08/15/2024
Training Tip: Once you get past the beginning stages of teaching a behavior, make sure you practice it without any treats on you.
For example, once your dog can lay down without being lured and can stay there while you take a few steps away, it's time to get the treats off of your body while you practice. So work on some down stays by leaving treats on the counter, then cue your dog to lay down. While they stay put, you can walk to the counter and grab a treat, then bring it back to your dog. As long as your dog remains in their down stay, you can keep moving around the room and periodically grab a treat from the counter to bring to your dog.
You don't need to be stealthy when you pick up treats and bring them back to your dog, it's totally fine for your dog to see you do this. The point of this exercise is to show your dog that it still pays off to do what you ask even when you don't have any food in your hands or pockets. The more that you practice rewarding your dog this way, the better your dog will get at working for you without seeing food ahead of time.