Training treats?

goldiefur

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#1
I need some good training treats. I just ordered Fromm lamb and cranberry treats and also old mother hubbard meaties liver treats but they are only 8 oz. I really need something good that the huskies will really respond to. I don't feed treats to the big dogs so I don't know what's good or bad.
 

Lyzelle

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#2
Hotdogs.

Can't get any better, yummier, more appealing, or cheaper than that. Just cut them up into little kibble sized pieces.

ETA: Crappy American cheese slices can also work in a pinch. But it tends to get all slime-y and gross after 5 minutes or so.

Oh, and the cheapy Chicken gizzards you can get in packages at the grocery store for like...$2 a pound?
 

mrose_s

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#3
I make my own out of boiled liver or heart. Sounds gross and smells bad but you get used to it and it creates spongey, soft treats that don't make a big mess of your training bag.
I'm easy with dogs that will work for just about anything though so not sure how the boiling process changes/lessens the taste?

The last batch we microwaved instead in the hope of loosing less flavour to the water and they worked well.
 

Southpaw

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#4
Baked liver works great.

As far as commercial treats go, I like Zukes and the Natural Balance food rolls, and whichever company makes the plastic tubs of the freeze dried liver.
 

crazedACD

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#5
Commercial treats, I love Cloud Star and Bil-Jac liver. Usually for more high value sessions. I've also been using Lickety Sticks...I love them. I usually use whatever's in the house though...more basic training, cereal usually.
 

Barbara!

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#6
I get Pet Botanics from Petsmart. Probably not the healthiest, but they're stinky and my dogs love them.
 

BostonBanker

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#7
I usually keep Zuke's in my training bag. I also will microwave hot dog bits (dries them out so they aren't quite so gross), use thawed meatballs, or buy cheap deli ends and cut them up. If you mix them all up in a baggie, the commercial treats soak up some of the goodness and makes them even better!
 

Maxy24

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#9
I like to use natural balance rolls cut up into treats. They have a soft texture and are smelly and flavorful enough so Tucker likes them but not so messy that I can't keep some in my pocket. They are great, can be any size you want, easily broken into smaller treats. Only down side is they will dry out if out of a bag too long.

So for my bowl of treats in the living room I use freeze dried treats (meat, liver), dehydrated/freeze dried raw (stella and chewy's, nutrisca), sample kibbles (so not what he normally gets), zukes treats (though those dry out too and their value falls to that of kibble), and jerky treats I make and break into pieces (you just thinly slice meat and bake on a lower heat for three hours or so). The jerky is great for working on not barking out the window because it takes him a while to chew it, not so good for training sessions though.

When I go to the park I usually just bring leftover meat from the dinner before and if I don't have that I'll use "junk food"...cold cuts or hot dogs (which get pretty gross in a baggy in my pocket for a couple of hours lol). Right now I just use his meals for training commands because he gets so many treats throughout the day, but before I would also use leftover meat, cold cuts, or hot dogs.

String cheese is used for nail clipping, he loves that stuff.
 

Toller_08

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#11
Usually I just use weiners or leftover meat of ours and I've bought chicken and cheap steak for them also. I don't tend to use a lot of packaged training treats - they get too expensive. Occassionally I'll buy Zukes and recently I've been using Ziwipeak as a medium sized bag of that goes a long way and the dogs love it, but normally I tend to just buy whatever meat is cheap at the store. But, my treats are really only used for training sessions. I don't freely hand out treats around the house all day - if I did that I would probably just use kibble.
 

CaliTerp07

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#12

JacksonsMom

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#15
I really like Cloud Star Buddy Biscuits (they have grain-free ones now, too). And Jackson still goes crazy for them, and he's particular about his treats. I rotate between flavors.

For high value reward, I use string cheese. Or sometimes plain chicken.
 

xpaeanx

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#16
I normally use hotdogs or string cheese... of course, Walsh thinks food comes after chasing things... so he gets a tennis ball. Nothing get his attention like a hairy green ball. lol.

When I use food, I just throw it in a sandwich bag and fold the ends of the bag over the treatbag. This way the inside of the treat bag doesn't get all yucky.
 

AllieMackie

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#17
I vary it up a lot - I use home stuff like chopped weenies, cheese pieces or oven-baked liver broken up, but I also use a lot of store-bought yummies (yay staff discount!) like Zukes, My Mighty Wolf, freeze-dried liver, and other soft-moist treats.
 

*blackrose

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#18
When I buy training treats, I like the Pet Botanics and the Crazy Dog brands. I'll also buy a big bag of Beggin Strips/Pupperoni and break them up into tiny less than bite size pieces, as the dogs love them and go crazy for them.

And cat food. Seriously. I'm sure that'd be a bit high calorie if that is all you used, but mixing it in or using it when you really need to get a point across? The dogs LOVE it.

I've also used hot dogs, cheese, cheerios, and goldfish crackers on occasion. lol
 

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