One mistake that people make when using treats as rewards after this learning phase is always showing the treat to the dog in order to get him to behave as desired. Rather than responding to any command, the dog learns instead to respond to the treat. If you still choose to occasionally use the treat as reward after the learning phase, you can help combat this problem by not letting your dog see the treat until he has shown the expected behavior. The treat then is not the motivation but the reward, a nice little unexpected bonus if you will.

There is one possible exception to this rule and that's the ‘come' command. This is one of the most important commands for a dog to learn, after all this command is not only about your convenience but about your dog's safety and protection as well. Unfortunately, the ‘come' command is one of the most difficult to teach. The key is to get your dog to want to come to you. If you're competing with a host of other temptations, this can be difficult. Combining a treat with your praise, however, is often the best way to increase your appeal in your dog's eyes.

Overall, treats are an excellent way to reinforce your dog's good behavior. Just remember that they are a powerful tool and should be used wisely.

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