[pepe mint]

i have no problem giving treats on occasion. but for a dog to bark at me and go nuts because they feel they are entitled to a treat...i don't work that way. my dogs dont train me. period. they respect me and my dogs are very attached to me. they are not missing out on any love and they do get treats. but they do not get them because THEY feel it is their right. everyone has their own way of training dogs and I have read over and over again...and talked to many people who agree that a dog training you is the wrong way to go about it. in fact, if you go back and look at previous posts on this site, there are MULTIPLE people who have preached that to people that have problem dogs. creating the "alpha dog" perspective to your dog. you being the alpha. well, if my dog is barking at me when I come home because he wants me to go to the treat jar and give him a treat...or he goes outside, comes in, and starts barking to get a treat...NO. that is just not the way it works. period. that is like my child coming in the house and saying "I want a piece of candy NOW...I was a good girl at schools so I am ENTITLED to a treat". She would go sit on her bed if she acted that way with me.

I agree with picking your battles...I dont see this being a battle. I am simply looking for suggestions about how to help him overcome the thought that it is just easier to give him a treat than to train him not to be demanding. that is the outlook he has on it. and he has told me that. "I started giving him treats just to shut him up..." well...enough said. that is just not how you train a dog. you dont reward them for bad behavior.

giving treats is not a bad thing. and as I said before, I give my dogs treats. but not because they are demanding it. I do it out of affection and as a "treat". example...daisy goes through our grooming session...which can take a long time with all the hair she has. she gets rewarded immensely for sitting through that. we go shopping and pick up different kinds of bones and chewy things for the dogs...we give that to them after a walk in the neighborhood...it's a treat at that point. we are "treating" them to a gift...or surprise. this makes them so incredibly happy. they get so excited and just think they are on top of the world. I love those moments. and so do they.