Preference Between Food and Toys in Canine Training: An Empirical Study from the University of Florida

A recent research initiative at the University of Florida has determined that a significant majority of dogs—nine out of ten, to be precise—favor food rewards over toys during training simulations. In the experiment, each of the ten domesticated dogs involved was permitted to select a preferred type of food and toy. Subsequent tests revealed that dogs were quicker to abandon efforts to obtain a toy, as opposed to a food reward. These findings indicate that, although toys can serve as effective motivators during training, food remains the more potent incentive for the majority of dogs.

The results confirmed longstanding popular assumptions regarding canine affinity for treats.

The study was spearheaded by psychologists at the University of Florida, and it demonstrated that 90% of the participating dogs chose food over toys when given a choice in a training-like setting. Nicole Dorey, a lecturer in the University’s Department of Psychology who conducted the study in collaboration with her students and other experts, expressed surprise at the results. “Until now, no one has really investigated how dogs prioritize toys against food,” she remarked.

Details of the Experiment

The research team enlisted ten dogs from the local community for the study. The animals were presented with a selection of six food options—including delicacies such as cheese, carrots, and hot dogs—and six toy options, which included items like tennis balls, squeak toys, plastic bones, and stuffed animals. Each dog then had the opportunity to choose its preferred food and toy.

In a subsequent phase of the experiment, the dogs were required to exert increasing effort to receive their chosen reward. The results showed that most dogs ceased their attempts sooner when striving for a toy, as compared to when they were working for a food reward.

Contextualizing the Findings

Other research has indicated that some dogs may actually prioritize human attention over food. Nicole Dorey suggests that future research should investigate the hierarchical ranking of attention, food, and toys in the context of canine training.

Several dog training professionals advocate for the use of toys rather than food as training rewards, aiming to avoid excessive caloric intake and to enrich the training experience for the dog. According to the study’s authors, the critical aspect for dog owners who wish to implement this approach is to prevent food and toys from becoming rival incentives. “Training dogs using toys as reinforcers can certainly be effective if initiated at an early stage. This method is commonly employed in the training of search and rescue dogs,” Dorey noted.

Source Attribution

The research paper, titled “Efficacy of Edible and Leisure Reinforcers with Domestic Dogs,” was published on September 30, 2023, in the journal Animals. The authors are Xenabeth A. Lazaro and John M. Winter, undergraduate students at the University of Florida at the time of the study, along with collaborators from the Florida Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Canine Training Preferences

More about Canine Training Preferences

• University of Florida Department of Psychology
• Journal “Animals” Publication
• Canine Training Methods: A Comparative Study
• The Florida Institute of Technology Research on Animal Behavior
• Johns Hopkins University Animal Behavior Research