How does my dog......learn? Dogs learn by association. When your dog does something and is rewarded they are more likely to repeat the behaviour. This is ‘reward based training’. You do not always have to use food, although high value treats are a great way to start! In this training clip, Pearl is asked to leave the toy and follow some simple directions and her reward is the toy and the game continues. Top tips when training your dog: Make training fun! Dogs are no different to us, if it’s not