Proper treats for training is essential. Crumbly chicken is never a good idea. Dogs love it but it's difficult to deliver and seems to make a mess in the end. Cheese is too sticky when it comes to tossing it. My biggest pet peeve is string cheese. When doing shaping exercises, you will need to deliver treats sometimes very quickly. Fumbling with cheese packages will make you lose valuable opportunities for rewarding. Meatballs work if they don't crumble.
What do I look for in a treat?
Texture
I prefer the "dryer" treat especially when I'm working in an indoor riding arena. The dirt won't stick to them and they won't stick to your fingers and get all slimy. It's dog training, things get slimy :-)
Size
I like them to be about a 1/8-1/4" in size for the average medium to large dog. Smaller for toy size dogs or dogs that may have too much weight on them. It's not the size of the treat that the dog cares about.
Color
A treat that is a different color than the surface. IE; if you are training on dirt, darker treats may blend so go for a lighter colored treat
Brand
There are many brands of good treats. I try to stay away from too much "junk food" like jerky treats that have a lot of sugars and fillers. Charlie Bear type treats are good. Some of the freeze dried treats from Bravo are great (I also carry them to sell and often have them for sale at classes)
Preparing treats for class
If you absolutely have to use that awful string cheese or slimy hot dogs, prepare them at home and cut them into small pieces before coming to class. Don't lose that opportunity to reward your dog because you couldn't open that package of string cheese fast enough!
For dog owners that feed raw, those dogs go crazy for kibble!
Sometimes I will go to the supermarket and visit the all natural section and pick up some grain free Gorilla Munch peanut butter cereal. The dogs love it, it's a great color and texture and it's all natural. Better than fruit loops
Happy Treating!
