HOW TO GET YOUR DOG TO LISTEN WITHOUT TREATS
Show Me The Money
If you only cue and pay your dog while you have treats in your hand or in a pocket, you may find yourself with a dog that demands “show me the money!” and needs to see or smell treats on you before they will listen.
Reward Stations
A reward station is an airtight jar filled with kibble or treats.
Keep one in every room of your home that you spend time in. This will help avoid getting into a “show me the money” situation, where your dog needs to see or smell food on you to listen to cues – because you will always have rewards nearby to reinforce desirable behavior.
Start Small
Start by standing next to a reward station. Be sure not to have treats in your hands or pockets.
Cue a simple, well-known behavior, like sit or down. When they do the behavior, mark and pay them.
Next, step away from the reward station and cue a known behavior. Mark the behavior, then go to the reward station to pay them.
Move further away from the reward station with each successful repetition.
Build On Success
Keep increasing the distance as they are successful until you can ask for behaviors when you are nowhere near a reward station.