# training treats to die for?



## JMFutures (Dec 31, 2012)

i need training treats that are so good my Gibby won't want to take his eyes off me....anyone got anything they swear by? He is not very food driven imo. He is so hyper I think he has adhd, just so bonkers, i need to find a way to control him in obedience class. He is about 8 months old now. 


Tried: hotdogs that I microwaved until they were tougher chewy pieces, cooked chicken breast, zukes mini treats in all flavors, and real meat fish & venison jerky treats. 
He eats them no problem - just its not enough to get him to listen to commands at obedience class. Home it's different.

eta: he is raw fed


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I have browned stew meat to use as treats. I also use bil jack liver treats. Swizzle won't touch most commercial treats.


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## OffTheLeash (May 15, 2013)

When we were doing trials with our dogs, we used moose heart. You could probably get something similar from the butcher. It smells AWFUL when you cook it, but the dogs would do anything for it. Put a load of garlic on it. Just don't give them raw garlic. That's super bad for them  good luck finding something that works

OTL 

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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Mine would sell their souls for chicken, but you've already tried that!

Possibly cheese, dried liver (but be careful - it gave Sophy appalling diarrhoea), tuna cake, cat treats (cat foods tend to be smellier than dog, and are suitably tiny).

Or perhaps try a tug toy instead, and reward him with a quick exciting game?


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## rjen (Apr 7, 2010)

My dogs love baked liver treats. I buy the liver at the grocery store store, rinse it, sprinkle with garlic, and bake at 375 till hard. Refrigerate till you need it [my kids used to snack on this whenever they laid tracks for our search and rescue dogs]


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## crestiespoo (Dec 19, 2012)

My dogs go NUTS for the Benny Bully's dried liver treats - you break them into smaller pieces so they last forever. However, I avoid giving them as much as possible because they get horrible smelling gas afterwards! I tell 'ya - it's enough to clear a whole room!!!! I save them for very special occasions when we are outside more than inside... lol


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## JMFutures (Dec 31, 2012)

thanks everyone. i need to find something - i can't even get him to walk loose leash with me. he tears off in every direction and is always pulling. It's better at home on walks with just us but if i even have one of my own kiddos with forget it.


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## KristaLynn (Mar 22, 2012)

I have a dehydrator and put all sorts of things in it for dog treats! Organs are the most popular, heart doesn't smell to me but liver makes me gag while it's being done. My girls actually had a fight over a chicken heart! They love them so much.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Lou would do anything for 1/4 of a slice of regular american cheese!!! But I hear giving too much calcium can be bad for large dogs (i may be wrong) so I quit giving it to her :-(
But it worked like a charm for training! 


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

Sounds more like distraction than hating treats. I'm sure he likes the treats but he is more curious or can't cope as to what happen around him. Charlie does the same thing. My trick is his toy. Find the toy he loves the most and carry that to your class to get his attention and treat him when he gives you his attention.

When I walk Charlie, I would always have his tug or ball with me. Therefore, when he is distracted during walking and pulling, I won't have to pull him to me, I just stop and show him what I got and he'll look at me and I treat. Then correct his position then walk. I do this often that the neighbors notice that I train my dog. Haha. It will pay off in the end.


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## brownlikewoah (May 3, 2012)

GreenTripe.Com Main Index
try the k-9 krackle. Also, make sure he is hungry when you're training him, you'll be able to get him to focus on the food more.


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## Ainsley (Apr 22, 2013)

I've made salmon treats for Alby twice now (both different recipes and different methods...I'm experimenting). One had canned salmon, whole wheat flour and egg the other canned salmon, brown rice, flour and egg. He loves them both and before I made them the only treat he would REALLY work for was a $5.99 per bag salmon treat. I love our puppy but he could down a bag in two or three training sessions no matter how small I cut them. I get 6 cans of organic salmon at Costco for $12, then egg and flour I always have on hand. The last batch with brown rice used 2 cans of salmon and has lasted me 3 days so far. They do have to be refrigerated or frozen (I have some of both) and they are stinky, but he works hard for them!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

If you can find "Great Bait" try that. It is what many conformation handlers use. Lily and Peeves both find it irresistible, but it can be hard to find other than at shows. You can freeze and thaw it. It keeps in frig for three days, but can be refrozen.

Here is a recipe for a homemade treat that if you don't mind garlic you can put in your mouth to spit or hand to your dog when needed. I got the recipe from a member of the Lenape tracking club and she swears by it. She calls it turkey brownies. It has been working very well for tracking and as a reward for metal utility articles. 

1 lb. ground turkey
5 oz/1 c bread crumbs (any kind)
2 beaten eggs
lots of garlic powder (I mean lots)

Mix all of the above together like you are making meatloaf. If it seems too wet add some grated parmesan cheese. Press it into a nonstick sprayed 13 x 9 baking dish flat like brownies. Bake at 350F until it starts to pull away from the edge of the pan. Cool it and cut it into pieces you think will be the right size for your dog. You can freeze the portion that you won't get to within a few days and take it out as you need it.


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## 2719 (Feb 8, 2011)

Lou said:


> Lou would do anything for 1/4 of a slice of regular american cheese!!!
> 
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Good idea, I never thought of cheese slices. I tried it today and it was very successful. They love cheese, and a little for training is okay.

Thanks.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I think cheese is fine for a mini or standard but I would worry about the high fat content for a toy. I would be concerned about pancreatitis.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Peeves is allergic to cheese, so I have never used it with him and only limitedly for Lily since he sees her having it and he likes it, so it doesn't seem fair to him.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Im so glad it worked! You can ask your vet about it to make sure it's ok if you'd like because I'm not educated on this to talk about it, but just my experience is that it worked with Lou 

I actually disnt give Lou more than 1 slice in a day cause I wasn't sure...


