Training Treats

Training treats ideally should be very small for large dogs and even smaller for little dogs. The idea being that it should only be enough for a quick reward, not a meal in and of itself that takes the dog's attention away from you and onto the many crumbs on the ground. The easiest training treats to work with are softer treats. These treats should be reserved for training only. They should not be your dog's regular kibble or a treat he is used to getting on a regular basis. It should be something new and exciting, something he only gets during training.

Hang around a training class long enough and you will see many things being used as training treats: hot dogs, lunchmeat, cheese. These things can work, but are not easy to handle and can be messy. Not to mention what's in them. Hot dogs can be slippery and are often filled eith less-than-desirable ingredients, lunchmeat is often thin and shaved, making it hard to keep separated in a bait bag and cheese can get sticky and messy, especially when mixed with dog saliva. When you are working, you shouldn't have to worry about your training treat. Clean, fragrant, pleasant-tasting and easy are all things that I shoot for when testing a training treat.

In our experience, the best training treats are made with natural and organic meats: Organic grass-fed beef, wild-caught salmon and organic chicken all make excellent training treats.