# Best training treats?



## Relayer

Hi there... probably been asked thousands of times, but here goes. I haven't been able to find a small pocketable treat that my puppy Max really loves. He just doesn't seem to relish most any of the normal available at the grocery store stuff. Any ideas about something that might be really yummy to him? Thanks.


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## Cassidy's Mom

There are tons of threads about training treats - what have you tried so far?


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## jakeandrenee

I have found tiny pieces of cubed cheese works...soft and easy to swallow...too much crunch and he is distracted.


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## ba1614

My girls favorite are my homemade liver treats. I just sprinkle, generously, with garlic powder and bake it. After it's cooled just dice it up and freeze some if you have lots.

I also make treats out of any leftover meat from our dinner table.


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## zeprider25

cut up little pieces of string cheese and hot dog wieners.

btw. your boy Max looks just like my Rambo


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## Relayer

Mostly I've just tried a "milkbone" type product from my vet and a couple of commercial treats like pupperoni, a semi soft "filet mignon" treat that smells like bacon to me and a couple of others. Max just doesn't get very excited about any of those. He's a good eater otherwise, not too finicky, but the treats are different thing. I may go ahead and try cheese and/or small cooked chicken peices. He needs a motivating treat. Thanks everybody.


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## MikeB06

Real food is where it's at to really keep your dogs interest. Dry treats have little to no flavor for them. At Petco or PetsMart you can try BilJac liver treats. Works well for most dogs. Cubed up Natural Balance Roll food works too.


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## bianca

I have been using tiny tiny pieces of hotdog for Molly and she will do ANYTHING for them


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## Gib Laut

really you need to try a few and see what ur's thinks is a high value treat....I second the need for using real food....mine will do anything for liver and kidney (dehydrate your own it's cheaper) and I did use sauteed chicken when he was young (too much liver not good!!lol) and needed to be consuming a fair bit during training.....mine luvs cheese, but I only use it around the house, I found it was a little impractical for my training b/c it dries out or gets mushy in the heat.....


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## Mary Beth

Try cat treats - they're small and easy to carry. Also, try something other than food to reward - tennis balls, a kong toy. Try tossing the treat - so she can catch it.


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## Relayer

Great advice from everybody! Thank you. I think the real human food thing is the key and common denominator here. Since I only rarely offer a table scrab and only after we finish, it makes great sense. That's a real treat. Will try.


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## MaggieRoseLee

Relayer said:


> Mostly I've just tried a "milkbone" type product from my vet and a couple of commercial treats like pupperoni, a semi soft "filet mignon" treat that smells like bacon to me and a couple of others. Max just doesn't get very excited about any of those. He's a good eater otherwise, not too finicky, but the treats are different thing. I may go ahead and try cheese and/or small cooked chicken peices. He needs a motivating treat. Thanks everybody.


Nothing in the dog food aisle is a 'real' treat for my dogs. But if I go to my fridge and open that up.......... I tend to have more luck. Leftover almost anything that can be cut up.. (pizza? tortellini? SHARP cheddar cheese, liverwurst, any meat cut up small, )


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## alaman

Liver treats or cut up weiners. I also use the dog food they eat and that works as good as anything


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## Cassidy's Mom

Milkbone and similar dog biscuits are WAY too big to use as training treats. You want something in the neighborhood of 1/4", the size of a small pea, or less.


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## Relayer

Hi Debbie. Thanks, when I've used the "upgraded, vet sold milk bones", I always broke them into very small pieces. I understand the don't give them anything too long lasting and distracting thing. I'm just trying to find something he'll do ANYTHING for!!  I'm hoping that thing wil ultimately be great verbal praise. For now, looking for the magic gormet treat.


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## Cassidy's Mom

Praise is a fine ultimate goal, but I do find food rewards a great step towards that. Ideally, you start with a high rate of reinforcement then move towards a variable rate of reinforcement before working on phasing out food rewards entirely. Because you're rewarding a lot in the beginning, you want something that they don't even need to chew, just a little taste is enough.

