03/31/2026
Clients and students this is what I'm talking about when I do my little TED talks during classes/sessions.
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If you’re relying on food and toys to get your dog’s attention… you’re doing it wrong.
I’m Kamal Fernandez, a reinforcement-based dog trainer — and I’m telling you to stop using treats and toys as a crutch for your dog’s focus.
Now before that gets taken out of context, I’m not saying don’t use reinforcement. Quite the opposite. Reinforcement is essential. But there’s a big difference between using it strategically and depending on it to function at all.
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The Problem: When Reinforcement Becomes a Crutch
What I see all the time is this:
Handlers use food or toys as a lure — constantly visible, constantly present — to guide the dog through behaviours. But the problem is, they never properly fade that picture.
So what happens?
• The dog learns to work because the reward is visible, not because they understand the task
• The handler loses confidence the moment they don’t have food or toys in hand
• The dog disengages when those things disappear
• The handler panics… and brings them straight back out again
And just like that, you’ve created a cycle of dependency.
Your dog isn’t truly engaged with you.
They’re engaged with what you’re holding.
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What Real Engagement Should Look Like
True engagement means your dog:
• Chooses to work with you
• Understands the task without needing constant guidance
• Maintains focus even when reinforcement isn’t visible
• Trusts that reinforcement will come, without needing to see it first
That’s where the magic happens.
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5 Ways to Break the Dependency on Food & Toys
1. Be unpredictable with reinforcement delivery
If your dog always knows when and where the reward is coming, they’ll start keying into the pattern rather than the work.
Mix it up:
• Sometimes reward quickly, sometimes delay slightly
• Sometimes reward big, sometimes small
• Keep them guessing (in a good way)
Unpredictability builds commitment and resilience.
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2. Don’t always reward from the same place
Even if you’re holding food or a toy, avoid always delivering it from that same hand.
Instead:
• Deliver from your pocket
• Toss the reward
• Place it on the ground
• Use a second hidden source
This stops your dog from fixating on your hand and helps them focus on you instead.
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3. Teach a remote reinforcement marker
Teach a term like “bingo” which clearly tells your dog they’ve done it correctly and that reinforcement is coming from a second location.
You can start this really simply when they’re very young — marking the behaviour and then delivering the reward away from your body or from somewhere unexpected. Over time, this becomes interwoven into your training.
The benefit is huge: your dog stops depending on reinforcement always being on you, and instead learns to trust the process.
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4. Build engagement based on relationship, not just reinforcement
Engagement shouldn’t come solely from food or toys — it should come from the relationship you have with your dog.
People often forget that when they deliver reinforcement, it’s an opportunity to interact:
• Physically touch your dog
• Praise them
• Let them come into you, jump up, or celebrate with you
• Make the moment feel like a shared experience
This shifts the reward away from being just about the food or toy, and makes it about you.
This is critical. Your relationship should sit at the centre of your reinforcement process — not just what you’re holding.
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5. Shape behaviours — don’t lure them
Luring is quick, but it often creates a superficial level of understanding.
The lure creates the behaviour — but as soon as the lure (or prompt) isn’t there, the behaviour disappears.
And remember, a lure isn’t always just food in your hand. It can be:
• Food or toys on your person
• The dog knowing you have reinforcement available
• Any visible or predictable prompt
This becomes a fundamental issue when you move toward competition, where those things aren’t part of the picture.
Shaping, on the other hand:
• Builds problem-solving
• Increases confidence
• Creates stronger, more reliable behaviours
It teaches the dog what to do, not just what to follow.
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Final Thought
Food and toys are powerful tools — but they should support your training, not define it.
If your dog only works when they see the reward, you don’t have engagement — you have a transaction.
The goal is a dog that works with you, not just for what’s in your hand.
That’s where real training begins.
