217 | The Real Reason Your Dog Only Listens When You Have Treats
From Beyond Obedience | Dog Training, Dog Body Language, Anxious Dogs, Scared Dogs, Reactive Dogs by Tracy Franken- Dog Trainer, Vet Tech, Dog Lover, 🐾
June 29, 2026 · 33 min
About this episode
This episode explores the misconception that dogs only listen when treats are present, emphasizing the importance of relationship and communication in dog training.
Hey Dog Lover 🐾 Does your dog seem to listen perfectly when you have treats... but completely forget everything the moment the food disappears? Have you ever wondered if your dog is only listening because of the treats? Have you been told that using food creates bribery, dependence, or a dog that won't work without rewards? In this episode, we're tackling one of the biggest debates in the dog training world: Food. But what if food isn't actually the problem? What if the real issue has nothing to do with treats at all? We'll explore why dogs make the choices they do, what food is really doing in the learning process, and why so many people end up focusing on the wrong thing. Because this conversation isn't really about food. It's about relationship. It's about relevance. And it's about understanding why your dog chooses to stay connected to you in the first place. We'll talk about: 🐾 Why food gets blamed for things it didn't create 🐾 The difference between bribery and communication 🐾 Why dogs are always making choices 🐾 The trap of trying to out-squirrel the squirrel 🐾 What food is actually doing during training 🐾 Why relevance matters more than rewards We'll also explore…
People in this episode
Host: Tracy Franken
Topics covered
- dog training
- food dependence
- dog behavior
- relationship building
- communication
- trust
Keywords
- dog training
- treats
- bribery
- communication
- relationship
- choices
- trust
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