# Training Treats?



## Fbkathleen (Jan 9, 2012)

*Treats*

My SPOO, Enzo, likes many kinds of treats. For training it is best to have very small pieces as otherwise he gets too much. I usually get organic and healthy treats that i can break into small pieces. He really likes this freeze dried liver and sweet potato combo. He is on chicken soup for the puppy lovers soul and one of his favorite treats is purina dog chow that belongs to the other dog in our house. Go figure. I tried using his own food but that was boring. The happiest dogs in our class have small pieces of hot dogs. 
I started feeding Enzo on a three meal a day schedule and that just quickly fell apart so now I feed him on demand. He does not act food obsessed and his weight is good but he is an active puppy. I figure as long as he does ok I will stay with this system but the party is over if he starts getting fat. 
I am sure you will find what works for you. Enjoy your new dog.


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## Arcticfox (Dec 12, 2011)

I think every dog will be different, there's no way you can say a whole breed isn't motivated by this or that. It's great that your breeder found something that works for her but to say they "only work for Natural Balance Food Roll and liver" might just mean that's what worked for her first dog, the she subsequently only used that for the rest of her dogs. 

I do not free feed my spoo because I like to know when her meals will be and train right before them, incorporating the meal as the last few BIG jackpot rewards. It used to be roughly 3 meals a day, now 2.

For treats I like a mixed bag to keep everyone guessing. I never know what I'm going to pull out. I have a handful of regular kibble in the treat pouch, along with pieces of freeze dried liver, duck jerky, cat treats, cookie type treats, soft liver treats, etc. Everything is broken down into kibble sized pieces if I can (sometimes I get tired of breaking cookies though and cheat a little). Once in a while I cut up some mild cheddar, or some food roll type thing and keep it in a small sandwich bag as extra special treats for things like distraction proofing outside, or training for new behaviours.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

My spoo will work for treats or toys, but he definitely prefers treats, and will work even for pieces of kibble. I do Arcticfox's "treat Chex mix" to keep things interesting: a mix of kibble, freeze-dried liver, diced Pet Deli roll, etc. Sometimes I use the pup's meal to train. He's raw fed, so I'll cut up his chicken necks into bite-sized pieces and do some shaping. Talk about motivated!

I do not free feed. It's not practical with raw feeding four dogs, plus I like to know how much everyone's eating so I can adjust portions if needed. Helps with housebreaking, too, when you know when your dog last ate.

Congrats on your new youngster; we can't wait for pics!

--Q


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## mom24doggies (Mar 28, 2011)

My dogs will literally almost do flips for these: Pet Botanics Training Reward Treats - Treats & Rawhide - Dog - PetSmart Especially the bacon flavored ones. And they are VERY food motivated, so for them to give extra effort over a treat is big. The ingredients aren't amazing, but I've seen a lot worse. And they are definitely smelly! My fingers smell even after washing.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I feed raw but for training I give cooked treats, generally grilled chicken or pork tenderloin. Since I have a toy I want everything he eats to be relatively high value. Occasionally I will also feed dry buffalo liver or fjm's yummy liver treats. I have not gotten into tug reward but just bought one and will start to add that to the mix. It was somewhat difficult to find an appropriate tug toy for a toy but Marshalls can be a surprisingly good source for dog stuff. I bought a little purse that I can lace through the belt straps of my jeans and it works great. I tried those dog bags but was losing treats with the drawstring. Now with this little zippered bag I can secure and access his treats easily and I have a zippered pocket for my car key. If someone tries to give Swizzle a dog store dog treat he usually takes it and spits it out.


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## afkar (Dec 9, 2011)

My three spoos get a mix of treats as like the others I use a bag with different stuff in it. The usuals are cheese, dried hotdog (sometimes sprinkled with a little aniseed powder before drying), cubed dried coconut, dried liver, dried fish & some natural based kibble & anything else that looks appealing. I also feed raw & feed under controlled conditions as it is much easier to monitor how much is being eaten & body condition of each dog. The younger two also love toys while Tia prefers food & affection.


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## Northern Lights (Feb 26, 2012)

Had to go look up the recipe for fjm's liver treats -- sounds tasty, at least for a dog!

_FMJ's liver cake
(1 lb liver, 1 cup uncooked rice, 1 egg - cook the rice until it is very soft, and put into a food mixer with the liver and egg. Pour out into a non-stick baking tray, and bake at around 320 F until firm. Cut it into suitably sized pieces, and either freeze, or put the pieces back into a very low oven until they are dry.)_


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

I think you can build food motivation in a puppy, so worthwhile doing so. They tend to be hungry all the time when young anyway, as they are growing, so you can build on it. Worth doing, as it is much easier to train a food-motivated dog.

I use all sorts of things, but very few commercial treats. Tiny cubes of Romano or Gouda (hard cheeses are good in the pocket), bits of crisp bacon, bits of sausage, leftover roast cut into tiny pieces, liver cake, mackerel cake. I vary it, too, so my dog doesn't know what might come out of my pocket. I use the kibble mix trick too, although my dog likes his kibble and will happily work for that too.

I've just been experimenting with mackerel cake, and so far, it's a big hit.

I take four small tins of mackerel (in water) and chuck it in the blender (without draining) with 3 eggs, probably 1/4 cup of cream, and a big glug of olive oil. Blend until moderately smooth. Then I tip it into a bowl and add enough dried potato flakes (the kind you use to make icky mashed potatoes :smile to make a pretty thick consistency. Probably about a cup, cup and a half. The consistency should be like bread dough, rather than like cake mix.

Mush it into a cookie sheet with a lip, pre-greased with olive oil. Bake at gas mark 5 until deep golden brown, then cut into storable squares while still warm.

I made some last night, and even my SO liked it :smile:.


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## Northern Lights (Feb 26, 2012)

*Well, I hope I'm ready!*

Yesterday morning, I baked some of the liver cakes, though I substituted cooked oatmeal for the rice, then baked salmon-rice-egg-parmesan-garlic treats and chopped uncured hot dogs in the afternoon. My freezer is now well stocked with treats to make into puppy chex mix.

I must be doing some pre-puppy nesting!


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## stealthq (Aug 4, 2011)

My puppy was not food motivated at all. He was also never particularly hungry. For the first month, he wouldn't even eat the minimum amount recommended by his breeder although I kept him on the same raw + kibble that she had been using. I later tried just kibble, then just raw, then a few pieces of different kibble brands and different treats to see if he was just picky, but none of it helped. He just wasn't that hungry.

About 1-1.5 months later, he started cleaning his dish. About the same time, he started acting like he enjoyed some of the treats I got him - dehydrated meat/organ type treats the best - and now he actively looks where he knows the treats are kept and starts doing tricks for me, hoping I'll get him one


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## Leooonie (May 30, 2009)

I suggest making your own offal cakes from cheap bits from the butcher. these are still human grade so are mostly fine. just be careful with bones.
there are plenty of recipes on the 'net.

I really really dont recommend free feeding. dogs are much better suited to having a structured feeding regime with you in control. A dog with 'free food' is not going to as used to you handling his food as a dog with even just one meal a day. Having a dog that is at ease around food is important. One of my neighbours dog is naturally very anxious, and finds eating rather stressful. having the food around puts him on his guard...and has resulted in a few dog fights, and a human bite.
I know not all dogs are strong resource guarders..but I began with Harley (my first and current dog) by free feeding and within a few months he was actually rather dangerous around food. I had to begin from scratch by feeding him his meals by hand. which is also a great idea for your pup.....


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