The Joy of Food

Using food in training has many functions. The most well known of them is as a reward for behavior. But dogs, and all beings, do not only operate through rewards and punishments. Food can soothe anxiety. Food can also create a strong association when paired with something in the environment. After all if we are eating, then we are surviving, and that's a good thing! We can reinforce behaviors with other rewards, such as play or freedom, but when it comes to big emotions food is often one of our best and most accessible tools.