How to Teach a Non-Food Motivated Dog: 9 Tips & Tricks

It is essential to train your puppy so that he is calm and well-behaved. Although some breeds are more difficult to train than others they respond well to positive and reward-based methods. Dogs love food and will happily learn commands in exchange for treats. What if your dog doesn’t respond to the treats offered? Here are nine tricks and tips to help your dog be more food-motivated.

Before You Begin

You must be in the right mindset for training. It takes patience to teach even the most intelligent and willing dog. It’s easy to get frustrated when you have to deal with a dog who has different motivations. Do not try to train your dog if you are already tired, hungry, stressed, angry, or otherwise ill.

You may need more than a leash and your dog for some of these tips. These could include:

• High-value treats (cheese, cooked meat, etc.)
• The dog’s favorite toy
• Water bowl

1. Check to Make Sure They aren’t Full

Be sure to check that your dog hasn’t eaten too much food before concluding they aren’t food-motivated. You should not feed your dog a large meal, then ask them to go into training.

You don’t want your dogs to become so hungry that they lose their ability to focus during training. You can give your dog a small treat to keep them from becoming too hungry, but they will still be interested in treats. You should also avoid giving your dog free food as you won’t be able to know how full they are at any particular moment.

2. Enjoy Better Treats

Sometimes your dog might not be interested in food, or they may not be impressed by the food you offer. Dogs who are regularly given treats just for being cute may not be interested in working for the same. You can tempt them with some extra delicious food like peanut butter, cheese, and real cooked meat.

3. You Must Make Sure They aren’t Thirsty

Your dog might be more interested in drinking than food if they snub your treats during training. To test if your dog is more interested in drinking than food, keep a water bowl on hand.

4. Eliminate distractions

It could be that there are too many distractions and your dog is not paying attention to you when you feed him. It is a good idea for your dog to learn basic obedience once you have mastered it. Training sessions can be held in busy places like a park to help your dog focus and not get distracted.

It might be difficult for your dog to pay attention to your commands or take interest in your treats early on if there are many other dogs or people around. Try moving your training to a more quiet and boring place to see if your dog’s interest in food increases.

5. Take a look at their state of mind

Your dog should not be in an emotional state when entering training sessions. Dogs have their off days just like humans. Dogs can be anxious, scared, tired, or too energized. They may not want to eat or train. You can skip training your dog until they are calm and well-rested. They may then be more inclined to accept treats and rewards.

6. Check for medical problems

Sometimes your dog might not be hungry because of a change in their overall appetite. You may be dealing with a health problem, not a lack of interest in food. If your dog is experiencing other symptoms such as lethargy or vomiting, this could be a sign that he has a medical problem. If this is the case, consult your doctor.

7. Be sure you aren’t a dramatist

Although training techniques for dogs have improved over time, there are still some outdated ideas. Some owners might be reluctant to give food rewards to their dogs because they believe that the dog should obey their masters or pack leaders out of obligation, not because it is a bribe. Your hesitance to reward your dog with food rewards is not the reason your dog isn’t motivated to eat.

8. Play as a Reward

While food is the most preferred reward, many dogs don’t care about treats. Playtime is another option. Play with your dog if they have a favorite game or toy, and end training sessions by playing with them. Intelligent dogs will soon learn that playing hard is the reward for hard work.

9. As a reward, praise and petting are good ideas.

Some dogs see earning the approval of their owners as the greatest reward. Your praise will go a long way in demonstrating that your dog values your opinion more than chicken wings. You should make a big fuss about your dog when they learn new commands or do the right thing.

Summary

Although it can be difficult to train a dog who isn’t interested in food, it can still be done. If none of these tips and tricks work for you, it may be time to get professional help. You can find training classes in many areas through your local veterinarian. A trainer can be hired to help you and your dog. It is better to seek help than to become frustrated and resort to negative training methods or punishments.