Believe it or not, proper treat selection is an important part of dog training.
When I start a new class I usually see at least one person with the wrong rewards. This can have a significant effect on training! The wrong food can lead to a distracted dog that either doesn’t want to eat, and therefore, work. If the treat isn’t compelling enough, attention will flag. If it’s crunchy and generates a lot of crumbs, the dog’s eyes won’t come off the floor.
I tend to lean toward homemade selections like deli meats, good ol’ plain chicken, or cheese. But let’s face it, pre-made dog treats are convenient and sometimes picking up the ingredients and preparing the treats isn’t possible.
Crazy Dog sent me a bag of their “Train-Me! Reward Treats!” to try out with my classes. I’m happy to say that they worked out very well.
The Train-Me treats fit a few key criteria for good treats:
- The primary ingredient is meat. Filling your dog up with corn or flour during training is not a good idea. The “Train-Me” rewards do have barley and potato flour, but the primary ingredient is pork liver.
- They are soft. Crunchy treats are a no-no! They make a mess that can distract your dog. A soft texture is what you want. They don’t make a mess and it’s easy to break them up and make one treat into two or three.
- The dogs loved them. I used the bag over 6 classes and all of the dogs I worked eagerly worked for the treats. The dogs decide what is rewarding and what is not, and in this the verdict was unanimous!
“Train-Me” treats are pretty easy to find in my neck of the woods. I’ve seen them at a few of the “big box” pet stores and a few smaller shops too. They can also be purchased online.
It’s good to have a variety of different training rewards on hand, such a few different foods (and, of course, something to play tug with.) Train-Me! Training Rewards are a good choice.
I’ll have to try these with my dog Kelly. She loves treats!
We have been using Natural Balance semi-moist food (the rolls) cut into tiny pieces for training. I like that it’s food rather than a treat – not ideal food maybe but still, food. Lots of aroma, apparently quite tasty, and can be cut into any size desired. This was suggested by Sophia Yin.
These look pretty handy, Eric – friend of mine is starting training with his dog shortly so we will have to try these out. Thanks for the review!
I was just at the store last week and I was trying to decide between these and Old Mother Hubbard’s “Assorted Bitz” – I am definitely going to try these ones, I didn’t realize they were made with mostly liver. Thanks for the review.
I’ve heard good things about these treats, Eric. I have also learned that some treats–not these–have sugar in them. It is so important to read labels.
I think the key is moderation too. Regardless of what you use, use it sparingly and be sure to adjust meals if need be.
I’m glad it was able to help!
Thanks for stopping in, and tell your friend good luck!
I’m a fan of Natural Balance too.
Hey Eric – I just went searching for this post to remind myself of the name of these treats. I saw them in a store and wondered if they were the ones you reviewed. I was interested because I now have a new “stooge” in the house, fostering her during mange/horrible yeast recovery. There is a version of this treat that is for “allergies,” and has no grain. I’m going to give it a try for my pooches. Thanks, as always for your insight!