portions as treats, but dogs end up getting used to the taste since it's the same as their meals, and the positive effect isn't as intense.

That's why we recommend getting snacks with different flavors from our dog's kibble.

How to Give Snacks to a Puppy

You're sure to be tempted to give your puppy a snack all the time simply because you like seeing it happy, but unfortunately this isn't a good practice.

The best thing we can do, both for us and for our puppy, is to be selective when giving it a treat. The priority when training a puppy is teaching it basic things like doing its business outside the house or coming when called.

So let's use snacks as a reward and positive reinforcement for our puppy, so that when our puppy pees or poops outside, we'll praise it and give it a snack.

Teaching it to come when called is very simple if, when saying its name, we show it we're pulling out a treat for it — once it sees we're going to give it a snack, it will come running toward us. Something very positive to remember: when we call it, it should come (even if it's just kibble it's coming for to eat its treat).

Should I Give Snacks to My Adult Dog?

Many people think once dogs are adults, treats aren't necessary anymore, since they already know how to obey our commands. However, over time, obedience gradually fades, precisely because they don't get rewarded.

Rewarding an adult dog when it does something right, such as coming when called, sitting, or simply stopping leash pulling when told, is vitally important.

They need to feel admired for a job well done, and nothing's better for that than a food reward. Their attention toward us will increase, and we'll get an even more obedient dog.

When Not to Give Snacks to a Dog

One of the most common mistakes is rewarding a dog when it doesn't deserve it, and note, every dog deserves a treat but only when they perform some task. We should never give our dog a snack simply because we like it and love it.

It's enough to give a simple command like "sit" so it obeys, and that way we can give it its reward. We should only give our dog a treat when it correctly follows one of our commands.

This is done so the dog associates the reward with good behavior, with obedience. Otherwise, it would think we simply give it food every now and then for no reason, which will confuse it and make it constantly beg for treats.

Another situation where we shouldn't give snacks to a dog is when it's nervous, hyperactive, too excited. We shouldn't reward its excessive restlessness, since we could make it think being nervous is a good thing.

If our dog is too excited, it's best to ask it to sit and wait for it to calm down — once it's calmed down, we can give it its well-deserved treat.

What Are the Best Snacks for Dogs?

The million-dollar question — we all want to give our dog the best treats, but... which are the best?

Actually there's no answer to this question, because every dog is different, and what my dog might love, your dog may not like. We need to try different snacks (fish flavor, meat flavor, etc....) until we find the one our dog likes best.

We don't need to buy a thousand bags of treats — we can simply vary it each time one runs out and we need to buy another. We'll quickly notice whether our dog likes it or not, since they love eating.

Our dogs really like Serrano ham snacks — you can try them with your dog and see if it likes them too.

Acknowledgments Cover image: Serrano Snacks https://www.mediterraneannatural.com/producto/serrano-snacks/