There are SO many different treats out on the market for you pet, it's hard to know where to start. At my house I feed a RAW diet so I am pretty picky about what is going into my dogs, but luckily there are still tons of options for all-natural dog treats. The type of reward is extremely important in any reward-based training program, and there are generally two groups: high value and low value.
High Value Vs. Low Value
High value treats are such things as hot dogs, meat, cheese, etc. Usually they are soft and super stinky :), but it's something that your dog can't seem to get enough of no matter what is going on in the world around him. Rookie's highest value treat is the Lickety Stik (any flavor). I pull that thing out and his eyes get wide with excitement! Every dog has a different taste and what one dog finds extremely exciting, another may not. You will have to try different types of treats in different environments in order to find out what your dog prefers the most.
These are all usually considered high value :). |
As a general rule every dog has food drive (they have to eat to survive) but some just have way more than others. If your dog doesn't seem to be interested in your treats (make sure you try several varieties!) you can try changing their feeding schedule to feeding after the training sessions. Also check to see how much you are feeding, if your dog is a little on the heavy side being satiated can affect their food motivation.
Just For The Taste of Reward
I like to keep my dogs guessing so I change up the variety of food rewards for training sessions. I make sure to still use something I know they will work for, but the variety seems to keep them interested and adds an edge to their motivation because it's not always the same old thing session after session.
As you might guess, you'll go through lots of treats during a training session so how does that affect their regular diet and weight? You'll want to make sure to keep the training treat size small, for my dogs (medium to large size) I generally make them a fingernail size or pencil eraser size. If you have a small dog, you'll want to make them as small as you possible can; your dog's stomach will fill up much faster than mine!
Quick tip - avoid using treats that crumble on the floor, otherwise your dog will spend more time sniffing up the crumbs than actually working with you each time you reward him.
These pieces are a bit larger than normal because Rookie has a giant mouth and his treats get lost in his cheeks :) |
Quick tip - avoid using treats that crumble on the floor, otherwise your dog will spend more time sniffing up the crumbs than actually working with you each time you reward him.
Thanks for sharing the post with us as I have 3 dogs and learned some things I did not know.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! There are always things to learn when it comes to our 4-legged friends :)
DeleteGreat post! I don't do much in the way of new training for ZuZu anymore; I mainly use treats as rewards. I'm hoping to adopt another dog in the next 6 months so thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the new addition! Adding to the family is exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time :).
DeleteNew follower here! Thanks for the awesome tips. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! Glad you found it helpful :)
Deletemy dogs (lab retriever and labradoodle) wilol do anything for any type of treat! love your blog- came here from a to z
ReplyDeleteMine are chow hounds as well and will work for pretty much anything :)
DeleteWhatever treat I use for training it is always small. I try to mix it up a bit, but I am limited due to the sensitivity of their stomachs. I will keep in mind the info you've shared about treats that don't crumble. I could be guilty of that once or twice (or more). Loving your blog, thanks for the tips.
ReplyDeleteSensitive tummys does make it hard to switch things up. You can always use their food for some of the training too. Thanks for reading :)
DeleteStayed up too late again! Reading this interesting blog! Sue
ReplyDelete:) Ha, thanks Sue!
DeleteOh, my cat loves the Lickity Stix too! They are pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteDo they make specific cat ones or do you use the ones made for dogs? That is soo cool :)
DeleteMy doberman has crazy food allergies so we have to be very careful what we prepare for her to eat.
ReplyDeleteVisiting from AtoZ
I'm writing "Things My Husband Broken" atoz
Kimberly
http://AMomsPointOfView.com
Ugh, food allergies are not fun! One of my dogs is sensitive to a lot of the commercially prepared treats and food so I have to be careful what she ingests. It can be difficult!
DeleteI sometimes make cookies for my dogs. They are pretty bland but the dogs love them! Flour, eggs, peanut butter, chicken broth, corn starch, and a drop of honey. It's pretty easy.
ReplyDeletehttp://joycelansky.blogspot.com/2014/04/atoz-e-enough-dang-gummit.html
We make homemade cookies here too! That sounds like a good recipe :)
DeleteI had to laugh at your question about what treats my dog likes the best. He's a food driven corgi. His answer would be "yes" to any treats/food he gets and would like more, more, more, and more! We do have to be very careful to monitor the amount of treats he gets since he would constantly eat if given the opportunity to do so.
ReplyDeletebetty
That would be my dogs' answer as well - yes to everything all the time :).
DeleteRock on raw!! My dogs love dehydrated lung treats, and soft stinky treats.
ReplyDeleteOohh, we LOVE dehydrated lung treats here! :)
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