Bribery in Dog Training: What’s Really Going On
I’m sure you’ve heard it before: “You’re just bribing your dog with food.” Or, “Of course they listen when you have treats.” Like somehow, using food in training is cheating.
Comments like these really do my head in. They show a lack of understanding—not just about how we use food in training, but about dog training in general.
Here’s the truth: if bribery is happening, it’s not because food doesn’t work. It’s because the training went wrong.
What Bribery Looks like
Bribery is when you pull out a treat before your dog does the behaviour.
Picture holding up a cookie and pleading, “Sit, sit.” That’s a bribe—it’s a negotiation, and it puts your dog in charge of the deal.
What Training Looks Like
In training, you ask for a sit, your dog sits, and then you deliver the treat. The behaviour earns the treat.
It’s payment for a job well done, like getting your paycheque after work. And that “payment” makes it more likely your dog will sit again the next time you ask.
It’s All About timing
The line between bribery and reinforcement is timing.
Treat first? Bribery.
Behaviour first, then treat? Reinforcement.
Good timing teaches your dog to respond reliably.
Bad timing (food first) teaches dependency.
Food Starts It—Reinforcement Keeps It Going
Food is one of the clearest, most effective ways to communicate with your dog. It’s convenient and motivating.
While “when can I stop using food” is a topic for another day, as training progresses, you can start to fade the food and mix in other reinforcers like toys, play, praise, or access to the things your dog values.
Food gets the learning started and teaches the dog there’s value in doing what you ask. Over time your dog responds because the behaviour has a strong history of reinforcement.
The Real Takeaway
When someone says, “You’re just bribing your dog,” what they really show is a lack of understanding. Food is a powerful teaching tool, backed by science—not a shortcut or cheat code.
What matters most isn’t the type of reinforcer, but how you use it. Good training builds behaviours with strong reinforcement histories—so they last, with or without food.
👉 Pro tip: If you ever feel like you need food in your hand for your dog to respond, it’s a sign the setup has slipped into bribery. Reset your timing, get the behaviour first, and then pay.
