Most trainers strictly use food as a reward during training. This is usually where most food training fails for the owner and dog. Using only food training is extremely limiting. For most dogs, once the food is no longer present the stimulus for responding to the command will not be there and therefore they will find other distractions more stimulating.

During studies involving Operant Conditioning (view explanation) it was discovered that once a reward/reinforcement, like food, was removed, the subject eventually stopped performing the task. It was also discovered that even when the reward was given every time, the subject could become less stimulated and the responses became inconsistent.

My experience is that using food as a bribe, or reward, which is how I view using only food as a training method, is not effective over the long term relationship you will have with your dog. Clicker/food training is fine and works well most of the time. However, I would ask, “Why place yourself in a situation with your dog where you will always need to carry these things with you?” Your voice or hand (for hand signals and petting) and the leash and collar will most likely always be with you when you need them. When there are physical limitations we can adopt other methods that are just as effective.

I do use food for certain exercises, basically to teach and reward when a desired behavior needs to be reinforced. I never use food to teach obedience commands. Some behaviors can be effectively corrected using food. For example, when a dog is food stealing, either from the table, floor or a child, then food is an excellent lure, because a dog is highly stimulated by its presence. Practicing with food is a great way to teach your dogs not to attack your hand whenever you give them biscuits. Some dogs work better when lures are used, as they learn to use agility equipment. I also will sometimes use food to sharpen obedience commands for competition. It really depends on the dog.

Using food is a great way to introduce your puppy to the vet's office. A few treats while walking your dog in and out of rooms can be very effective in reducing anxiety.

Food Training Gone Awry

Because most people do not understand how dogs view food and treats, they often unintentionally reinforce bad behavior. Owners are left in the dark about when using food is appropriate or inappropriate, because dog trainers often fail to explain the way dogs think and learn.

One day I saw an owner walking her Rottweiler on-leash at a nearby park. Her dog would lunge and bark aggressively at other dogs that came anywhere near them. Without fail, and with each and every lunge, she would reach into her pocket and feed the dog treats. No doubt she thought that the food offering might eventually distract her dog's attention away from the other dog. What she did not realize was that she was in fact reinforcing the aggressive behavior by rewarding her dog every time it lunged and barked. She was good at it too as her timing was nearly perfect!

I read a website article the other day where a fairly well-known trainer offers this advice:  "Food in your mouth, spitting it at your dog;  An excellent exercise for teaching attention. It gets the dog to concentrate directly on your face, not your hands or pocket. Do this as a separate exercise, until your dog understands that he must watch your face. Also, DON'T let them pick up the food from the floor or ground. If you do, they will learn that they don't have to catch the  treat. They can just wait and pick it up. And don't let them come back later to clean up."

I don't even know what to say except that for dogs with limited vision this would be totaling insulting!

Please feel free to read my article on How Dogs Learn. This may answer many of your questions and help you decide which method of training you think will work best for you and your dog.