Positive reinforcement training goes beyond treats: full analysis

CURRENT FULL VERSION: A new dvm360 podcast episode featuring Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, and Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC, revisits a common misconception in companion animal training: that positive reinforcement means using food and little else. The discussion centers on how non-food reinforcers and secondary reinforcers, including clickers, can help shape and maintain behavior when used with good timing and a clear understanding of what the individual animal actually values. It also starts with a useful reminder about why treats became the default in the first place: food is a primary reinforcer, meaning it has inherent value and generally does not require prior conditioning to be effective. That framing is consistent with established learning theory in veterinary behavior, where the goal is not to eliminate food categorically, but to match the reinforcer to the patient, the context, and the training objective. (dvm360.com)

The broader backdrop is a profession that has steadily moved toward reward-based handling, training, and behavior modification. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior says only reward-based training methods should be used for dog training, including behavior treatment, and it explicitly contrasts humane methods with aversive techniques such as leash jerks, yelling, or other punishment-based approaches. In feline medicine, the Feline Veterinary Medical Association’s positive reinforcement toolkit similarly frames reinforcement as the preferred way to build desirable behaviors and preserve the human-animal bond. (avsab.org)

What makes the dvm360 discussion timely is its focus on real-world limitations. Food is often the easiest and most efficient primary reinforcer for teaching new behaviors, precisely because most dogs and cats already value it, but it’s not always available or effective. In stressed patients, appetite can drop. In some medical cases, diet restrictions matter. In busy homes, pet parents may struggle to use treats consistently. And once a behavior is learned, trainers often shift toward other reinforcers that matter to the animal, such as play, movement, environmental access, social interaction, touch, praise, or release to a preferred activity. Karen Pryor Academy’s training materials make a similar point, noting that food may be the primary reinforcer for new behaviors, while non-food reinforcers can be especially useful for maintaining them. (karenpryoracademy.com)

The mechanics matter here. dvm360’s archived clicker training proceedings describe the clicker as a conditioned, or secondary, reinforcer that bridges the gap between the behavior and delivery of the reward. The advantage is precision: a marker can identify the exact moment the animal got it right, even when the actual reward arrives a beat later. Those proceedings also note that the follow-up reward does not have to be food alone; toys, attention, and other primary reinforcers can work as well. That distinction between primary reinforcers, which the animal naturally values, and secondary reinforcers, which gain meaning through association, is one of the clearest practical takeaways from the podcast. It is especially relevant in veterinary settings, where a patient may respond better to distance, choice, petting, praise, or access to a mat than to a treat in the moment. (dvm360.com)

There is also an important caveat for clinicians counseling pet parents on behavior plans. Secondary reinforcers like clickers are useful when marking a specific behavior, but they are not interchangeable with food in every context. AVSAB guidance on counterconditioning explains that when the goal is to change an emotional response to a scary stimulus, the feared trigger should predict the primary reinforcer directly, rather than having an extra marker inserted in between. In other words, non-food reinforcement expands options, but it doesn’t erase the need to choose the right behavioral tool for the job. (avsab.org)

Expert commentary outside the podcast supports that balanced view. The strongest consensus in veterinary behavior is not that food should be avoided, but that aversive methods should be. Even advocates of non-food reinforcement generally present it as part of a broader reinforcement strategy, not a wholesale substitute. The FelineVMA toolkit, for example, includes praise, toys, and preferred treats in its examples, while emphasizing that fear undermines learning and damages the relationship between caregiver and cat. That’s a useful reminder for veterinary teams working on cooperative care, carrier training, nail trims, medication administration, and exam-room handling. (catvets.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the practical message is that reinforcement plans should be individualized, medically appropriate, and easy for pet parents to carry out. A dog recovering from GI disease, a cat that won’t eat in clinic, or a fearful patient working through handling exercises may all need different reinforcers at different stages. Teams that can explain why food is often the starting point, clarify the difference between primary and secondary reinforcers, and identify meaningful non-food rewards may improve adherence while keeping care aligned with reward-based standards. That can also help clinics support low-stress handling and behavior care without oversimplifying the message into “just use treats.” (dvm360.com)

What to watch: The next step is likely less about new regulation than better implementation, through client handouts, technician-led coaching, and species-specific resources that translate behavior science into everyday care plans. As more veterinary groups publish practical toolkits, expect reinforcement strategy, cooperative care, and behavior-informed communication to become a more visible part of routine clinical workflows. The podcast’s back-to-basics explanation of what makes a reinforcer effective may also help clinics sharpen how they talk about training with clients who still equate positive reinforcement with treats alone. (catvets.com)