Treats are one of the most powerful tools we have when training dogs—but they're also one of the most misunderstood. Used well, they can build confidence, reinforce good behaviour, and strengthen the bond between you and your dog. Used poorly, they can quietly sabotage your training, create picky eaters, and even cause your dog to ignore you unless food is involved.
So, here's the big question many dog owners don't realise they should be asking:
Are you over-rewarding your dog—or rewarding them with the wrong type of treat?
Many well-meaning owners believe that more treats = better behaviour. In reality, what you reward with matters just as much as how often you reward.
At Farmer Pete's, we see this play out every week. Customers often tell us things like:
- "He'll only come when I've got the salmon tails."
- "She's bored of biscuits now—she wants the good stuff from you."
- "Training works at home, but not outside."
- "He's great… until I run out of treats."
These aren't bad dogs. They're dogs who've been unintentionally trained to expect a certain level of payment for everyday behaviour.
Let's break down how treat type changes behaviour—and how to use treats like Farmer Pete's strategically, not accidentally.
Why Treats Work (From a Dog's Point of View)
Dogs learn through association and consequence. When a behaviour leads to something good, they're more likely to repeat it. This is the foundation of positive reinforcement.
But dogs don't think in terms of calories or brand names. They think in terms of value.
To your dog, a treat answers one simple question: "Was that behaviour worth it?"
If the reward feels fair, the behaviour sticks. If it feels boring, confusing, or excessive, things start to unravel.
The Hidden Problem with Over-Rewarding
Over-rewarding doesn't just mean "too many treats." It often means:
- Treats given too frequently
- Treats that are too high value for basic behaviours
- Treats given without clear criteria
- Treats replacing praise, play, or engagement
When this happens, dogs can become transactional rather than cooperative. You may notice signs like:
- Your dog only listens when they see the treat
- Slower responses to known commands
- Ignoring verbal praise
- "Checking out" when treats stop
- Demanding or pushy behaviour around food
This isn't stubbornness—it's learned behaviour.
Why Treat Value Matters More Than Quantity
Dogs don't count treats. They evaluate them.
From your dog's perspective, every cue comes with an internal calculation: "Is this worth my effort?"
If a simple sit always earns a premium, high-aroma, high-fat reward, your dog learns that basic behaviour = premium payment. When that payment drops, motivation drops with it.
At Farmer Pete's, we categorise treats naturally by value, not marketing hype—and this difference is crucial in training.
Understanding Treat Value: Low, Medium, and High
Not all treats should be treated equally (and your dog definitely knows the difference).
Low-Value Treats: Everyday Behaviour Builders
These are everyday rewards: dry biscuits, plain kibble, simple dehydrated treats.
These are best for repetition, easy or already-learned behaviours, calm reinforcement, and indoor training. Low-value treats help reinforce consistency without over-exciting your dog.
Farmer Pete's examples: Dehydrated liver and lungs (puffs) — Kangaroo, Beef, Emu, Lamb, or Pork. These treats are light, crunchy, and low in fat—perfect for repetition.
Best used for: Sit, drop, stay, loose lead walking, calm behaviour around the house, and reinforcing commands your dog already knows.
Real-life example: A customer told us her Border Collie would only heel properly if she used salmon treats. We suggested switching to emu lung for daily walks and saving salmon for recall only. Within a week, the dog's walking improved—and recall actually got better, not worse.
Why? Because the value gap became meaningful again.
Low-value treats help your dog understand: "This behaviour is expected, not extraordinary."
Medium-Value Treats: The Training Sweet Spot
These sit in the middle ground: single-ingredient meat treats, lightly dried organs, and crunchy chews broken into pieces.
Best for new behaviours, mild distractions, training outdoors, and maintaining motivation without overstimulation. This is where most daily training should live.
Farmer Pete's examples: Dehydrated Jerky, Dehydrated Hearts, Dehydrated Kidney, and Dehydrated Mussels. These are rich enough to hold attention but not so exciting that they overstimulate.
Best used for: New behaviours, outdoor training, mild distractions, and adolescents pushing boundaries.
Real-life example: A young Labrador was jumping on visitors despite knowing "sit." The owner had been using very high-value treats every time guests arrived—causing excitement spikes. We recommended switching to beef heart, rewarding calm sits before the door opened.
Result? Less jumping, faster settling, and a dog that could think instead of exploding with excitement.
Medium-value treats are where most training should live.
High-Value Treats: Use Sparingly, Use Smart
These are jackpot rewards: smelly meats, soft rich proteins, and novel or rare treats.
Best for recall training, high-distraction environments, breaking fear or hesitation, and emergency focus situations. High-value treats should be earned, not expected.
Farmer Pete's examples: Salmon Skin Twists, Salmon Tails and Frames, Crocodile Feet, Kangaroo Tendons, Squid, Beef Pizzle, Shark Fin, and Emu Trachea. These are smelly, novel, and deeply motivating—and that's exactly why they should be rare.
Best used for: Recall training, high-distraction environments, fear or hesitation work, and emergency focus (roads, livestock, off-lead safety).
