Is Kibble Rewarding?

Food treats are a common reward, of course. But there is a whole wealth of food available. When using food as a treat, it is important to use food your dog values. A lot of people say that you shouldn't use kibble as a reward, but if it is sufficiently rewarding for your dog, then it's a great reward. When your dog is distracted, then they might need something they like better (then again, maybe your dog thinks kibble is the best thing ever.) All of my dogs have found kibble quite rewarding, but sometimes they liked other foods better. I think kibble tends to be more rewarding for my dogs because I rarely just give them a bowl of kibble, they get it as part of a game or as training treats. Also, I tend to have more than one variety of kibble on hand, to mix it up a little. Pico had dental problems, so I used dental kibble as one of her treats (she really liked it.) I've used the cat dental kibble a lot for training, it is more flavorful and smaller, so it can be eaten more quickly.

Rewards - Not Just Something To Eat

We often talk about treats as food rewards, but they don't necessarily have to be. Pico really liked having her special water dish held for her. Having a ball thrown is rewarding for a lot of dogs. Max loves food, but being rubbed behind his ears is also a big treat. Hero loved getting to play with the flirt pole and when he got food, it was even more rewarding if it was given in the Treat and Train (previously known as the Manners Minder) than if he was given food by hand. A lot of dogs really enjoy their tug rope, and you see them used a lot as a reward or to rev up a dog doing dog sports.

Does your dog have a special non-food reward?

Stress Signs - Refusing Food

Some dogs just aren't very food motivated (this is usually shocking to owners of highly food motivated dogs because it is such a big change.) But sometimes dogs, even food motivated dogs, don't want to eat because they are too stressed. Different dogs have a different threshold for how badly nerves affect their ability to eat. Max stops eating about as soon as he starts being nervous. Hero on the other hand would almost never get too nervous to eat.
Sometimes using higher value treats can help. This particularly helpful for dogs who are also calmed by eating. Don't worry, you won't spoil your dog by giving him extra yummy treats when they are nervous, if anything it will help with desensitizing them to the stressor.  

A particularly dangerous thing to watch for is dogs who quit drinking water when they are stressed. Not drinking for a little while is probably okay, but dehydration can be dangerous and just adds to the overall stress level.