Why Rewarding Your Dog for Recall Isn’t Bribery—It’s Building a Positive Habit

When teaching your dog recall (or anything really!), you may wonder if showing them a treat before calling them back is just “bribing” them. But here’s the truth: it’s not bribery at all—it’s a purposeful training strategy to help your dog succeed.

Understanding Bribery vs. Positive Motivation

By definition, bribery means offering something to influence an action improperly or immorally. But when you show your dog a treat before recalling them, you’re not "coaxing" them to do something improper or wrong. Instead, you’re building a foundation of trust, excitement, and motivation—showing them that coming back to you is worth it.

Using food or toys as motivation is simply one of the best ways to set your dog up for success. When they’re new to recall, especially in distracting environments, showing them a treat or toy gives them a clear, exciting reason to focus on you.

The Power of Motivation in Training

Think of showing your dog a treat as an invitation to success. It’s like telling them, “Look, I have something awesome here for you. When you come to me, you get to enjoy it!” This builds a solid foundation in their mind that choosing you over distractions is always rewarding.

Once they’ve made this connection, you can gradually fade out the treat display because now they have a history of being rewarded for coming back. At this stage, your dog comes when called even without seeing the treat, but the trust and motivation you established early on are what make recall consistent and reliable.

A Lifelong Habit, Not a Bribe

Ultimately, rewarding recall isn’t bribery because it’s not about coaxing them into something they “shouldn’t” do. Instead, it’s the cornerstone of effective training. You’re teaching your dog that coming to you is positive, safe, and rewarding—a choice they want to make.

So remember, showing a treat to a learning dog is about guiding and motivating them, not bribing them. This positive motivation leads to a strong recall that’s based on a reward history and trust, not on a need to see a treat every time!

If you’d love more support with your dog’s recall, why not check out my Recall Online course, which is self paced, easy to follow, and gives you the 7 step you need to transform your dog’s recall from rubbish to reliable, even with distractions!