# How do you train without treating?



## puppymom (Jun 13, 2005)

I have always trained with lots of PRAISE and TREATS. Our new girl, Zoey7 months, came on Sunday. She is sweet and well behaved, uses her pee pad like a champ but has not been trained otherwise. She does not take treats from my hand. Her breeder did not treat, she believes it causes overweight dogs.

I am at a loss as to how to train without treats. I have started feeding some of her meals from my hand, which she is taking. But she rejects anything that isn’t her food. 

Any suggestions?


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## Aviannah's Mom (Apr 28, 2017)

Does she eat kibble? You can use that as a treat if so.


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## puppymom (Jun 13, 2005)

Aviannah's Mom said:


> Does she eat kibble? You can use that as a treat if so.


Yes,I started feeding her kibble by hand to get her used to hand feeding. Ian Dunbar in his books suggests measuring out kibble for meals and using it for treats. Problem is she is totally non food driven. I am hoping that the more I hand feed her the more excited she will get about food in hand. Last night I sat with her and feed her entire dinner by hand, one piece at a time!!


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## Aviannah's Mom (Apr 28, 2017)

puppymom said:


> Yes,I started feeding her kibble by hand to get her used to hand feeding. Ian Dunbar in his books suggests measuring out kibble for meals and using it for treats. Problem is she is totally non food driven. I am hoping that the more I hand feed her the more excited she will get about food in hand. Last night I sat with her and feed her entire dinner by hand, one piece at a time!!


I would say use praise then! :aktion033: This breed seems to thrive on praise. :wub:


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## lydiatug (Feb 21, 2012)

If she's not treat motivated, try praise, or maybe a toy...these little guys generally thrive on pleasing you 

Also try to capitalize on any of their natural behaviors. Georgie loved to paw when playing, so I taught her 'high five" and then "other hand", she loves that game.


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## Emilie (Nov 27, 2018)

Our new Maltese is really not food motivated either (unlike my last Maltese who would devour literally anything), which made training tricky at first, but (1) yes, he loves attention and praise, so I go crazy with that, and (2) I've found that he LOVES the Stella & Chewy dried chicken patties (which are not a treat, but a food). I break them up and use the tiny bits as training treats. We do not use the Stella & Chewy as regular food at dinnertime though. We also do clicker training, and that's been super effective for learning tricks (with the S&C).


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## puppymom (Jun 13, 2005)

Zoey is starting to take treats. I find it incredibly amusing that of the treats we have tried most have been high quality liver or meat treats. She sticks her nose in the air. What does she take? Ty get's pup corn because he is older and needs calorie restriction... pupcorn which has very little nutritional value few calories and looks like a piece of Styrofoam. Zoey loves it, go figure!


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

You can also try carrots as treats - great for their teeth and low calories.


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## puppymom (Jun 13, 2005)

wkomorow said:


> You can also try carrots as treats - great for their teeth and low calories.


Breeder told me she only treat raw vegies...…. Zoey will have nothing to do with them!!! Apparently she is a junk food kinda girl!


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