training and treats

[Jango]

Just wanted to get some advice on this topic. Jango is doing really well learning sits, down, off etc. but I was wondering about the quantity/quality of treats that you all use. I use treats and have included that in what I feed him each day so as not to overfeed him. Do you have any suggestions on what kind of treats to use? I am using two kinds right now. One is beef jerky sticks and the other is beef cheesy combos. I cut them up and give them in small pieces. I mix them with some of his kibble so he has a kind of puppy party mix going on. His party mix is separate from his regular meals of course.

[rottnkidd]

For Obedience I use a variety of things. Here are a few of them- "Salami for Dogs" , Rollover, Hotdogs (slice thin as a dime, place on paper toweling, then microwave to remove moisture, Cheese cubes, String cheese, Liver (boiled, then baked on low oven), and Tortellini (cheese-filled), and homemade tuna or salmon bites. Try to use treats that you can keep in your mouth! You'll teach your dog to watch your face and not your pockets! Other then the Salami and the Rollover, all of the above are perfect for packing the mouth, Hope these will get you started! ;)
Best wishes -
kathy

[Brooke&Ryan]

Originally Posted by rottnkidd

Hotdogs (slice thin as a dime, place on paper toweling, then microwave to remove moisture, Cheese cubes, String cheese

These are the ones that we typically use & they work very well.

:)
Brooke

[spidey]

Hot dogs (I like organic turkey dogs, and you can boil them a bit before you slice and microwave them to get rid of some salt), Cheerios (great treats for pets who need to watch their weight, low calorie and crunchy-yummy), leftover chicken/steak/whatever, meatballs, cheese (especially string cheese is good for heeling training, because you can hold it so that just the end of the string is poking out and keep letting more out as you feed it).

Keep in mind that dogs aren't very good at judging size, so your treats can be very tiny and still be a reward.

You can also use kibble, just take it out of the day's ration. Some people like to train with different "values" of treats, and give lower value treats (like kibble) and higher value treats (like hotdogs). Personally, my dog gets so distracted by examining each treat to see what it is if I use different kinds in the same training session, that it interferes with the training, so I just stick to the same kind.

[Rott-Wiley]

Dogs respond to smell much more then anything else (even taste), if you put something real stinky (tripe is excellent) in a baggie along with something like kibble, it will pick up that odor and the dogs will really love it. It can come in real handy to get their attention or in problem solving.

[Mary Bouchard]

I like the hot dogs sliced thin.

It is so funny to watch my huge headed male delicately take this tiny treat gently from me like it is the greatest prize. ;)