# Training Treats



## Tango's Mommy (Jun 22, 2008)

Can anyone tell me of a brand/flavor of treats I can use when training with Tango. I have tried two different kinds already and he spits both of them out (I cut them up into small pieces for him), he seems to be very picky about he's treats. Is this normal?


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

My two are picky about their treats too. They like freeze dried beef liver, but THEY WILL DO ANYTHING FOR BAILEY'S K9 JERKY, and I mean anything.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I (and my boys) love Bil-Jac liver treats.


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## Tango's Mommy (Jun 22, 2008)

irnfit said:


> My two are picky about their treats too. They like freeze dried beef liver, but THEY WILL DO ANYTHING FOR BAILEY'S K9 JERKY, and I mean anything.


Thank you, I'm going to try the Bailey's K9 Jerky.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Heather, once you find something that Tango likes, it is a good idea to refrain from giving it to him outside of training time. 

Another thing is to avoid crunchy treats (because they stop what they are doing to chew it up) and you should keep the treat size very small so they want more, and also so they don't have to stop what they are doing to chew. Keep him interested in getting more from you.


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## swtxsweetie (May 16, 2008)

Hi Heather,

My vet recommended FD Majestic Raw 100% ALL Real Beef Pet Patties. You have to order online the first time and you can't find it at a regular store (well at least I didn't). They come in 1/2 lb disks, 12 in a bag. You have to break it apart before you give it to Tango.

My puppy has never refused to eat it or spit it out. He'll eat this anytime of the day. Another strange thing is that I soak up his kibble in water and he thinks that's a treat. That's what I stuff his kong with. 

Perhaps you can ask your breeder what she recommends?

Good luck with the search. Also, there are a treats companies that offer free samples. You can just look it up so you don't have to buy a bag if Tango doesn't like it.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I use the crunchy treats just for a treat, no training involved, and he loves them. We use the tiny, soft treats for training and break them into 2 or 3 pieces so he only gets 2 whole ones while we're practicing the come, sit and stay commands.

I bought a Flossie the other day when I went to buy his dog food and he LOVED it!!! He chewed on it for an hour and a half and only half of it was gone. I took it up and gave it to him two other times before it was gone. Only problem there is that they're $3 each which would be expensive if used often. I searched for them online but they aren't any less expensive so I'll just buy at our local store and he'll get one every week or two.


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## Tango's Mommy (Jun 22, 2008)

Thanks everyone for the advice.


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## Janet Zee (Mar 16, 2007)

My babies loved the Bil-Jac liver treats when they were as young as yours, because they are soft you can break them into smaller pieces for training and young puppies can handle them better. K9 Beef Jerky is an absolute must in this house as far as treats go, but I wouldn't give Tango K9 Beef Jerky at this age, I think he is too young to handle it. I know my Bella choked on a small piece of Jerky when I gave it to her at around 3 months, thank goodness she threw it up, but when I gave it to her again at 4-5 months she was fine with it.


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## Sissygirl (Aug 8, 2007)

Sissy loves the Bil Jac Liver Treats, The Puperoni Ribs and of course, Baileys K9


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Canz real meat treats. They are small jerky squares-- 95% meat and come in a bunch of flavors-- each square has 2.5 calories and can be broken into 6-8 pieces. The boys don't love them as much as Bailey's but they are much more economical (I use the baily's for really important training-- like "come" with distractions) And they have never refused them. I think sitstay has the cheapest price... my boys love the venison/chicken flavor.

http://www.sitstay.com/dog/supplies...toreId=10001&categoryId=21505&langId=-1&top=Y


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Tori's absolute favorites are Bailey's Jerky and baby carrots. There is nothing I've found she won't do for either. I slice the carrots lengthwise into fourths, then slice them into very tiny pieces. I like to use the carrots best, because I hold them in my mouth when we're working. Although I can do the same w/Bailey's Jerky, I don't eat beef so I don't care much for the taste it leaves in my mouth.


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## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

Maddie's fav is home-made sweet potato chips done in the microwave.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Both trainer coaches think I have the pickest dog in the world. One is determined to get something Smarty will want and eat. She will not eat pre packaged treats. I cook her a beef patty or liver, she also gets our steak or dinner remains chopped into small pieces and frozen until needed. She also gets raw ground beef on occasion. I bought more treats only to give away that I feel the real meat is cheaper and I think it is better for her.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Try the Canz!!! I'm telling you when we are with other dogs the other dogs look like they have gone to heaven. And my boys still love them after all this time. And I love the ease of them...they break so easily and are great for tiny rewards.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Sandi-that is pretty much how Dora is. She will eat some Natural balance roll in her food but when it comes to work and treats, she is a snob. I usually have those mini zip lock bags with meat for her. I used to just save pieces of dinner left overs. Let's just say beef roast was the messiest but one of her favorites!

