# To treat or not to treat?



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Oh goodness yes. Peggy gets loads of treats. She gets about 3/4 cup of Honest Kitchen Whole Food Clusters throughout the day, hand-fed as treats (even though it’s kibble) and also put in her crate at bedtime. She gets plain chicken breast, single-ingredient chicken jerky, string cheese, bits and pieces of whatever we happen to be eating that day, and the list goes on. Always small, bite-sized morsels.

I look for every opportunity to reinforce good behaviour with food treats, play, or whatever best suits the moment. But I find most commercial dog treats to be overpriced, hard on the digestive system, and/or unpalatable. The exception to this is Tylee’s Chicken Jerky. Eventually, though, I’d like to just start making my own.

It’s also really easy to cook up a batch of plain chicken breasts (look for them on sale), cut them into small pieces, freeze on a cookie sheet, and then toss in a freezer bag.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Phoebe gets so much of everything. She eats Merrick dog food - I might change that since she doesn’t love it. She LOVES honest kitchen whole food clusters. We have tried beef and chicken whole grain and she loves both. She gets those in puzzles and from hand as a training treat. She gets Fresh Pet for breakfast most days. After grooming, she gets freeze dried beef liver, and that is one of her most favorite things. She also gets fruitables as training treats, plus the assorted bags of treats that came in the bark box over the past year. Chicken jerky, beef cheeks, and bully sticks to chew on. Plus many assorted people foods, bits of cheese, meat, sometimes some leftovers depending on what it is.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Normie eats healthy treats throughout the day. Some are training rewards. Others are rewards for doing the right thing ("Good dog, you didn't bark at the postman!") And some are fun (humans eat dinner, Normie gets his Virbac dental chew).


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I use loads of treats in training. Galen has a sensitive tummy, and he does best with single ingredient treats. I'm currently using Vitalessentials nibs, as they are minimally messy. I also cook up a cheap lean cut of beef, slice it into tiny cubes, and freeze it for training in high distraction situations. I save dried lambs heart, Baltic sprat, and pork jerky as high value rewards for coming when called.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

I use cooked chicken breast, dehydrated duck breast jerky, bits of cheese string, and Acana kibble for training treats. We also have on hand freeze dried beef liver, dehydrated sweet potatoe, and most recently Fresh Pet’s Turkey bacon. We’re mostly a vegan family so it’s pretty funny that on most days I handle more meat than I ever would have imagined 🤪.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Starla said:


> Phoebe gets so much of everything. She eats Merrick dog food - I might change that since she doesn’t love it. She LOVES honest kitchen whole food clusters. We have tried beef and chicken whole grain and she loves both. She gets those in puzzles and from hand as a training treat. She gets Fresh Pet for breakfast most days. After grooming, she gets freeze dried beef liver, and that is one of her most favorite things. She also gets fruitables as training treats, plus the assorted bags of treats that came in the bark box over the past year. Chicken jerky, beef cheeks, and bully sticks to chew on. Plus many assorted people foods, bits of cheese, meat, sometimes some leftovers depending on what it is.


This makes me so happy.  Our poodles deserve some diversity in their diet. All dogs do.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> This makes me so happy.  Our poodles deserve some diversity in their diet. All dogs do.


She does enjoy the variety, and I’m lucky that she doesn’t seem to have any sensitivities. The only thing she has turned her nose up at is plain chips/potatoes (that she shouldn’t have anyway!) and farmina brand kibbles.


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

So many treats! Oona will happily work for her everyday kibble in low and medium-distraction environments, or environments where she is used to distractions, like dog class. But anywhere that is more challenging for her, or if we are working on something new, it's nice to use something extra reinforcing for her. Freeze dried chicken, beef liver, and tiny bits of cheese are some of her usual favorites. We use beef Rollover in her class sometimes, though I think we have to cut back since it seems to correlate with loose poops. There is a chicken jerky made by Caledon Farms that I like a lot for walks because it doesn't get my pocket greasy or crumby but can be torn into small pieces easily. While I don't reward her constantly, I always like to have a treat on me if there is something she does I want to reinforce or we encounter a situation or trigger that would be helpful to manage using treats.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Mine get lots of treats, home made and designed to plug possible nutritional gaps in their home cooked diet. Sardine biscuits, chicken pancakes made with wholemeal flour, plain chicken, etc. They are part of their daily calories and are much anticipated and enjoyed. I use a small silicon coin purse as a treat pouch on walks - small enough to go in a pocket and saves stickiness.


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## beowoof (Dec 6, 2021)

Kirby enjoys lots of treats! he enjoys a daily greenie at bedtime and a rotation of chews like bully sticks and chicken jerky. our daily training sessions and low to medium distraction areas he will work for acana (fish) kibble or ziwi (chicken) dog food which has an almost jerky-like consistency. for walks my training pouch also has some zuke's minis (peanut butter & chicken are the hot flavours), freeze dried chicken and freeze dried beef liver. when we go to classes i bring out the big guns: boiled chicken & little bits of cheese.




BennieJets said:


> We’re mostly a vegan family so it’s pretty funny that on most days I handle more meat than I ever would have imagined 🤪.


SAME. it's a strange thing to tell people i'm boiling chicken for the dog but haven't eaten meat in years... there's a great irony there. _oh the things we do for love._


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## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

If nothing else, they will get "crate cookies". Every time they get put into their crate, they get a mini Old Mother Hubbard biscuit. If we are training, then they get Charlee Bear treats and/or freeze dried treats for Simon or the soft treats like Zukes or Pet Botanicals for the girls. Simon has loose stool if he gets more than a few of the soft threats.


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