I believe that what you practice ends up being the response you get in real life.  If when you are practicing “sit” you are rewarding with kibble and your dog gives you a slow, sloppy sit with minimal attention, then that is often the sit you’ll end up with in real life.  On the other hand, if I practice “sit” with a pieces of chicken as a reward and my dog gives me fast sits with 100% attention, then that is the kind of sit I am more likely to get in real life.

For highly distracting environments, I have to bring a treat to match.  When working outdoors, I always use something high value such as cheese or steak.  That way, when my dog recalls away from playing with another dog or chasing a squirrel, I can pay him big time with a fantastic reward!

The opposite works for calm behaviors.  I like using kibble or something less exciting for duration down stays in order to keep the dog calm, nothing too exciting.

Happy training!