What types of rewards do dogs particularly enjoy?
Anyone who has ever tried to train a dog knows: nothing works without rewards. But what motivates a four-legged friend can vary greatly.
Anyone venturing into dog training and seeking to acquire knowledge through books or digital video workshops quickly discovers that many dog training guides automatically equate rewards for the four-legged friend with treats. This assumption, however, is too simplistic and misses valuable training potential: the relationship between human and dog can have a tremendous impact on training success. Those who are aware of this can use this knowledge to their advantage.
While food is undoubtedly a practical training aid, our four-legged friends are extremely social partners. Attention, affection, and playing together are real “currencies” for them, with measurable results. This is what makes dogs such valuable and attentive companions.
Recent neuro- and hormonal research shows that some dogs value social reinforcement as highly as, or even more than, food for motivation and reward. Furthermore, physical touch and a friendly tone of voice noticeably improve dogs’ bond and stress regulation – effects that are highly beneficial in dog training.
Not all dogs are the same.
At the same time, the tested dogs also exhibited a wide range of individual preferences and varying degrees of intensity. Some dogs reacted much more strongly to reward treats than others, and some dogs thrived on praise. The research team published their findings in the journal “Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience”.
What dogs want to tell us with their eyes
The way a four-legged friend is praised should ideally suit its personality – otherwise, the reward is lost, whether it’s praise, a treat, a game, or a cuddle. In short, a good reward isn’t simply about reaching into the treat bag; it begins with building a relationship and communicating.
Stroking influences learning performance.
Dogs learn best when they are relaxed – much like us humans. Various studies in recent years have shown that touch increases oxytocin release in both dogs and humans. This “cuddle hormone” is frequently associated with emotional bonding and feelings of belonging. At the same time, cortisol production, known as the “stress hormone,” decreases. This biochemical effect is practically relevant because it makes dogs more receptive to training.
Furthermore, comparative studies have shown that dogs perceive short petting “micro-breaks” during training as a reward and that this type of attention doesn’t lead to “satiation” as quickly as eating treats. Therefore, anyone who gives their four-legged friend plenty of petting before training to create a relaxed atmosphere and rewards them with short bursts of affection during the training sessions is doing a lot right and motivating them.
Tone of voice and praise for motivation
Even when dogs are spoken to by their favourite people and receive attention and affection, this has a positive effect on their learning experience. While dogs aren’t able to decode every word we speak, they have evolved remarkable abilities to understand human speech ever more effectively. A 2024 study from Hungary, for example, demonstrated that dogs can retain learned words in memory for at least 2 years. And researchers at Eötvös Loránd University showed in 2022 that dogs can even distinguish between different languages. This deep understanding of human language makes our voice and verbal praise valuable tools in dog training.
While speaking calmly and without noticeable emotion has no measurable effect on a dog’s attention or understanding, both the tone of voice and the speed at which we talk to our four-legged friends significantly influence the animal’s reaction. Experts therefore recommend using a recurring, learned cue word for praise during training, along with eye contact and a friendly voice, to first precisely mark the moment with the cue word and then reinforce it with the voice. This transforms verbal praise into a precise and reliable reinforcer.
If desired, praise can be combined with a treat. Well-measured, exclusive food morsels are particularly helpful as a direct reinforcer, as behavioural researchers Megumi Fukuzawa and Naomi Hayashi from Japan’s Nihon University report in the “Journal of Veterinary Behaviour”.
Playing as a learning accelerator
Playing together can also be an excellent reward for dogs. For example, a dog who particularly enjoys romping with a tug toy will likely react with great enthusiasm to a short game of tug-of-war after a successful training session. However, this game must be exclusive: If the dog receives its favourite toy occasionally or has constant access to it, the positive effect of tug-of-war will quickly diminish, and the dog will no longer perceive it as a reward during training.
Playing together is not only an excellent way to reward animals: it also improves long-term learning. As Hannah Salomons, an evolutionary anthropologist at Duke University, and her colleagues recently reported in the international journal Animals,” short play sessions following training blocks have been shown to boost the memory performance of four-legged animals.
In practice, this means that after a successful training session, it’s worthwhile to incorporate 20- to 60-second tug-of-war, fetch, or chase games – clearly initiated and ended by the owner. Since dogs exhibit a pronounced and sustained love of play, this shared play serves as a natural reinforcer, increasing motivation and deepening the human-dog bond during training without risking the side effects of constant treat feeding.
The proper reward will do the trick!
For successful training, it’s not necessarily about large quantities of treats, but rather about discovering what your dog truly loves. In practical terms, this means testing what really excites them – from cooked chicken to tug-of-war games to being petted in their favourite spot – and then reserving these highlights sparingly for training and socialisation. This way, training becomes not just about performance, but about genuine enjoyment, a strong bond, and reliable everyday behaviour that remains consistent even without constant treats.