TREATS & TREAT POUCHES

Please feed your dog a light dinner on class night.  We will be doing many repetitions & feeding many treats. We don’t want upset stomachs or weight gain.  

TREAT TEXTURE:

For most purposes training treats will be non-crunchy / soft, easy to swallow, free of crumbs, and easy to handle & easy to deliver.  

And obviously the treat should be something your dog desires AT THAT PARTICULAR time.

TREAT SIZE:   

For medium-large dogs aim for size of a garbanzo bean or dime.  Scale up or down according to your dog’s size and also how readily he gulps treats.  Yes, for toy breeds training treats will be TINY!

TREAT VALUE

The value of a reinforcer whether food or non-food treat varies with situation, environment, relationship, time of day, mood, etc. 

Same is true for the value of a punisher, it ‘s value varies with the situation.

The value of a reinforcer must match the distraction level of the environment.  (Again, same is true for value of a punisher.)

Because of this, you will bring 2-3 different types of food treats to class each week.  One of these should be SKY HIGH in value, think Ace of Spades.  Pieces of real meat and/or cheese work well.

WHICH TREATS? 

TREAT ROLLS

Treat rolls are quite cost-effective, you get loads of treats from a roll. Yes, you have to cut them and, after opening, store in the refrigerator.

SMART DOGS stocks Happy Howie’s Turkey, Beef & Lamb in the 2 pound rolls. Crumb-free / clean, high quality, Grain-Free and all dogs love it.  This is my everyday, primary training treat.  

PRE-CUT / BAGGED TREATS

Pre cut bagged treats are great too and can be stored at room temperature.

Most do not require cutting…simply open the bag and you’re ready to go. Though depending on the brand and your dog’s size you may need to cut them for small & toy breeds.  

The Posse & I have tested many through the years, below are a few always-in-stock favorites:

REAL MEAT TREATS

Excellent treats. 95% Real meat, 5% herbs and natural preservatives. We stock Lamb, Lamb & Liver, Lamb & Venison, Fish & Venison, Chicken & Venison, and Beef.

CLOUD STAR’S CHEWY TRICKY TRAINER

Liver, Salmon and Cheddar  (I prefer Cloud Star recipe/texture over Zuke’s mini-Naturals.)

BOCCE’S

Their training treats and Cat treats are perfectly sized for Medium, Small & Toy sized dogs. Can also be torn in half Toy sized dogs.

TREATS BY THE NATURAL DOG COMPANY- excellent high value treat, only 2 ingredients 95% meat with glycerin.   Duck, Rabbit or Venison.

We have several more brands, you may check them out when you’re in class.

Whichever treats you choose they MUST BE THINGS your dog WANTS in that moment…otherwise it’s not a treat / reinforcer. 

CUTTING TREATS FROM A TREAT ROLL   

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8-2u63GUWc&w=640&h=360]

“How to” in pics:

TREAT POUCHES 

OLLY DOG

The treat pouch always in stock at SMART DOGS is the Goodie Treat Bag by Olly Dog.  I’ve happily used this treat bag for over a decade. The bags have a magnetic closure which provides secure yet easy opening & closing of the bag = convenient access to treats. The bag comes with a belt, a carabiner clip, and a zippered pocket convenient for storing dog-waste bags or another type of treat. Olly Dog changes their colors at least yearly, we have various colors & patterns in stock.

TERRY RYAN / KPCT

We also stock the “classic clicker training” Terry Ryan treat pouch by Karen Pryor Clicker Training. This treat bag is larger than the Olly Dog and opens & closes with a hinge mechanism. It too comes with a belt, waistband clip, and large pocket. Terry Ryan bag comes in black or purple. When training with high rates of reinforcement, i.e., frequent treat delivery, some hinge closures can be cumbersome.

Whatever you choose be sure you can access your treats timely & efficiently.

NOTE, I do not recommend treat pouches with drawstring closures they are cumbersome to open & close. Likewise for sandwich baggies.