Isabelle on the other hand will do anything for a hot dog and that works to my disadvantage since lots of obedience and agility people use them. If I dont have one then Isabelle is fine to ditch me and work for them. The cheaper and grosser they are the better. Obviously, hot dogs arent healthy so I try to save them for important events and trial days.

Dasher I was just told has a little too much of his grandma's pickiness in him! Who would have thought I would get a picky hav in my household! We are trying to have him gain weight not lose it! I try the raw satin bals, he won't eat them, I cook them and he pushes the ground beef off his plate to eat the kibble! He did like the bailey's jerky but I think chicken is his favorite with a little garlic powder! That is where I remember he still has those sharp puppy teeth!


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Amanda, as far as hot dogs go, have you tried giving Belle fat free beef hot dogs? Ball Park makes some that are only 40 or 50 calories per hot dog and they're fat free. If she'll eat it, it's a much healthier option! I like them myself! 

Just wanted to add that I do give Kubrick that fat free one and he loves it.


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

McKenna's trainer used tiny bits of hot dog or string cheese as treats for finicky dogs and it worked wonders. I tried Charlee Bears, from Trader Joe's, and those only worked for about the first five minutes as did the freeze dried liver treats.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Lina- I havent tried those. Belle can gain some fat I just didn't like the idea of all the junk that is in hot dogs and the preservaties. I tried organic turkey dogs and she ran agility that night for the lady with teh cheese dogs (her absolute favorite!) I just learned to nuke them so they werent so greasy and I put the in some paper towel first and dice them up.


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Cicero LOVES the Nature's Recipe training treats and they are small...and easy to break into 2 or 3 tiny bits. He also loves hot dogs, cheese, apples, & Cheerios. Hot dogs are his 'high value' treat used for "come" and when I yell 'come' he is so fast I can't see him till he is at my feet. I dread the day that I don't have them on me!!
And he NEVER gets a treat...a bite of anything...unless he does something to earn it. So he looks at me waiting for 'a command' when he knows there is a treat around.


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Ann wrote:* "...they're $3 each which would be expensive if used often. I searched for them online but they aren't any less expensive so I'll just buy at our local store and he'll get one every week or two."*

*** Flossies are $5 here so you can imagine that I don't get those very often at all! Too bad, because the dogs just love them.

I use Nature's Variety meat rolls for training. Ricky and Sammy will do anything for those! I cut them up into very small bits and they are quickly devoured so they're attention stays on me. Freeze-dried liver work very well too, but I don't like giving too many of those in a day and we use that as rewards.

Good luck!


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

anyone out there use a soft wheat and beef free treat?


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## isshinryu_mom (Mar 23, 2008)

I use Zuke's Mini Naturals small training treats Peanut Butter flavor. They come in several different flavors but the only one I found (at Pet Supplies Plus) was Peanut Butter ones and they are wheat and beef free, I believe. Roxie LOVES them and they are tiny, tiny so I don't have to break them up or anything. The packages on the website are more ounces than the ones in the store that I bought (it was around $3.00) so look for them in a store and see if you'd like to try some.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

i love zukis as well but they are high in fat. we have a weight issue right now!


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## arlene (Jul 28, 2007)

I use Whole Life Treats - http://http://www.wholelifepet.com/page.php?PageID=393&PageName=Home

My guys go nuts for the chicken and turkey - I haven't tried the other varietys. They are great for training.


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## NvonS (Jul 8, 2010)

*STRING CHEESE!!*



Tango's Mommy said:


> Thanks everyone for the advice.


I give Lily string cheese. I bite off a piece and keep it in my mouth. Then i can bite off even tinier pieces as a reward for good attention. During a 1 hour obedience class we use about a half stick of cheese. She gets the rest after class, in her crate on the ride home. She will do anything for the cheese but I only give it to her for training.


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## ClaireVoyant (Jan 26, 2012)

So glad you pulled this back up . . .Isabella is a bit finicky too. Can't get her to eat a treat biscuit if her life depended on it. She DOES like duck jerky, but I need other options for training.


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## wynne (Apr 30, 2011)

Maya will only eat soft treats. She pushes away all crunchy treats. Here favorites seem to be Milo sausage patties and the chicken meatballs. Just break them up.


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## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

A note on hot dogs. I cut them in tiny pieces,6 strips then pieces,soak them in water and then rinse them in a strainer,pat em dry with a paper tower before you micro wave them. This washes off the salt as they are pretty salty. It is a pain but if you do a lot they last forever and they don't get as thirsty. I use MANY different treats,variety is the spice of life!


