# training treats



## hottubecake (Jul 28, 2010)

I'll be getting my puppy in a few weeks and am grateful for all the wonderful tips I've read here. What I haven't seen or maybe Ive missed it is what treats to use for training purposes. Any help is appreciated.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

hottubecake said:


> I'll be getting my puppy in a few weeks and am grateful for all the wonderful tips I've read here. What I haven't seen or maybe Ive missed it is what treats to use for training purposes. Any help is appreciated.


I'm sure we've had threads on this before, so poke around a bit. Training treats we use are:

cheese-

Smelly, hard cheese is the easiest to work with... I buy cheap blocks of parmesan and cut that up small. String cheese works fine too, but is a bit slimier. Any cheese can be made easier to work with by cutting it up and then leaving it on a paper plate in the refrig for a few days to dry out.

Canadian bacon or ham-

Get thick slices, then cube them.

Deli meats -

Roast beef and turkey work well. Again, have the deli cut you one thick slab, like 1/4". Then cube it. You can dry it out so that it's easier to work with either in the microwave or a slow oven after its cubed.

Cheerios -

This is a low value treat, but you want some of those too.

Various fruits and veggies -

Kodi's favorites are carrots, apples and snap peas. They are best for casual, low-key stuff, though. Because they are crunchy, you have to wait for the dog to chew them up before you can continue working. Even if they are cut small, they can choke on the pieces if they don't chew them.

Store-bought-

Avoid grocery store treats... they are full of chemicals. Some that we like are Zuke's Naturals and Wellness. There are a bunch of flavors of each.

Also Natural Balance rolled dog food can be cubed easily, and most dogs are crazy about it.

Charlie Bears are a staple for us. They are dry and easy to keep in your pocket for spontaneous training throughout your day or while out on walks. Don't use these if your dog has any problem with wheat flour.

Home made -

These are Kodi's FAVORITES...

1 lb liver (we use chicken liver)
2 eggs
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1/4-1/3 c flour (I use brown rice flour)

Blend these all together in the blender, starting with the liver, then adding the eggs and cheese and finally enough flour to make it the consistency of cake batter. Pour the mixture into a shallow, greased, baking pan and bake for 25 min. at 350F. Remove from oven, cut into small squares, toss to expose edges, and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes or so.

This makes a TON of treats, they are cheap, can be kept in the refrig for about a week, or indefinitely in the freezer. I haven't met a dog who doesn't go nuts for these. These are Kodi's absolutely highest value treats.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Use very...................................................little tiny bits for treats......they are calories and can offset meal times.

Nice list Karen! I've got to copy this one!


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

Be cautious using ham, bacon, and deli meats. Most have TONS of sodium which can be too much for a dog, especially a small puppy.

Plain boiled chicken breast works great and can be cut into tiny bits.


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## LilyMyLove (Jul 11, 2009)

I also Love this list Karen, I'm going to have to make that recipe. 

Lily is picky, so she wont eat most vegs or cheerios or Charlie Bears unless she is starving. She just drops stuff she doesnt care for on the ground. 

I really like Dr. Becker Bites. They come in Beef or Bison liver flavors are organic, grain free and can be broken up into super small pieces. 

A lot of different brands also sell dehydrated chicken, fish, beef and liver that comes in natural and organic so that is an easy way to have a nutritious, hugh value treat that can go in your pocket. Halo has them (but is expensive and come in a small jar, I don't know the other brands off the top of my head).


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

I would start with pieces of their kibble-------


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## hottubecake (Jul 28, 2010)

thanks everyone.......


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Scooter's Family said:


> Be cautious using ham, bacon, and deli meats. Most have TONS of sodium which can be too much for a dog, especially a small puppy.
> 
> Plain boiled chicken breast works great and can be cut into tiny bits.


I talked to several vets about this, and they all said in the tiny amounts you should be using for training treats, that deli meats were fine. Boiled chicken is a great one that I forgot to put on the list, (any roast meats you have for dinner are fine too!) but you need a bunch of different things to rotate through. And any of this stuff is WAY better than grocery store treats!

