Think your dog loves food more than anything else? You’re definitely not imaging it! A new survey suggests that dogs respond to the word ‘treat’ more than their own name! We can’t think where they get their love of treats from…
Survey Results
A study carried out by OnePoll on behalf of CLIF PET surveyed 2,000 dog owners. Here are the results:
- 67% said their dogs are “very food motivated”.
- 47% said their dog reacts to the noise of a treat container being opened.
- 52% said their dog is likely to run over to them when they hear a word such as ‘treat’ or ‘cookie’.
- Only 37% said their dog consistently responds to their own name!
- The average dog knows roughly 5 spoken commands
Their love of treats is one of the main reasons treats are used as a training tool. 4 out of 10 respondents give treats to their dogs as a reward, with 3 in 4 believing they wouldn’t have managed to teach any commands successfully without using them.
The Problem With a Love of Treats
Unfortunately, the negative aspect of their love of treats can result in too many being given. Approximately 21% of dog owners surveyed said they give their dog treats at least once a day, with 18% giving out multiple treats in a day. Once a day is perfectly fine, but too many more and you risk providing too many calories. It’s usually recommended that treats take up no more than 10% of a dog’s calorie intake.
Interestingly, 39% of respondents said they're likely to use treats to cheer their dog up, but 32% give treats as a way to cheer themselves up.
Perhaps next time we all go to reach for the bag of treats, it may be worth asking ourselves:
- Have they already had a treat today? If so, perhaps they've had sufficient.
- Why are we giving them treats? Is it because they’ve been well behaved and we want to reward them, or is the answer a little closer to home?
Instead of offering so many treats, perhaps think of other ways to bond with your dog. Going for walks, playing with a frisbee and playing fetch are all activities you’ll both enjoy, plus they’re good for your health and the health of your furry companion too. Here are some other ideas of dog-friendly fall activities.