Real-life example: One customer used salmon tails for every command. Over time, the dog stopped responding unless salmon was visible. We suggested reserving salmon strictly for recall and using lung or jerky for everything else. Within weeks, recall became lightning-fast—even when salmon wasn't visible—because it became a surprise jackpot, not an entitlement.
High-value treats should make your dog think: "Wow. I nailed that." Not: "This again?"
When High-Value Treats Backfire
High-value treats feel like a cheat code—but use them too often and you create problems.
If every sit, drop, or eye contact gets a "jackpot" reward, your dog learns that ordinary behaviour deserves extraordinary payment. Over time:
- Low-value rewards lose meaning
- Dogs hold out for better offers
- Motivation drops when high-value treats disappear
- Training becomes expensive and frustrating
Think of it like giving a bonus salary for showing up to work—eventually, the bonus becomes the baseline.
How Over-Rewarding Creates Treat Dependency
Over-rewarding isn't just about calories—it's about expectation.
Common signs we hear at Farmer Pete's:
- "He checks my hand before responding."
- "She stops listening when treats are gone."
- "He spits out low-value treats."
This happens when high-value treats are used too early, rewards appear before behaviour (bribing), and treats replace engagement instead of supporting it.
Dogs trained this way become transactional, not cooperative.
Treats Change Emotional State, Not Just Behaviour
Treats don't just reward behaviour—they change arousal levels.
Highly processed or sugary treats can cause spikes in energy, reduced impulse control, mouthiness or jumping, and difficulty settling after training.
Natural, single-ingredient treats tend to encourage focus, support calmer engagement, reduce overstimulation, and provide clearer behavioural feedback to the dog.
Behaviour isn't just trained—it's chemically influenced. Different treat types affect dogs differently.
This is why many trainers prefer dehydrated lung, liver, or heart over soft, processed treats. At Farmer Pete's, everything is single-ingredient—so you're rewarding behaviour, not sugar spikes.
The Bribe vs Reward Mistake
There's a subtle but important difference between rewarding and bribing.
Reward: The treat appears after the behaviour.
Bribe: The treat appears before the behaviour to convince the dog.
When dogs are bribed repeatedly, they learn to wait for proof of payment before responding. This is why some dogs will stare at your empty hand instead of listening.
A well-trained dog should respond to a cue, your body language, and your voice—not just the rustle of a treat bag.
Fix it using Farmer Pete's treats: Keep treats hidden, mark the behaviour first ("Yes!"), deliver the reward after, and occasionally reward with praise only.
The dog learns: The cue matters—not the snack.
Why Variety Matters (But Too Much Can Hurt)
Rotating treat types keeps motivation high, but constant novelty can create pickiness.
Dogs exposed to endless options may reject familiar treats, lose interest quickly, and become harder to motivate over time.
A stable "training treat" paired with occasional novelty works far better than constant switching.
Smart Farmer Pete's approach:
- One "default" training treat (e.g. emu lung)
- One medium-value motivator (e.g. beef heart)
- One high-value jackpot (e.g. salmon tail)
This keeps motivation high without creating a food snob.
Fading Treats Without Losing Behaviour
The goal of treat-based training is not lifelong dependency. It's to build behaviour that survives without food.
To do this:
- Reward consistently during learning
- Gradually reduce frequency (every second or third time)
- Replace some treats with praise or play
- Occasionally surprise with a high-value Farmer Pete's treat to keep behaviour strong
This unpredictability strengthens behaviour, not weakens it. Dogs actually work harder when rewards are unpredictable—just like people do.
Weight, Health, and Training Balance
We often hear: "But they're natural treats—it's fine, right?"
Natural doesn't mean unlimited. Over-rewarding can still lead to weight gain, reduced appetite for meals, and digestive upset.
That's why Farmer Pete's treats are dense but breakable, suitable for tiny portions, and easy to adjust for training volume.
A salmon tail for recall doesn't need to be eaten whole—break it up and spread the value.
More reward does not equal better training.
Matching Treats to Your Dog
Not all dogs respond to treats the same way.
High-drive dogs can become overstimulated by rich treats, will likely perform better with structured, predictable rewards, and often train better on lower-value treats that don't overstimulate.
Sensitive or anxious dogs benefit from gentle, consistent reinforcement, may shut down if over-aroused, and do well with consistent, predictable rewards like lung or heart.
Food-obsessed dogs need clear boundaries and respond well to lower-value rewards paired with praise.
There is no universal "best" treat—only the best one for your dog at that moment. Training is personal. Treat choice should be too.
Signs You're Using Treats Well
You're on the right track if:
- Your dog responds even when treats aren't visible
- Behaviour remains consistent in new environments
- Praise still matters to your dog
- Treats feel like a bonus, not a requirement
That's balanced reinforcement.
Final Thoughts: Train Smarter
At Farmer Pete's, we're big believers in earning the good stuff.
Treats should support communication, reinforce clarity, and strengthen trust—not replace leadership, consistency, or engagement.
If your dog only listens when the best treats come out, it's not a discipline problem—it's a reward strategy problem.
Use low-value treats for consistency. Medium-value treats for learning. High-value treats for moments that truly matter.
That's how you build behaviour that lasts—long after the treat bag is empty.
