training treats.... what to use?
|
|
| Karen, Panda works well with the doggie sausage..its beef and rice or lamb and rice mixtures...looks like a large sausage down the rawhide section of petsmart....not sure of the name, but the package is white with bright green and yellow....I just cut off a hunk and cut it into small squares...she loves that!!! Worse case scenario I have used dog food...if you sound excited about the treat, they dont seem to really care what you give them..... |
| Daisy is really fussy about treats. When I first brought her home I bought several and while she would take them, she would drop them on the floor/ ground and not eat them. I ended up taking many packages to back to the shelter. I finally found that she would eat the Sergenats Stake house (lean) sticks, liver sticks and such. She still will take any biscuit that anyone gives her, then promptly drop it. Her biggest reward which is the only one I used in the first couple of months was lots of love, hugs, kisses and GOOD GIRL!! |
| We used something called Rollover. She still sees that bag and she instantly becomes this perfectly behaved Dog. It's amazing!! |
| Whatever works with your pup. You don't have to buy stuff, but can use tiny peices of cheese, or cut up chicken or ham or whatever. Just use teeny pieces, so you can use lots. They just practically swallow them whole, anyway. |
| We used hot dogs when we went to obedience-- they're easy to cut up and pack well. Plus, pretty cheap when you buy the off brand! |
| Maggie and Nelson go crazy for Grannie Annie's recipe for microwaved hot dog slices. Turkey hot dogs work great, lots less grease than regular 'dogs. Cut them into penny sized pieces and lay out on a paper towel. Microwave until they are dried out. Store in a sealed container and they'll keep a long time without refrigeration.
I always keep a handful in my pocket when the dogs are up on the grooming table. They'll do anything for these! |
| The obedience trainer I worked with said to basically use anything soft and small ( they can easily chew it and chew quickly, and like Bosley's Mom said, you can use lots. The trainer used that same doggie sausage stuff that I think Darcy was taling about, I would just buy soft dog treats and cut them up even smaller. But I'm sure they will like people food better - such as the cut up hot dogs and the likes thereof. Congrats and good luck on the new puppy! |
| We used hotdog pieces in obedience training, too. Cut them up really small because you'll use lots of them. They just swallow them whole anyway.
I buy liver snaps (usually BilJac) which they like. Also, I make my own cookies/biscuits from a recipe Holly posted and they practically inhale them. That's really their favorite thing. I made them for my mom's, sis's, and SIL's dogs for Christmas and they all loved them, too. So much so, they've asked for the recipe and are making their own now, too. 
I'd never heard of drying them out like Grannie Annie's recipe. I'll have to try it.  |
| our trainer (well one of our trainers as the pups go to different obedience classes since I can't clone myself) recommends no food. Its amazing - in the puppy class where none of the pups use food - Marley excells at the tasks - she way out performs her class mates who are two black labs.
In Morgans class, where we are the only one not using food and he is the youngest pup he is doing so well. In fact I notice that he is more eager to please and do what I ask (unless he is suffering from the sheepie stubborns) than the other puppies -- who are all trying to figure out where the food is hidden. My biggest obstacle and problem has been the two trainers who teach Morgan's class and can't comprehend not using food. I do use small treats for "stand" and I must admit I have begun to bribe them to go :poopies: outside! |
| You can also use tiny pieces of dried sweet potato, because they're dry they don't make a mess in your pocket. |
| Mine are not food motivated, so training them is only praise oriented. |
Willowsprite wrote: Mine are not food motivated, so training them is only praise oriented.  I've got to know your trick! |
| No trick, they are just neurotically attached to me ... not necessarily a good thing. LOL
They are just happy dogs, who want to make us happy. So for the most part a simple "Good girl!" is all it takes. |
| We do the verbal and touch praise as rewards. Lots of happy talk and positive body language. Treats maybe if there is something they aren't getting, but only as a last resort. I teach my obedience classes this way, and we have excellent results. |
| I find that for food motivated dogs (Like Pippin) small food treats are a hugely effective way to teach a new behavior. It works great for Pip, esp when verbal praise is not enugh to cement a behavior... for instance potty training. At 4 months he's still not fully housetrained (more the trainers fault then his I readily admit) but I've noticed a huge improvement with the behavior since we've started using a liver based food treat as a reward for proper elimination. He only gets a "taste" maybe 1/8 or 1/4 tsp of the stuff, but that's all that is needed. Vocal praise and pets just were not getting the message across strongly enough for him. You've got to use what works for you and your dog... they're all gonna be different in which training techniques "click" for them and you
I am now in LOVE with liver treats! 
BTW Dawn, nice to meet another MN forum member I was beginning to think I was alone up here!!!! |
| Nice to *meet* you too. I haven't been on the forum long, but you were the only other MN person I saw.
Not that the rest of you aren't great too
I can't believe I never found this forum before, we've had a sheepie since 1998! Look at all the fun I've missed. About the treats vs no treats - just experiment, and go with what works best for the 2 of you. |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|