Are Dogs More Interested in Food Than Attention?

Whenever you walk anywhere near the kitchen, Sparky is right there under your feet, hoping you will drop just a smidgen of food. Some dogs are overly motivated by food, making it relatively simple to get them to do exactly what you want. While many dogs are more interested in food than attention, not all dogs are programmed that way. Your pup may prefer attention over food or could want a little of both.

  1. Soft Treats

    • If you are training Sparky, you will need to find a type of food that keeps him motivated. Typically smelly treats -- like doggy bacon, sausage or jerky sticks -- work best. He will get the meaty aroma from a distance and answer to your beckoning call. Simply tear them apart into tiny pieces and use them to get him to do tricks, walk nicely on the leash or whatever other behavior modifications you are aiming for. Because you are giving him only small fragments, he will be able to quickly chew them and continue with his training.

    Biscuits

    • Of course if Sparky isn̵7;t at all picky about the foods he eats, he might work for biscuits. The downfall of using biscuits is that they are more difficult to break apart. You may wind up giving your pooch a larger chunk, which takes longer for him to chew, so you have to wait before proceeding. Plus, hard treats don̵7;t have as strong of an aroma. He may not seem interested in them because they are not smelly enough to pull him in.

    The Alternative

    • As an alternative, feed him his dinner while you are doing some training. Rather than pouring his kibble in the bowl, put it in a plastic bag and take it with you on your evening walk. Kibble pieces are small, making them easy for Sparky to quickly chew up. Every few steps, toss a bite in his mouth as long as he is walking nicely. He will be getting exercise and working for his dinner, all while learning to properly walk on a leash. You also can feed him his kibble piece by piece if he is being quiet during your family dinner or while you are training him to roll over, as long as he is doing what you want him to do.

    Giving Attention

    • You can always throw a little praise in the mix in place of food. As you are working with him, give him a treat for sitting. The next time, pat him on the head and give him some praise. Go back and forth between food and attention. This way you won̵7;t have to worry about overfeeding him and he will start learning to work for praise, not just food.