Treats Do Not Build a Relationship with a Dog

Food matters for the dogs, but treats alone are not enough to earn a dog’s trust. Why is food not enough?

Treats are probably the most commonly used tool in work with dogs.

They show up everywhere — in training, behavioral work, fear-related cases, and everyday teaching. Trainers use them, behaviorists use them, guardians use them. And very often they are treated not only as a reward, but also as a way to “build a relationship” with the dog.

Does that work?

To a point, yes.

But are treats really the key to a dog’s heart? Can trust be built through the stomach?

Recent research suggests it is not nearly that simple.

Dogs Do Not Form Opinions About People Based Only on Who Gives Them Food

In a 2025 study by Hoi-Lam Jim and colleagues, researchers looked at whether dogs evaluate people based on how those people treat another dog. The dogs first watched two humans behave differently toward a third dog — one offered food, the other refused it. Afterwards, they were given the chance to interact with those people directly.

What happened? The dogs did not show a clear preference for the “generous” person. They were no more likely to choose that person, even when they had the chance to approach, interact, and respond freely.

This adds to a growing body of research suggesting that dogs — much like wolves — do not form simple opinions about humans based only on whether food is given, even when direct interaction is involved.

Why Does This Matter?

Because food is often treated as a universal tool. We use it to break the ice, gain trust, and soften the relationship. But if we expect a few treats to make a dog like us, we are likely to be disappointed. Dogs are more complex than that.

Trust does not grow out of a single interaction. It is not built through one kind gesture, one hand-feeding session, or even a string of rewards in training.

What Actually Builds a Relationship?

Consistency. Predictability. The way we behave around the dog every day. The way we respond to their emotions. Whether we listen to the dog and respect their needs.

Treats can absolutely help. They can open the door. They can support learning and reinforce specific behaviors.

But when they become a way to bribe the dog, distract them from a problem, or serve as a shortcut to “relationship building,” they stop doing the job people hope they will do.

A Relationship Is Not Something You Can Buy

A real relationship does not begin when we reach for a treat. It begins when we start being truly present with the dog — attentive, genuine, and open to what is actually happening. That takes more than hand-feeding. It takes time, patience, and a willingness not only to give the dog something, but also to listen.

Dogs Do Evaluate People — Just Not in the Way We Tend to Assume

The researchers point out that the lack of preference in this kind of study does not mean dogs cannot evaluate humans.

More likely, it means they do so in a different way than we expect — and that simple tests, such as choosing between two people, may fail to capture how a real dog–human relationship actually works.

In Short

There is no need to give up treats, especially when you are teaching a dog something new and unfamiliar. But they are not always the thing to reach for when the dog is struggling with an emotional problem and needs your support.

And they certainly will not do the whole job for you.

Building a relationship with a dog is not a quick trick. It is everyday work, grounded in emotion, trust, and communication.

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Hoi-Lam Jim i in. Do dogs form reputations of humans? No effect of age after indirect and direct experience in a food-giving situation.

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 2025.