Dog Training Rewards: What Works Best (and What to Throw Away)

Using the best dog training rewards is almost as important as choosing your dog training method. Positive dog training is nothing if your "treats" are forgettable.

Last weekend, I was at the park with Pixie and Bruno when I saw something sad.

A woman was trying to get her Dachshund to sit. She had no treats, no toys—just a lot of enthusiastic clapping, outlandish facial expressions, and random hand gestures.

“Sit, Koa! Sit! Good boy! Sit!" Then, "No, try again. Sit. I said, 'sit'. Sit. No. Sit."

It was absolute chaos and hard to watch.

Koa would sit. Then stand. Then sit. Or turn around in a circle. It was obvious the dog was very confused.

Dogs are smart. I could tell that the dachshund had some idea of what the woman wanted. But the communication wasn't clear or consistent.

Does this sound like you trying to train your dog sometimes? Yes. I've been there too!

The best dog training rewards can certainly solve that problem. A positive dog training reward is a form of communication that helps a dog understand what the command means. Without it, commands are just random sounds.

Why Rewards Work in Positive Dog Training

Rewards tap into a dog's habit-forming system. When a dog performs an action that gets rewarded, dopamine makes the dog feel good about their accomplishment. In response, the brain says, "This is a good thing. We want to do this again." It then creates a pathway between a trigger (a dog command) and the action (like sitting or waving).

So, when you train a dog to perform commands and tricks, you're actually teaching them a good habit.

In order for this little psychological trick to work, though, the reward needs to feel so amazing that the dog cannot help but perform the command. The best dog training reward's awesomeness creates a powerful memory that turns into an equally robust habit.

So, next time they see you reaching for their flying disc, you don't even have to say "fetch". Your dog lights up. Yes, please.

Dogs make clear associations like the Pavlov's Dog experiments you learn about in Psychology 101.

Command > Action > Feel Good (dopamine release) > Praise > Treat

Command > Action > Feel Good > Click (from a clicker) > Treat

Command > Action > Feel Good > Treat > Pets

This is all backed by science. Dogs and people learn faster and retain commands longer when rewarded instead of punished.

As the skill becomes more ingrained, your dog "feels good" even when they don't get a treat or praise every time. In fact, research has shown that once an association is made, anticipating the reward feels good. This motivates the reaction more powerfully than the reward itself.

Types of Dog Training Rewards: What Works Best and When?

Many types of rewards work best in different scenarios.

1. Food Rewards (AKA: The MVP of Dog Training)

Best for: Teaching new commands, reinforcing behaviors, getting a dog’s attention fast, and charging the clicker (I'll explain this in a minute).

Let’s be honest—food is the ultimate motivator for most dogs. But they're not going to fall for that...pretending-kibble-is-a-treat scheme. They get that every day just for being a dog.

The best dog training treats are:

• High-value – Something irresistible that your dog doesn’t get all the time.
• Small & easy to eat – No long chewing delays between reps.
• Nutritious – Real ingredients, no fillers, sugar, or junk. So, I can feel good about giving these to my dogs.

Now, the best dog training treat options that check these boxes? There's only one in my mind. I choose beef lung training treats for my terrier Pixie's training sessions. These single-ingredient dog treats are just roasted and dried organ meat from grass-fed beef herds. Tasty! for a dog.

And for a more substantial reward after a good training session, I give her a meaty mammoth dog bone. Delicious. Nutritious. And it stops destructive chewing by feeding her gnawing instinct.

Another favorite is a beef trachea chew. These also help keep her teeth clean! I call them nature’s toothbrush.

2. Toy Rewards (For Dogs Who Love to Play)

Best for: High-energy dogs, training in distracting environments, reinforcing impulse control.

Some dogs are just not that food-motivated, for whatever reason. But show them their ball, and you'd better hold them back.

Toys for dog training:

• Squeaky toys
• Tennis balls
• Flying discs
• Tug ropes
• Flirt polls
• Sometimes, stuffed animals, although many dogs will destroy them in one sitting (So don't give them your old Carebear. Sell that on eBay instead!)

This isn't to say we don't use high-value treats to communicate with these dogs. Dog treats still help them learn. But "getting" what motivates them is speaking their love language.

To use a toy as a reward, keep it hidden. Say the command. When they do it, say "Take it" and give them the toy.

You can either train them to drop the toy at your feet automatically after a time or use the "leave it" command to get them to let you have it.

Then hide it and repeat the command you're training. It becomes a whole game that toy-motivated dogs love.

Obviously, you'll need to teach "Take it" and "Leave it" before trying to train with a toy reward.

3. Verbal / Body Language Praise (The Underdog of Rewards)

Best for: Bonding, reinforcing known commands, marking the precise moment a dog performs the command, and for dogs who thrive on approval.

Training treats have a disadvantage. Often, you can't give them to the dog fast enough. This leads to misunderstandings about what they did well.

For more complex tricks, this can be a real problem.

Praise fills the gap. You can speak faster than you can hand over a treat. So, praise then treat, then pets.

How to use praise rewards:

• Excited praise (“YES! GOOD DOG!”) can be super reinforcing.
• Hand gestures (when used consistently) can visually reinforce behavior.
• Dogs can learn that facial expressions like smiles, enthusiastic eyes, and nods mean they did it right.
• Ear rubs, belly scratches, and happy energy can also be great secondary rewards but can be confusing when used solo.

BUT… let’s be real. Most dogs will pick real meat over a head pat any day. So, while praise is great, pairing it with food or toys makes it way more effective.

4. The Clicker (When You Decide to Stop Playing and Get Results)

Best for: Teaching complex commands, marking the precise moment a command is performed, and speeding up training.

A clicker is an inexpensive hand-held fidget device that makes a clicking sound.

Now, when you get the best dog training treats, you'll speed up training drastically. But you're really ready for the big leagues when you start using a clicker.

Before you get started, you have to charge your clicker. In other words, you have to convince your dog that clicking means a treat is on the way. I go into detail here.

Then, at the precise moment they perform the command, click. Then, treat and praise.

My terrier Pixie is the life of any party. Guests can't get enough of her mad skills. We've practiced some complex dog commands that people have never seen before using a clicker.

Want your dog to learn some impressive skills? Join the 7-Day Dog Training Challenge. Learn more about training with dog bones, praise, and treats.

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