u/Fine_Strength_5380

I recently adopted a 3 year old Lab/Dachshund mix and I’m looking for some advice.

She is not very food motivated and also does not seem very interested in toys, especially when we are outside. I’m having a hard time figuring out what to use as a reward, which is making training tricky. I have been trying to use sniffing as a reward because she likes that so much but it does not help with other training like basic commands and such.

Right now the main things I want to work on are loose leash walking, eventually heeling, lowering reactivity around other dogs, and teaching her other skills too. She pulls a lot on walks and will sometimes bark at other dogs.

I’m trying to figure out:

What do you use to motivate a dog that is not food or toy motivated?

What other rewards can I use?

How do you build engagement with a dog like this?

How would you approach loose leash walking and mild reactivity when the dog does not seem to care about treats?

Any advice, training ideas, or things that have worked for similar dogs would be really appreciated.