Can anyone recommend good training treats?

PepePareja

I'm trying to train in vain.

Positive reinforcement is a lovely idea, but my pup just doesn't care about treats. He's not the slightest bit interested. Anything he does take into his mouth he just spits out and my training efforts are failing. Incidentaly, there is nothing wrong with his mouth - he eats his meals perfectly well. It jsut seems his taste buds haven't found what they are looking for. I've tried all sorts of everything from the pet shops and supermarkets to no avail. (bits of chewy sticks, mini bone shaped treats, ovals, dried puppy food, even choc drops have failed) Does anyone know of a particular product which dogs just can resist, as it's costing me a fortune and I end end up giving the stuff away to the neighbours dog. I'd love to find something which he enjoys and is happy to sit, stay etc for.

I was under the misconception that beagles (which he is) were mad for food and were therefore great for reward based training. As an alternative to food rewards I give him all the patting etc that I can, but it just seems to distract him and get him excited, which may be cute, but is not getting the job done.


Thank you.

~Thalia~

PepePareja wrote: »

I'm trying to train in vain.

Positive reinforcement is a lovely idea, but my pup just doesn't care about treats. He's not the slightest bit interested. Anything he does take into his mouth he just spits out and my training efforts are failing. Incidentaly, there is nothing wrong with his mouth - he eats his meals perfectly well. It jsut seems his taste buds haven't found what they are looking for. I've tried all sorts of everything from the pet shops and supermarkets to no avail. (bits of chewy sticks, mini bone shaped treats, ovals, dried puppy food, even choc drops have failed) Does anyone know of a particular product which dogs just can resist, as it's costing me a fortune and I end end up giving the stuff away to the neighbours dog. I'd love to find something which he enjoys and is happy to sit, stay etc for.

I was under the misconception that beagles (which he is) were mad for food and were therefore great for reward based training. As an alternative to food rewards I give him all the patting etc that I can, but it just seems to distract him and get him excited, which may be cute, but is not getting the job done.


Thank you.

Cheese. The hard cheddar cheese cut into small cubes. OR frankfurters cut up small. My experience dogs will do ANYTHING for either of these and my dog is a picky eater

lightening

Roast a chicken, chop it up and put it in a plastic bag.

Start doing it at home where there aren't as much distractions.

leopardus

I had similar problems trying to motivate my dog with food rewards. Loads of people swear by hotdog, but my dog won't swallow the things. Cheese has worked well on my parents dog but not mine. Freeze-dried liver however will motivate him like nothing else. I also cook liver occasionally and freeze batches (boil to get rid of scum and then bake in medium oven, cut into tiny chunks).
Good luck

muckety

+1 on liver. Cook a load at a time (buy in Lidl or Aldi) and freeze in small batches (sandwich bags work for me). Smells a bit when you're cooking it but you'll only have to do it once every few weeks!

mymo

Try Veggies, Had this problem with our pup. No way would he eat any kind of treat, even roast chicken but discovered by accident that he'd kill for a little bit of carrot, broccoli even bits of spud. Some he prefers cooked others raw. Very cheap too.
He's now 4 1/2 months and getting very good and will occasionally eats treats, but prefers hugs now.
Also try some dry food one bit at a time, I found it easier to train before feeding when he's hungrier, not right after.
Goodluck.:)

ISDW

Liver cake I've always found to work on any and every dog. The liver cake can be messy to make, if you google it, you'll find recipes, its basically liver with garlic, to make it extra smelly. Just cut it into little pieces, but I would recommend maybe an airtight container when you're out, otherwise you may be followed by every other dog in the area:D

peasant

What's wrong with just praising your dog?

And at the end of the session a biiiig reward like his favourite game

mel123

ham. just get the cheap waifer ham, and just give him tiny little pieces as a reward, plus you have to be careful what treats you are giving, you dont want them to put on a pile of weight!!

lightening

peasant wrote: »

What's wrong with just praising your dog?

My dog just prefers the treats. I praise him too, but the treats are king.

Polonious

Liver definitely, works all the time! It does smell a bit, but thats why it works so well!

muckety

mel123 wrote: »

ham. just get the cheap waifer ham, and just give him tiny little pieces as a reward, plus you have to be careful what treats you are giving, you dont want them to put on a pile of weight!!

That ham is very high in salt content...

leopardus

If you cook the liver as I suggested, boiling gently first then baking in a medium oven it doesn't smell at all and is still extremely palatable. It's dry (and grease-free) enough that you can keep some pieces in your back pocket, if you so wanted!

Sigma Force

Cooked chicken or Beckys Barkery training tidbits Salmon and organic parsley flavour, honey and oat or peanut butter flavour.

PepePareja

I just wanted to let you know that he would do anything for frankfurters and loves to sit and stay for grub. We also have great fun going tracking for trails of frankfurters which I go out first and lay, then return home, change my frankfurter scented shoes for another pair adn bring the beagle out for a walk. Boy can he hunt down frankfurters!

If only there were frankfurters in the wild, I could make a fortune hunting them down.

Cheers everyone.

Pepe.