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## rlewis (Sep 20, 2011)

Kobe will do anything for a Cheerio!! My Breeder told me to use them and she was spot on. He loves them, they are easy to haul and very inexpensive!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Cheerios are fine for at-home training treats for young puppies, but they are pretty low value. In a more challenging environment, or teaching a more challenging behavior, you often need a range of training treats, ranging from low value, like Cheerios, through middle value, like a lot of commercial treats, to high value, which is usually some kind of real meat. (some dogs go crazy for cheeses too) 

Each dog will have a different hierarchy of preferences, and the preferences will change over time, so you need to rotate between many different training treats to keep them interested. Since intermittent reinforcement is very powerful, one thing that can be very useful is to fill your bait bag (or pocket) with a mixture of different treats, from low to high value. You can either just feed them out randomly and the dog will keep hoping the NEXT one will be his favorite, or, if the dog does something REALLY great, you can "jackpot" them by feeding several pieces of the high value treat one after another.


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## Cindy Ludwig (Feb 27, 2012)

I am a professional trainer and I recommend using real food, not commercially prepared training treats. The treats in the stores are usually full of additives, preservatives, artificial coloring and other chemicals.I use low fat cheese, summer sausage (cheaper than commercial treats), Natural Balance food roll, and other types of meat as well as homemade treats such as those made with tuna. Generally I use whatever I have on hand. Some dogs will even work for frozen peas. You can use cheerios or even your dog's regular kibble, if he is very food-motivated and you are not training something real difficult or real important such as recall (coming when called). Your treats should be no bigger than a pea, and adjust your dog's meal accordingly. You can save the meat scraps from your own meal, trim off any fat and cut into small pea-size pieces to use in training.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

There are commercially made treats that are just fine... you need to read the label. I have yet to see anything in a grocery store aisle that I would allow my dog to eat, but at pet supply stores, especially the small independent ones, you can find good quality training treats. 

There are a number of freeze dried meats that are easy to cut up and make great training treats. Kodi's favorites are freeze dried duck and freeze dried bison liver. There is nothing artificial in these at all... just meat, and I can store them in my pocket.... something that is hard to do with "wet" foods.


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## Cindy Ludwig (Feb 27, 2012)

Well, as I said, as professional trainer (and someone who has studied pet nutrition at the university level, and registered nurse with a master's degree) I use a variety of treats, usually whatever I have on hand. I recommend that my clients do not purchase commercially prepared treats because of the additives, especially anything made in China. Yes, you can find better made treats these days at some pet stores, but I try to make it easy for my clients to ensure their pets' health and safety while educating them about proper use of food in training. Commercially prepared treats also tend to be more expensive, and I like to save my clients money whenever I can.


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## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

Since my puppy eats Wellness Puppy Small Breed, I bought the Wellness Just for Puppy Treats. Has anyone else tried those? If you have, were they well liked? 

I also bought Pet Botanics Mini Training Reward, which are 1/2 a calorie each and have no corn, gluten, soy, BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin. Have any of you tried those? If you have, how did those go over?

Thanks for the input. Getting ready for puppy to come home!


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

eeeeeeeiiaaaa.. Angie .. you just said.... "...MY PUPPY..."!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  that sounds SO good, you have waiting for this for SO long! So happy YOUR puppy found you!!


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

My little guy likes soft treats, his top five favorites:

5) freeze dried beef liver
4) wellness bites
3) natural balance sausage (any flavor)
tie: cheese (any kind) and roasted chicken breast (real).

I know. I have a chef background. something I eat, and give a taste to the dogs. he likes hot dogs too, but I don't like the nitrites and like someone else said, uber salty.

in advanced trick class, he'd only work for real cheese (organic of course).


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

Good thread, here's what Timmy likes in order of fondness.
5- Trader Joe's Turkey/Chicken Jerky? - Anyone use these? I didn't buy them, Timmy was given some by a store keeper on our walk through town yesterday. American made, organic, all meat, I need to investigate this one.
4- New Zealand Real Meat Beef Jerky
3- Turkey Hot Dogs
2- Cheese Sticks
1- Boiled Chicken Breast


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

Mig goes nuts over green beans. Pixie thinks he's an utter fool-it's chicken breast for her.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

angiern2004 said:


> Since my puppy eats Wellness Puppy Small Breed, I bought the Wellness Just for Puppy Treats. Has anyone else tried those? If you have, were they well liked?
> 
> I also bought Pet Botanics Mini Training Reward, which are 1/2 a calorie each and have no corn, gluten, soy, BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin. Have any of you tried those? If you have, how did those go over?
> 
> Thanks for the input. Getting ready for puppy to come home!


Every puppy likes something different "best". Just remember that treats are for training... Try not to give them "just because".


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## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

Oh ya totally. I just got a couple different kinds to keep him interested. I was just wondering how they've gone over with other dogs, though I totally realize they all like different things.


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