If you want to use people food, which is usually high value and relatively inexpensive, tiny cubes of cheese or hot dogs typically work well. The drawback is that they need to be stored in the refrigerator between training sessions. Some of the commercial dog treats that I like to use that don't need to be refrigerated are freeze dried liver, jerkey treats (Solid Gold is a quality brand), and Zuke's Mini-Naturals. Other than the Zukes, you will need to cut or break them up into smaller pieces, the Zukes are already a good size, although I do often break those up too. 

Natural Balance makes food rolls that are a complete dog food (not a "treat" per se) - most dogs love it, and it's easy to cut up a bunch in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer. Some other good brands of treats that are available at many chain pet food stores are Pure Bites, Yummy Chummies (salmon based treats) and Plato (which comes in several different flavors). 

Good quality dog biscuits are fine when you're only going to give one or two (such as for rewarding pottying outdoors or going into the crate at night), but they aren't the best choice for training sessions, where you're going to use a lot at any one time. 

Good luck, and have fun!


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## doggiedad

freeze dried organic liver. <
Frutables. <
home made doggie biscuits. <

we only give our dog preminum treats
and nothing that's made in China and that
includes toys, brushes, collars, etc.


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## debbiebrown

i also use the real liver, bake it and sprinkle garlic powder on it, cut it up in small pieces and freeze it, and take out when needed.........i also do the same thing with cheap chuck steak, cook, cut up in small pieces w/garlic......sometimes i will use bits of chicken, cooked bologna, etc.........i think its just as important to change up the treats now and then, keep it interesting, but always using the real stuff........because what gets the dogs attention is of course the smell of food, if the smell is attractive to them, you will have their attention.........


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## MaggieRoseLee

Relayer said:


> Hi Debbie. Thanks, when I've used the "upgraded, vet sold milk bones", I always broke them into very small pieces. I understand the don't give them anything too long lasting and distracting thing. I'm just trying to find something he'll do ANYTHING for!!  I'm hoping that thing wil ultimately be great verbal praise. For now, looking for the magic gormet treat.


THink most of us know that ultimately we don't have to reward as frequently with treats and toys but ALWAYS know those are the most important and main motivators to work with and train our dogs.

Be like saying we humans don't have to 'work' for a paycheck, but if our boss just pats us on the head and says we are doing a good job we'll continue to show up and do our best... NOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The drive and focus my dog has when tearing off to chase a squirrel is the drive and enthusiasm I'm working to get into my training. So I work much harder of figuring out how to get THAT directed to me (which toy? rewarded how frequently? which treats to help?). Knowing that the toys and treats will ALWAYS be in my training regime. But that the reinforcement and use of them will be more random so I can have verbal praise in the mix TOO.


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## doggiedad

good ideas. i love bologna (beef bologna). fried with garlic, yummy.

during training i give a lot of praise. sometimes i praise and
i don't use a food treat.



debbiebrown said:


> i also use the real liver, bake it and sprinkle garlic powder on it, cut it up in small pieces and freeze it, and take out when needed.........i also do the same thing with cheap chuck steak, cook, cut up in small pieces w/garlic......sometimes i will use bits of chicken, cooked bologna, etc.........i think its just as important to change up the treats now and then, keep it interesting, but always using the real stuff........because what gets the dogs attention is of course the smell of food, if the smell is attractive to them, you will have their attention.........


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## Relayer

We made a huge roast whole sirloin tonight for my step son's birthday. Cut up loads of very small pieces and put them in zip lock bags, freezing most of them. He adores those, so we'll see how that goes!!


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## aarontfan

I was using the training treats from Petsmart but they were getting expensive. I read somewhere about using honey nut cheerios as treats so I tried that and Lulu loves them! My two schanuzers love them as well! They are whole grain and are very inexpensive compared to buying "training treats". I would recommende them over any training treats!


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