With all the recent food & treat recalls, I thought it might be interesting to ask everyone what they use for treats. My treats have been human grade for many years and are normally prepared on Saturdays.
I have finished preparing the training treats for the week In addition to the stand by string cheese and the cheese balls kept by the back door for getting fuzzy butts quickly inside when called, this weeks menu is:
-> Mother Goose Liverwurst
-> Roast Beef
-> Turkey
-> Deli made cheese ends
All but the liverwurst can go safely into my mouth
Peanut butter flavored Cheerios. I've been using it for about 3 months. It's the only thing she hasn't tired of, they're small enough so she don't have to chew them, they stay fresh for a long time, and all I have to do is grab a handful and go.
$2.99 per box.
I also mix in other things to change it up, but she prefers the Cheerios.
Cool! Thanks for coming up with this thread. I give my boy lil' milky bones they sale for puppies but I don't wanna bore him. Are cheerios, carrots, etc. good for puppies too?
Our standbys are Charlie Bears liver and cranberry flavor and string cheese. For more high value we use Little Guberlicious peanut butter and liver treats or Pet Botanics salmon treats (the ones made in U.S.). For even higher value we use pieces of cut up chicken or whatever else the humans have in the refrigerator. Hopefully none of the prepared treats are "bad" for Zoe.
Jeez there's so many treat options out there...smh there's about two or three where I live in Spain...hopefully I'll have more to choose from when we move to the England next year.
I use the blue buffalo wilderness salmon treats (which she absolutely loves) and colby cheese. What I do like about the treats is that they are somewhat moist and my fingers smell of it so she follows my hand with or without the treats and it ends up she is happy with a good lick of my hand and a good girl rub on her chest.
Since I make all my dogs own meals, I prefer to make their treats as well. It is amazing that even if you buy the boneless skinless chicken breast, how much cheaper it is per pound(even cooked weight), than dog treats run. I have also used cheerios, but not the sweeter ones, because though they are yummy, they tend to stick to my hands. I used to use cheese balls, but I decided to eat them instead, so they didn't work.
I have used bread.. Until one day I realized I had fed her 7 slices of bread that day. I am not sure how much (or little) carbs a dog should have. I like to use boiled chicken breast, string cheese, and Cheerios.
The cheese flavored Charlee bears are my standby in-the-mouth treat, but now I'm rethinking that. I have a dehydrator I use to make treats with. I've done dehydrated liver, steak, chicken, apples, sweet potatoes. I don't like things that make my hands yucky, and I don't like having to worry about keeping treats refrigerated, so a dehydrator is worth it to me.
The cheese flavored Charlee bears are my standby in-the-mouth treat, but now I'm rethinking that. I have a dehydrator I use to make treats with. I've done dehydrated liver, steak, chicken, apples, sweet potatoes. I don't like things that make my hands yucky, and I don't like having to worry about keeping treats refrigerated, so a dehydrator is worth it to me.
I like the dehydrator idea. I mentioned the peanut butter Cheerios earlier, but I forgot about the freeze dried liver that she gets for pee and poop! We've been doing that since the beginning. It really helps when we need her to go NOW!
Freeze dried liver is expensive. I think I might be able to justify getting a dehydrator.
Freeze dried liver is nice and motivating without the same greasy side-effects as liverwurst. I use it as part of varying intensity of rewards. Leaving a few chunks in a treat pouch means a little liver lottery for the pupper and a little liver powder spread across the rest.
I like Zuke's, and so do the dogs, but I also really like the Wellness soft treats because they don't bounce as randomly when I drop them an I can get about four small rewards by tearing up the soft treat as I give it.
BaWaaJige doesnt like dog treats he does like some human food. Cheez-it crackers are a favorite but I like them too so they dont last long as a treat for training. He also likes pizza but that is too messy for training so he doesnt get any training treats just lots of praise.
My obedience training staples are string cheese, sliced turkey pepperoni and the ultimate -- frozen BilJac (which, BTW, has a refrigerator half life of about 18 years). It's like doggy crack, cheap and molds perfectly into any size treat you want. They don't sell it in FL so I brought home 6 bags from Ohio!
Slater heels primarily for his tug toy, and almost every night he has to work and do tricks for his dinner, not sure if that counts as treats.
I buy a lot of my treats still. We are fortunate to have a vendor at most of the shows here in Nor Cal.
Here are my current favs:
Bravo! Training Treats - Trail Mix
This is a good mix and the treat size is perfect and I like the small bags that I can easily stick in a training bag. They do get a bit crumbly at the end, but that also may have something to do with stuffing them in training bags! Bravo! Training Treats
K-9 Cookies Green Tripe Flavor
We call this doggy crack. They are bigger disc, but can be broken apart. Not quite as easy to break apart as the above treats. K9 Kraving?K-9 Cookies for Dogs
I use Jacks' kibble as well... but really that's me making him work for his food. We do a little bit of doodle work before the bowl gets put down on the floor. Like spins, go-outs, and various tricks. Half minute training.
With his kibble being small, I would have to give him a handful at a time to stop him from foaming at the mouth were I doing a full training routine. I've tried it and he's gotten pretty slimey.
@bread - I use 1-2 slices of bread a day. Because it's soft, they nom it fast and can keep going. I think if you go over 2 slices, you probably should invest in training treats...
Charlie bears in any flavor when I want them to have a brain... Mighty is getting string cheese and small sausage chunks in beginner agility and goes out of his little brain...He does not care what is in his way he will go over it,under and through it to get the treats... ..Ummmm not sure he is really seeing anything or learning it but I am going with the flow on this one..rofl.
Hey so if you dehydrate COOKED liver, does it turn out like the dehydrated liver cubes you can buy from the store?
My friend has done dehydrated raw liver and it does turn out like a fruit roll up
No, not for me anyway. I think the store bought cubes are freeze dried which makes them very solid. My cheapo $50 dehydrator makes them into more of a rubbery compound. Cookie likes them both ways, though.
Bought a dehydrator yesterday. Sliced up a hot dog just to try it out. That turned out a little too greasy for my liking. I have a sliced up sweet potato in there right now.
I bought some chicken liver for about $1.50 / lb at Walmart (they didn't have beef).
The first time, I dehydrated it raw, and it turned out like a fruit roll up. Bella didn't want to have anything to do with it. She sat there and barked at it. LOL. Must be some nasty stuff for her not to eat it.
Today, I cooked it in the microwave for 2 minutes, and dehydrated it for 2.5 - 3 hours. It's kind of crumbly, and easy to break in to pieces, yet somewhat moist in the middle. She loves it.
The only thing I'll do different next time is either cook it in the microwave for a shorter period of time, or take it out of the dehydrator a little sooner, to make it a little less dry and crumbly.
Those cheerios look good - I'm going to get some for ME!
My favorites are Real Meat brand venison jerky treats; they're ok for sensitive skin and not too greasy or messy for the hands or pockets, and can be ripped into smaller and smaller pieces.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Golden Retriever Dog Forums
2.8M posts
62.5K members
Since 2005
A forum community dedicated to Golden Retriever owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeds, training, puppies, food reviews, service animals, and more.