Also, Canadian bacon, isn't like regular bacon. It actually has less salt than a lot of ham products. I wouldn't use regular bacon... not only is it VERY salty, but also REALLY fatty!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mintchip said:


> I would start with pieces of their kibble-------


That can work for some dogs, but for most, it's about the lowest value treat you can use. OTOH, my brother's hound (who is a real CHOW hound!<g>) gets too excited over higher value training treats and is thrilled with a piece of kibble.<g>


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

I don't use store-bought "treats" but I do use pieces of a different "kind" of food. For example, Purina has a food called "Beneful" that has a pretty healthy product label (definitely not the best, but for treats it's just fine). I buy the smallest bag available, it costs around $8, and the bag of "treats" will last MONTHS. That is a good choice for my dogs, because there are 4 or 5 different varieties of kibble in the bag, some crunchy some soft, so they never quite know what reward they are getting, they just know it will be tasty.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

kudo2u said:


> I don't use store-bought "treats" but I do use pieces of a different "kind" of food. For example, Purina has a food called "Beneful" that has a pretty healthy product label (definitely not the best, but for treats it's just fine). I buy the smallest bag available, it costs around $8, and the bag of "treats" will last MONTHS. That is a good choice for my dogs, because there are 4 or 5 different varieties of kibble in the bag, some crunchy some soft, so they never quite know what reward they are getting, they just know it will be tasty.


And if that kind of treat works for them, most of the specialty dog stores have sample size packages of LOTS of different premium foods. So for very little money you can get a lot of variety, and the packages are small so they don't get stale. Kodi thinks he got gypped if you give him kibble as a "reward", however.<g>


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

Well, I learned on Sunday at Stella's first training session that if Roscoe is not around, she doesn't want to work for typical treats. Next week, I will be bringing some cheese cubes to bribe her with 

I mostly use Zuke's (especially the training minis and venison strips), some natural Bison treats, and string cheese. They LOVE cheese and will do ANYTHING for it. If I ask Tim if he wants "cheese" on his sandwich, they are both RIGHT THERE waiting by the fridge. Did you say cheese, mom? I KNOW YOU SAID CHEESE!


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

My ollie pop's top treats:

ducky jerky
roasted chicken breast
roasted turkey meat (thigh for me)
freeze dried beef liver (cuts easy with a razor blade)

and he really loves the wellness treats, but that's some expensive crack, if you know what I mean. also, dr. becker stuff, is awesome too, but also expensive.


one thing to think about is a treat hierarchy. as you teach a new trick, pay out the highest treat (the one he/she loves the most) and pay out often, as they master a trick pay out less often and/or with a less tasty treat.

Kibble doesn't fly in my home for a treat, with any of my dogs.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

When I do agility classes with my Nessie, they recommend that you have 3 different treats. I usually have:

low- Charlie Bears. 3 cal each. usually rewarded for sitting patiently, waiting for our turn.

med - cheese, for doing tricks they already are good at

High- the training place sells homemade 'OMG, I will be your slave for life if you give me that' treats. for learning new tricks.

Unfortunately, my older dog, Kit, was treat-stupid. I avoided treat rewards and gave him pats instead. Low - 'Good Dog' and quick ruffle. Med. - more excited 'Yay, good job!' and butt scratch. High - maybe a Charlie Bear, major pats and a hug when we are done. He was a very excited Border Collie. Treats were like giving a pixie stick to a 5 year old.

Depending on your dog's personality, a pat and warm praise can be as good as a treat.


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## mamahava (Aug 4, 2010)

krandall said:


> I'm sure we've had threads on this before, so poke around a bit. Training treats we use are:
> 
> cheese-
> 
> ...


That recipe for the homemade treats sounds awesome! I will have to try that one day.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Rosie loves cheese and so does Josie Wales the cat. I actually can get down pills with cheese. If Rosie does something good, she runs to the fridge and waits for the cheese.


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