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

lily cd re said:


> If you can find "Great Bait" try that. It is what many conformation handlers use. Lily and Peeves both find it irresistible, but it can be hard to find other than at shows. You can freeze and thaw it. It keeps in frig for three days, but can be refrozen.
> 
> Here is a recipe for a homemade treat that if you don't mind garlic you can put in your mouth to spit or hand to your dog when needed. I got the recipe from a member of the Lenape tracking club and she swears by it. She calls it turkey brownies. It has been working very well for tracking and as a reward for metal utility articles.
> 
> ...


I read on web md pet once that garlic is toxic for dogs :-(
Here is the slideshow 

Dangerous Foods That Dogs Should Never Eat - WebMD Slideshow


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

They should not eat raw garlic, but garlic powder is no problem. Think about it there is garlic in many things we feed them like hot dogs.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Yup, what you say makes sense I just obsess on things a little bit... on anything related to Lou, I read ALL the labels before I give it to her hehehehe 


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## 2719 (Feb 8, 2011)

brownlikewoah said:


> GreenTripe.Com Main Index
> try the k-9 krackle. Also, make sure he is hungry when you're training him, you'll be able to get him to focus on the food more.



Agreed they love it. I bought Petkind Tripe Treats. But it was too gross for me...it smelled like a barnyard and made me nauseous.


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## JMFutures (Dec 31, 2012)

so - today i happened to get a free sample of kibble - and wouldn't ya know - he was just about begging for it. By FAR the best he has ever done in obedience class! ha - how simple was that.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Typical, isn't it! Sophy wouldn't eat kibble when it was a meal - now that it is an occasional treat she'd do anything for a piece!


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## JMFutures (Dec 31, 2012)

*excessive thirst*

well i need to think of something else. Used kibble the last three sessions (thurs evenings) and the poor guy whined and cried all night long for water - that stuff makes him so thirsty. Can't neglect that ya know.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Sometimes I try to trick Missy and Ash by giving them kibble as a treat. It worked the first week, but now they just spit it out and look at me like I'm nuts! 


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Trader Joes sells dried liver treats. My dogs love those. Stella and Chewy's freeze dried patties can be used for treats in little chunks. They also make treats, but the patties make my dogs eyes pop out. String cheese or mild cheese sticks work well for a toy- they can nibble on the end.


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## JMFutures (Dec 31, 2012)

i think i just might try string cheese once. im worried about him getting the squirts though. I haven't given him much cheese.


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## sarahmurphy (Mar 22, 2012)

Since whatever it is has to go in my mouth, too - we train with cheese - sometimes dehydrated hot dogs... usually string cheese - it does not dissolve the way block cheeses do, and it's easy to let a bit hang out of your mouth so they can see that YOU have the goods... (I never thought I'd do that, much less type it!)...

each reward is a tiny bit - 1/4 slice of cheese can get us through half an hour of obedience work... and don't feed right before training - hungry dogs are a little more willing to work for food....


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Well said sarahmurphy...

Being able to keep food in one's mouth is a bit of a double edge sword if the treats are tasty to us too we can end up consuming calories we haven't given any thought to.


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## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

Don't forget to use variable treats(not same ones for whole class) and don't use those yummy ones at home! Use way less exciting treats at home and save the good ones. Also use/create a toy drive to your advantage as food reward serves a purpose but being able to use the environment and play as reward is much more fulfilling to dogs. Excellent book is culture clash but it is a little technical. Really opens your eyes to what dogs work for and how we inadvertently reward behaviors we don't want and assume the dog "knows" certain commands when they guessed correctly a few times.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> If you can find "Great Bait" try that. It is what many conformation handlers use. Lily and Peeves both find it irresistible, but it can be hard to find other than at shows. You can freeze and thaw it. It keeps in frig for three days, but can be refrozen.


Warning if your dog has allergies to wheat - great bait has it.


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## DreamAgility (Sep 2, 2013)

Once I used deer heart. My spacey dog never left me until it was gone.
My dogs also love bill jacks, charlie bears, and natures recipe soft. They do like blue and zukes, but they are expensive. 
My dogs eyes almost roll out because they cant keep their eyes off homemade fish fudge. I have tried it and other peoples dogs and nobody can take their eyes off it.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

DreamAgility said:


> Once I used deer heart. My spacey dog never left me until it was gone.
> My dogs also love bill jacks, charlie bears, and natures recipe soft. They do like blue and zukes, but they are expensive.
> My dogs eyes almost roll out because they cant keep their eyes off homemade fish fudge. I have tried it and other peoples dogs and nobody can take their eyes off it.


Homemade Fish fudge??:act-up: Do you have a recipe? Sounds like WOW - is it smelly?


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## DreamAgility (Sep 2, 2013)

I dont have the recipe on hand, but there a lot of recipes on google. Usually its tuna, p. cheese, garlic, and flour. Makes in 5 min and bakes in 1/2 hour.
Its usually not that stinky with tuna, but with other fish its outragous.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

kontiki said:


> Warning if your dog has allergies to wheat - great bait has it.


Anything you feed your dog should be ingredient checked with respect to allergies. Many dogs are also allergic to cheese. One should also try to avoid using different protein sources for regular food vs. treats. For example if your regular food is poultry based your treat should be too.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

I use human grade hot dogs, chopped into tiny pieces. I can buy a package of turkey dogs for a dollar and get hundreds of treads from it.


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