healthy Treats

[Josie]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

What healthy treats would people recommend for a dog that is trying to lose weight/keep weight down?

 

[JoanneF]

Carrot pieces?

 

[JudyN]

Very small ones! I'm shocked at the size of some treats - I wouldn't even give them to Jasper unless he'd done all the housework for me or something equally wonderful!

He likes cucumber, so that could be worth a try.

 

[JoanneF]

Very small ones! I'm shocked at the size of some treats - I wouldn't even give them to Jasper unless he'd done all the housework for me or something equally wonderful

I would expect T to mix me a gin and tonic too for some of the treats that are out there!

 

[mdkel]

little pieces of chicken (boiled without the fat). carrots. chicken organs.. no?

 

[arealhuman]

Those fishy things from Bentley's!

 

[Josie]

Thanks all!

It's not for me personally (honest ) but for a dwarf lab I have been walking. I like to take a few treats with me so I better get some nice healthy ones!

I don't think I could cope with them stinking out my pocket @arealhuman

 

[JudyN]

I don't think I could cope with them stinking out my pocket @arealhuman

I once went on a night out and realised I had a pocketful of dried sprats

 

[Josie]

Oh @JudyN that is not a good look at all! Ha ha ha

 

[Violet Turner]

Apple, carrot, banana and pear.

 

[arealhuman]

I don't think I could cope with them stinking out my pocket @arealhuman

Well I have a solution! I use a small rigid bag on a belt which can be closed with a drawstring if it rains. Inside I put a plastic coffee cup (the ones you get out of those machines at various places) and the treats go in that. No messy pocket or bag and readily avialable to hand out!

 

[excuseme]

We don't actually give treat's, just a kind word or a gentle touch, goes a long way in our household and it's calorie free too.

 

[JudyN]

We don't actually give treat's, just a kind word or a gentle touch, goes a long way in our household and it's calorie free too.

Different dogs are different - to my mind, expecting a dog to 'work' for praise is like expecting me to work for praise and not get paid for it. So I do despair when someone's dog won't recall and they say they don't carry treats, or when the dog does something really good but it isn't reinforced. More than once I've used my treats to help an owner get their dog back on lead when they needed to (with their permission, obviously).

But then Jasper is food obsessed and rewarding him with food as well as praise really helps with his behaviour, so this is just how it works for him. And he can eat LOADS without gaining weight (unlike me!).

 

[doggie1]

Different dogs are different - to my mind, expecting a dog to 'work' for praise is like expecting me to work for praise and not get paid for it. So I do despair when someone's dog won't recall and they say they don't carry treats, or when the dog does something really good but it isn't reinforced. More than once I've used my treats to help an owner get their dog back on lead when they needed to (with their permission, obviously).

But then Jasper is food obsessed and rewarding him with food as well as praise really helps with his behaviour, so this is just how it works for him. And he can eat LOADS without gaining weight (unlike me!).

Are you a trainer?

 

[JudyN]

Are you a trainer?

No - just Jasper's trainer! So I'm not claiming to have greater knowledge or experience than anyone else. I'm sure excuseme's approach works brilliantly for her and her dogs are very well trained - I'm just giving another perspective in case anyone reading this is avoiding using treats but struggling to motivate their dog.

 

[doggie1]

No - just Jasper's trainer! So I'm not claiming to have greater knowledge or experience than anyone else. I'm sure excuseme's approach works brilliantly for her and her dogs are very well trained - I'm just giving another perspective in case anyone reading this is avoiding using treats but struggling to motivate their dog.

It's when you said more than once you've used your treats to help other owners, I see now, just when you're on a walk. Experience with dogs counts for a lot, but each dog and lifestyle is individual. I give Eddi treats, I have to have something to use. He was barking at a yappy dog just now on the walk. I said 'stop' and he did!!!!! then I used 'find it' to get the treats as I move him away and it worked a treat that time. Just for the record, the other dog started it!

 

[JudyN]

It's when you said more than once you've used your treats to help other owners, I see now, just when you're on a walk.

Ah, I see! Yes, they're all motivated differently

 

[Caro Perry]

I use dried pieces of skinless chicken for Harri or dried lambs lung ( that is mostly air!)

Commercial treats are huge. If I'm caught out and have to buy some I buy the 100% dried meat ones and cut them up with a knife into tiny pieces. Even the crunchy biscuity Mutt and Pooch ones can be snapped in half very easily between your fingers.

I've also bought kibble for small dogs (ie tiny pieces!) to use as low value treats.

 

[Biker John]

I use dried liver treats when out, I take an old 35 mil film cartridge filled with them. This makes it easy to carry them in a pocket. They work brilliantly, in fact I dont need to actually call Folly all I do is take the treats out of my pocket and she's there at my side. JudyN, some people just wont listen, their was one occassion I remember, a fella and I were both at the end of a walk at the same time. He saw me getting the treats out and said he does not believe in bribing dogs. I said I view it as a reward not a bribe. Mind we had walked off with Folly on her lead and he was still calling his dog, (and being totally ignored).

 

[Violet Turner]

We don't actually give treat's, just a kind word or a gentle touch, goes a long way in our household and it's calorie free too.

so how do you train them? Clicker or toy?