My Science Experiment By: Jada Price

Big Question What treat will my dog respond best to while doing tricks? I want to know what treat my dog likes best when being trained.

Hypothesis The dog will respond best if my dad gives him a good scratch or two. I believe this because my dog, Razi, a greyhound, loves to be with my dad and loves attention. I think he rather get attention instead of treats.

Facts A good quality-training treat really gets a dog's attention when want it. Did you know, that if you push down on a dogs back and hold a treat just above eye level, it'll stretch it's neck for the treat, and the pressure on his back will make it sit down. A really small piece of cheese is a great training tool for some dogs. When you're training a dog, the best kinds of treats to use are small and easy to swallow. Did you know that some greyhounds might have allergies to certain types of meats?

Materials 1.Yoplait Yogurt- Strawberry Shortcake 2.Medium sized Milk-Bone 3.The Original Jerky Treats-Made With American Beef 4.The dog's master 5.Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese 6.Leash 7.Someone to hold the dog 8.Hard surface 9.Four containers 10.Paper 11.Pencil 12.Dog 13.Someone to take away treats

Procedures 1.First, set out the treats in 4 containers. Set them about a foot apart from each other. Put the paper on the hard surface and make a column for every time your going to do the experiment. The dog's master will count as a treat and sit somewhere in the line. 2.When you're all set up, have the person that's going to hold the dog come out with him/her on a leash. Have the person that's going to take away the treats stand somewhere behind the treats. Make sure that person stands in that same area every time. 3.Have the person holding the dog (PHD), lead the dog down the line of treats and sniff each one. Then have the dog taken a short distance away from the treats, make sure it is facing all of them so it can see each one.

Procedures 2 4.Next, the person that takes away the treats, (PTT) will give the dog commands. When the PTT is done they'll run back behind the treats and tell the PHD to let the dog go when the PTT is ready. 5.When the dog goes to it's choice, the PTT must swiftly take away all the other treats. When the dog has eaten a little bit the PHD must hook the dog back up to the leash and take him/her back to where they were standing before. The PTT will switch all the treat's places. They must remember to always do this. 6.After that, either the PTT or the dog's Master record which treat the dog went to. The PHD will walk the dog down the line again, having him/her smell all the treats. When the dog is taken back to it's place the PTT will give commands again. It is important the commands stay the same. For example: lets say you did sit, lie down, sit, speak, stay the first time, then you must do those commands the exact same way every time.

Procedures 3 7. When the commands are done and the PTT is ready, the dog will be let loose and choose a treat. The PTT will quickly then take away all the other options. After that, the PHD will once again hook the dog up and take him/her back to their place. The PTT will then again switch the position of the treats, and the dog's choice will be recorded on the data sheet. 8. This process can be repeated as many times as desired. Once you are done you can feed the dog the rest of the treats and the master can get up and pet the dog. Remember to gather up all your belongings when you’re done.

Variables Treats How hungry my dog is.

Observations My dog usually stood at the treat he picked for awhile. When walked through the line of treats, my dog tried to eat some. When I called his name, he started running toward me, then went in the direction of the treat he wanted. He sometimes changed his direction when he changed his mind about his treat of choice.

Data

 This experiment tested my hypothesis well.  I know because Razi was told commands and was allowed to choose the treat of his choice. This way we're not spoiling him and giving him treats for no exact reason. Since he chose a certain treat most of the time, it must be his favorite.

My hypothesis was incorrect. If I did this experiment again I would change the variety of treats. This is because the cheese might not be his absolute favorite, but his favorite wasn't in the line of treats. I now wonder if I placed out more treats if he would still choose cheese over everything else.

References 1. kzYLkfSUxhIjzKIX;_ylv= AATeZsw (September,2009) 2. what-are-the-best-kind-to-use/ (September,2009) Dog Training Treats- What Are The Best Kind To Use 3. train-your-dog html (September,2009) When to Use Dog Treats to Train Your Dog 4. (September,2009) Feeding and Treating 5. (September,2009) Other Basic Commands

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