Why do we use treats for training?
We must use something that will motivate the dog to change his behavior. Although anything that the dog enjoys can be used as a reward - such as playtime, belly rubs, or happy praise - treats are the most convenient in many situations. They allow you to reward many successful training reps within a short amount of time, and you can take them with you wherever you go. They’re also successful motivators for the vast majority of dogs; not all dogs enjoy playing tug, but nearly all love fresh cooked chicken and hot dogs!
What kind of treats should I use?
For your standard training treats, the rule of thumb is small and stinky!
Size of a pea or smaller, so that your dog doesn’t fill up quickly, and they’re ready to get right back to work.
Most commercially-produced dog treats can be easily broken into 2-3 smaller pieces, so that you get more “bang for your buck” both financially and in terms of calories. This is particularly important for small dogs.
Think smelly fish or meat-flavored treats rather than dry biscuits.
High value treats
Sometimes you want to use “high value” treats to really motivate your dog (such as for coming when called from a distraction) or do more effective counter-conditioning. Examples of foods that are commonly "high value” to a dog are:
plain boiled or rotisserie chicken
hot dogs
other cooked meats
string cheese
freeze-dried liver or other organ meats
Keep in mind that your dog is the one who gets to decide what is “high value” - so experiment with different foods to see what he likes best!
Using balanced dog food as treats
If you’re doing lots of intensive training, you have a small dog or puppy, or your dog needs to lose weight, it’s extra important that your treats be small and healthy or low calorie (such as boiled chicken). But another way to keep them fit and healthy is to use real, complete and balanced dog food as training treats.
If you’re lucky enough to have a chow hound that loves his kibble, then skip the food bowl and use all (or most) of his kibble for training!
For extra-small pups, you can divide the kibble into even smaller pieces by soaking it in water first. Here’s a video showing this off.
You can make the kibble more exciting by soaking it in chicken or bone broth, too.
Most dogs love non-kibble foods that are air-dried or freeze-dried - they are easier to chew and seem to be more flavorful. Examples below - I linked to the beef flavors but all these companies have multiple flavors/proteins available:
Kiwi Kitchens Gently Air Dried Beef Dinner (this is the go-to treat that I always carry with me)
Ziwi Peak Beef Recipe Air-Dried Dog Food (this is my #2 choice)
Stella & Chewy's Super Beef Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Meal Mixers
Vital Essentials Beef Mini Nibs Freeze-Dried Grain Free Dog Food
The Honest Kitchen Grain Free Beef Recipe Tasty Whole Food Clusters Dry Dog Food
Another non-kibble food is refrigerated “rolls” that you dice up for small treats, such as:
Freshpet Select Roll Tender Chicken Recipe Refrigerated Dog Food (see pictured)
If you’re not a fan of dicing but like the refrigerated food, Fresh Pet also has a version that’s already in kibble-sized pieces.
You can take all of your dog’s daily portion of food and put it into a container on the counter, and pull from it throughout the day as needed. Then you can be sure that your dog isn’t getting any extra calories.
Food in tubes and pouches
This is a great way to deliver treats to dogs that are very chompy, or when you have a small or overweight dog and portion control is extra important. You gently squeeze the tube/pouch so that only a tiny amount comes out at a time, and your dog licks it up. Some options are:
Mila licking at a tuna-flavored cat treat in a pouch
Bark Pouches - these are awesome; I highly recommend them!
Blue Tastefuls Purées - made for cats but safe to use as treats for dogs
Peanut butter - you can use pouches intended for humans as long as they do not contain xylitol, an artificial sweetener that is highly toxic to dogs (and cats). Some companies are now making PB pouches for dogs, too:
Purchase your own refillable squeeze tube and fill with:
pureed meat or organs (I had a client who would purchase raw liver, cook it, and puree it for her dog - what a lucky pooch!!)
“gravy” toppers, made for either dogs or cats
The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Beef Recipe Dehydrated Dog Food or other dehydrated food, rehydrated with water or broth
any canned dog food that has been pureed into a mousse, possibly also diluted with water or broth
Carrying treats around
When you have a brand new pup at home, or you’re doing a lot of training in a short amount of time (such as when we meet for private lessons), you’ll want to have a way to keep all those treats in an easily-accessible spot. Pockets end up filled with gross crumbs, and plastic bags make distracting crinkly noises and slow you down, so my favorite solution is a treat pouch. I use the Doggone Good! Trek N Train Treat Pouch, which has a magnetic closure that is easy to operate with one hand. Drawstring treat pouches and fanny packs can also work well. Squeeze tubes have caps to keep things clean, and you can put them into a large pocket or pouch, or just hold them in your hand while walking.
But my dog gets too excited with treats!
We can teach him to have better manners! Here is a great video on teaching a dog not to “mug” you:
If your dog does well until you’re handing him a treat, and then he jumps, use the “slow treats” game:
Slowly lower the treat toward your dog.
If he keeps “four on the floor” the whole time the treat is coming toward him, then you can let him take it from your hand.
If he jumps up at any point, immediately lift the treat farther away. Resume slowly lowering it when he has four paws on the floor.
You can use this tactic any time you are handing your dog a treat, even while working on something else (like a stay or heel). You can also use it when handing your dog a toy or chew.
If your dog doesn’t jump but uses his teeth too much when taking treats:
Feed the treats lower down, so that he lowers his head to eat them rather than reaching up. This makes nipping less likely.
Move your hand slowly and steadily - if you start to yank your hand back the moment that your dog is closing in, he will start to snatch more because he thinks he needs to be fast.
Hold the treat firmly in your fist or between your thumb and other fingers. If your dog is too rough, don’t let the treat go! Hold your hand still and wait for him to soften up, using his lips or tongue. Praise and release the treat then, to reward your dog for being gentle.
Sawyer learns to take treats politely, no teeth on the human's hand. The video is slowed down 20% so that it is easier to see what is happening.
Kids giving treats
Children often have a hard time with the advice above - they get scared of the dog’s teeth and snatch their hands away quickly. This jerky movement is exciting to the dog, and makes him think that he has a small window of time in which he needs to grab the treat - thus making him less careful with his teeth! So have children follow these suggestions instead:
Feed the treat with their hand completely open and flat, with the treat in the middle. (If you’re familiar with feeding horses or other livestock, this is the same advice.)
Place the treat in a small bowl or plate that is then handed to the dog.
Place the treat on the floor instead of feeding from the hand.
Toss the treat to the dog. (Note that for some dogs, chasing the treat will be too exciting and lead to more rowdy behavior, so this is not recommended for all dogs.)