Recommend a Training Treat!

[arealhuman]

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Hi,

I'm looking for recommendations for a readily available training treat.  I've previously used these and these (the latter recommended by our current trainer but I have some concerns over the ingredients based on some of the Amazon reviews) and they're gratefully accepted by our dog, but I'd like to try something new and more nutritious.  I've looked at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/ and there seem to be a lot of training treats there that are highly ranked, but I'm finding it difficult to pick any one over any others, so any recommendations will be very welcome 

We supplement these treats with things like pieces of chicken and so on, but I find it handy to have something less moist and sticky in my pocket to hand out quickly when it's deserved.

Many thanks,

ARH

 

[arealhuman]

Hi,

I'm looking for recommendations for a readily available training treat.  I've previously used these and these (the latter recommended by our current trainer but I have some concerns over the ingredients based on some of the Amazon reviews) and they're gratefully accepted by our dog, but I'd like to try something new and more nutritious.  I've looked at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/ and there seem to be a lot of training treats there that are highly ranked, but I'm finding it difficult to pick any one over any others, so any recommendations will be very welcome 

We supplement these treats with things like pieces of chicken and so on, but I find it handy to have something less moist and sticky in my pocket to hand out quickly when it's deserved.

Many thanks,

ARH

 

[leashedForLife]

I like freeze-dried, myself -
not greasy [usually], lightweight, no refrig needed, etc. Most can be snipped to pea-sized with scissors.   I make tidbits GOOD quality, but small; i am not feeding meals, but nibbles.
 - lamb lung
 - beef liver
 - whitefish
 - salmon
 - duck
... & more, all come in freeze-dried versions. // To save $$, make yer own. A food-dehydrator is a handy thing to have around, fruit, veg, etc, can all be dried to save space & extend shelf life.
When YOU do the processing, U know it's clean, safe, & properly handled  - U know the sources, the ingredients, the date it was made.

cheers,
- terry
 

 

[gypsysmum2]

A "Training Treat" is just some sort of food that the dog likes. I tend to use left over bits of meat from our own meals. As these vary they keep the dog really interested. A recent favourite was the fat cut off from lamb chops and diced. If I am doing a long session then I will cook up some sausages. My dog loves the chipolates from Lidl deluxe range. They are easy to cut up into small bits and not too messy to handle. I do have some freeze dried sprats for the times when all the fresh food has run out. They smell in the pocket though

A friend, who has several dogs, uses the tubes of cream cheese and squirts it into each dog's mouth when they all come rushing back to a recall. This is also useful to use through a muzzle

 

[JoanneF]

I buy the little sandwich bags for treats in my pocket to try to prevent smells! And I make liver cake -

A pack of liver (supermarket packs are usually about 500 grams)
About 250 grams of flour - I use gluten free as some dogs are gluten intolerant
1 egg
A slosh of olive oil or salmon oil for a glossy coat (optional)

Cut the liver into pieces and use a hand blender to blitz it with the egg until it's a sloppy mess. Stir in the oil if using and the flour. It still should be a sloppy mess.

Turn into a parchment lined baking tray measuring about 6"x9". It shold be about an inch deep.

Bake at 170 degrees for about 15 minutes until a knife comes out clean.

When it's cold, cut into kit kat finger sized pieces - half them again for a smaller dog - and freeze them in a freezer bag. They freeze in separate pieces so you can take out one at a time and break into smaller pieces for training.

Dogs love it, it has no sugar, salt or other nasties and lasts for weeks. It also is cheap to make - a recent survey showed some dog treats to be more epensive, ounce for ounce, than fillet steak!
 

 

[leashedForLife]

Home-made lickables can be put into food-safe silicone tubes or bottles, intended for camping -
they are lightweight, pocket-safe when capped, & can be washed in a dishwasher to sanitize them [top-rack, of course].

I like to mix canned salmon, mackerel, or sardine - all water-packed, not oil -  with low fat cream cheese, AKA Neufchatel.
1 part fish to 3 parts Neufchatel makes a lovely spread for bagels, & a perfect lickable goodie for dogs.

E-T-A:
nutritional analysis for low-fat cream cheese, NOTE that their "portion" is 1 CUP / 8 oz.
A single Tbsp would have only 30 kcals, not 480. ;-D


I put the mother-lode in the refrigerator or even the freezer; if i freeze it, i split it into ziplock bags 1st, so i only defrost a smaller amount.
Then i fill the tube i intend to use, & put the mother-lode back in the 'frig.

I try to avoid having the tube or bottle out for more than an hour to 90-mins, then chill it again, if it's not emptied. WIPE THE TOP before closing it at session's end, & then extrude a little nubbin, wipe that off, & discard it - that lowers the bacteria level. Then U can pop it in the 'frig.

 I don't use any one tube / bottle for more than 3 sessions, max, & I discard what's left after the 3rd session, just in case; i don't want a dog to get runny stools from spoilage or bacteria.  // Dogs love the stuff, & it's not high-calorie, but it's good protein.
- terry

 

[JoanneF]

A BIG word of warning - neufchatel cheese in France and the UK is a LOT higher in fat than the US version. So use very sparingly.

 

[leashedForLife]

JoAnne,
i did specify "low fat", which is generally 30% to 50% less fat than the regular version.

Anyone making this, do check the label to be sure it's not a full-fat version. // Very rich treats can cause ferocious diarrhea...  Thanksgiving & Xmas are both well-known in the U-S as days when dogs are prone to sudden-onset diarrhea, 'cuz a visitor kindly gives the dog a nice big hunk of fatty skin from the turkey.  
"gastric indiscretion" is the usual Dx, & the dog recovers in a day or 3, but it's no fun for dog or owner.

 

[leashedForLife]

this is a recipe for 'salmon crack' - highly addictive.      Good stuff -  i've made it with rice flour, & also with buckwheat - which is not in the wheat family, & neither rice nor buckwheat contain gluten.

https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Salmon-Crack-Dog-Treats-Great-Treats-for-Gaining-Focus-During-Dog-Agility-Training-or-Competitions

Gluten, BTW, is the protein in wheat, & only those intolerant of it should deliberately avoid it; gluten per se will not make U fat, give U acne, cause blood-sugar to soar or plummet, etc.  The remainder of the wheat grain is starch, bran or roughage / fiber, & the germ - a fatty kernel that would have become the plant, had the wheat berry been planted to sprout.

 

[arealhuman]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!  Will speak to Mrs. ARH and see what to do