# Treats and snacks



## EverInRaptures (Feb 17, 2016)

So I have been going back and forth about training treats and other treats for my girl. I hesitate constantly about giving her too much of each thing and worry if I can really trust the brands etc.
So my first question is what are your favorite training rewards to use? I'm looking for small, soft and as natural as possible with less of a risk of over feeding. We are learning Fetch and potty training and also practicing things we already know so I give treats a lot. I have tried kibble but... do you want broccoli as your reward for doing a good job?

Also, what are your views on chews? People talk so much crap about nylabones, rawhide, real meat bones that can splinter, antlers, blah blah blah... what do you guys give to your fur babies?


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

if your dog will work for "broccoli", why not train with it? every dog varies on how food motivated they are. I save the moist n meaty morsels for complex behaviors and/or distracting/difficult environments.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

I am like Fodder and use different rewards based on the circumstances. I use Real Meat brand dog food (not the treats) for a lot of stuff. I like that I don't have to refrigerate them and they are small soft pieces that you can break up even more. I also use either Happy Howies meat rolls or cooked meat of some sort for a higher value reward. One of my females works really well for fruit. It is too messy or I would use it more often.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

My mom has a bakery near her that makes dog treats, she sends Shadow and Bud presents. All natural, and not meat. The apple/cinnamon ones I'd do stuff for

For normal training I buy cheap chicken hotdogs, cut them into thin slices and then half them. A whole bunch of bites out of one hotdog. I go through about half a hotdog per session. 
I also use freeze dried chicken or fish. And Shadow likes apple, rasberries and blueberries. I have saskatoons, rasberries and strawberries in my yard, so cheap treats but she will eat most any veg, likes peas and carrots and goes nuts for turnip.
For chews I use bully sticks, or veggie chews in the house, raw bison bones outside.
I have friends who dry liver and heart themselves. 
re: all the veggies. 
Shadow has a beef allergy, and they use beef in freakin everything for dogs


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## Themusicmanswife (Jul 16, 2015)

For training, we use cheese. Cut into small cubes. Mozzarella usually. She loves cheese and it is her high value reward. We use various other treats, too. I try to find all natural with limited ingredients. Ones that are small or able to break apart. Nothing with chicken or wheat because I think she is sensitive to both. 
She gets pig's ears (made in USA). We just tried moose antlers and they were a hit. She loves bully sticks but what used to last for a day or two is now chomped down in 15 minutes or less.
Also, she loves frozen carrot, sweet potatoes fries, and French fries. Especially when she was teething.


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## Annabellam (Nov 2, 2015)

I use chicken for treats and Sammy loves it. As for the chews, it is true a lot has been said but i still give my dog nylabone chews. I have no problem with them. They seem safe and effective. He has better gums and it also gives him great breath.


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## Wags (Dec 17, 2015)

For training we use chicken, hotdogs, and cheese. I also have some conventional dog treats that we bought, just regular training treats, since he isn't as motivated by these, he gets them for things he already knows how to do really well, like sit, and doesn't really need a reward, but to give him something. Bruce however, is VERY food motivated. He will do anything for a treat. Before we started raw diet, we'd give him his kibble as reward, and he'd still work for it. I notice like at obedience class, when it's a LONG training session, using one reward for a long period of time he will start getting more distracting and not wanting it. So that's why I bring a variety, I use one for as long as I can before he gets distracted, and then I switch it up, and bam, all focus is on me (or at least the food.)

As for chews/snacks. We use nylabones as well, he loves his nylabones. He is teething right now, so it gives him something to do. He also gets a frozen kong with a few scoops of yogurt. His tongue isn't big enough to get the yogurt out of an all the way frozen one yet, so I put a few scoops in, put plastic wrap over it, flip it upright, then shake the yogurt down and freeze it.


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## EverInRaptures (Feb 17, 2016)

Thanks for the great responses everyone! She isn't interested in her own kibble enough to use it as a reward...but I wonder if I could use another brand that she isn't bored of and maybe that would work. I do like to alternate, and as you guys mentioned, save the more interesting going stuff for complicated commands or when we practice in distracting environments and she chooses to come back instead of chasing the cat or saying hi to the strangers walking by.

I don't know why this didn't occur to me before now but I have a dehydrator, I wonder if I could safely make my own baked or dehydrated treats...anyways, I'm feeling inspired after reading glasses all these great new ideas!


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## Jugisland (Oct 9, 2015)

My boy is crazy for bananas. Once I pull a banana out of my pocket he forgets rest of the world and focuses on training. 

For chew I give him bully sticks, antlers and Himalayan chew (made with yak milk, cow milk and lime)


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

I've usually trained with Natural Balance food logs cut up into cubes. It's easy to cut up in very small pieces, and it's decent food (not too junky, salty, etc.). My allergy dog gets dried beef liver -- I don't make it (too stinky!!!); I buy it.

For chews, if you have access to Costco, they're a great source for low-priced bully sticks. 

Also check out BestBullySticks.com has a terrific assortment of bully sticks and other options. I often by dried beef trachea tubes (and "chips") from them -- the dogs LOVE them, and it's a good source of natural chondroitin. They don't last all that long, but the dogs enjoy eating them.

My dogs didn't care for the Himalayan chew. Only one of them will chew antlers, and only if they're brown not white (softer). 

Nothing makes them quite as happy as chewing a frozen, raw meaty bone (chicken/turkey necks, chicken drumstick, beef necks, etc.). I only give them frozen and raw.


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## GSD316 (Jan 5, 2016)

Use chicken, cheese, and training bites. The training bites are mainly used when we are outside on walks or at training classes. These bites are low calorie small bites and easy to handle.


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## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

EverInRaptures said:


> Thanks for the great responses everyone! She isn't interested in her own kibble enough to use it as a reward...but I wonder if I could use another brand that she isn't bored of and maybe that would work. I do like to alternate, and as you guys mentioned, save the more interesting going stuff for complicated commands or when we practice in distracting environments and she chooses to come back instead of chasing the cat or saying hi to the strangers walking by.
> 
> I don't know why this didn't occur to me before now but I have a dehydrator, I wonder if I could safely make my own baked or dehydrated treats...anyways, I'm feeling inspired after reading glasses all these great new ideas!


Wow. I envy you your dehydrator. You sure can use it for making your own treats. Any meats he likes. Also sweat potato dehydrated makes for a great treat and a 2.5 second chew also. Sonny drools horribly when I wave an oven dehydrated sweat potato in front of his nose. It was the first home made treats that I made way back when and still a favorite.

As for chews, tried every thing with small success. All he ever did was try to hide or burry them


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