Guaranteed Dog Treats To Help You Train Your Dog

The best way to reinforce a positive behavior in a dog’s mind is to reward him for it. Using treats as a training tool has multiple benefits. First, they act as a motivator. Your dog wants the treat, and will do whatever it takes to get it. Second, because your dog is being rewarded for a certain behavior, he will begin to associate certain actions with a positive experience. Every dog is different, but a guaranteed dog treat – a treat your dog will love - will have some common characteristics. Our most recommended dog training reference contains a bonus book with 180 dog treat recipes!)

If you’ve gone to a pet store recently you will have seen the incredible variety of pet treats on the market. There’s no doubt about it; our dogs are spoiled. It can be difficult to decide which treats to buy.  But there are some general guidelines you can follow if you want your training treats to be effective.

Watch your dog to see which kind of treat she gets most excited for

First, think about what your dog likes to eat. Believe it or not, dogs can be picky. Most dogs love cheese though – in fact, we’ve never come across one who didn’t. But they will have their favorites. One dog might eat any flavor or style of cheese you put in front of her. Another might refuse processed American cheese and eat only sliced provologne. It becomes pretty obvious very quickly which tastes motivate your dog most! But you have to take the time and observe this so you know what her favorite flavors are.

Common characteristics of dog treats that work

Second, training treats should be small. A general rule is that they should be about the size of a penny. Training requires focus, and if your dog has to spend too much time chewing through a larger treat, that focus will be lost. The treats should be small so that your dog can eat them quickly and the training can resume. For the same reason, they should also be soft.  With a training treat, the idea is to give a taste reward – not cause your dog to focus on chewing. (Nothing wrong with a treat such as a bone though to provide your dog with something she loves and give her exercise as well!)

The other reason training treats need to be small is that you don’t want your dog to become full during a training session. Your dog will be getting a lot of them (reward for each time she does something right) and if she gets full, she’ll lose focus and the training will become less effective. It is also easy to start over feeding your dog in this manner and cause unhealthy weight gain.

You will also need to keep in mind what type of training you want to do. Some commands require a bigger reward than others. An example of this is the emergency recall. You really need to use a GUARANTEED dog treat for this one. This command requires the most favorite treat and one your dog will only ever get when doing this exercise. The training treat you use for this one needs to be different than the treats for any other training.

When buying training treats, you also want to keep the health of your dog in mind. All natural dog treats are higher quality and made with healthier ingredients.

It’s also possible to use things you might already have in your house. Cheerios cereal seems to be popular with many puppies. These are mild on a puppy’s stomach and one box can supply you with enough treats for countless training sessions.

Cheese is another treat guaranteed to get your dog’s attention. Remember to make small pieces though – about the size of a penny. A couple of slices of processed cheese can last an entire training session. Hot dogs also work well. Some trainers even cook pieces of steak or chicken and cut them up into small pieces. Your dog will probably love any one of these tastes but again, do some experimenting and see what your particular pet seems to really respond to.

As a side note, if you want to give your dog a special treat when he is not training, try peanut butter. Dogs love it, and it is good for them in moderation. The best way to give them a treat like this is to put it in a dog toy such as a kong, which forces the dog to work at getting at it.
This is great exercise for your dog, stimulates him and provides much enjoyment for him as he digs out his treasure!

These are all good tips for buying training treats, but if you want to be a little bit creative, you can even try making your own. Recipes can be found online or in books that give lots of direction in concocting homemade dog treats. One trainer mixes pieces of dog food with small chunks of steak and pieces of string cheese.

Guaranteed dog treats are not hard to come by. Watch your dog for a while and see what he responds to with the most enthusiasm as you experiment with various treat ideas. It will soon become obvious which ones are guaranteed to be effective for your dog’s obedience training.

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