Lewis Moon Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 In the past Cerb has always preformed pretty darn well for just kibble. He's very food oriented and it's not too hard to keep his attention with a hand full of the Kirkland he usually eats. However (you knew it was coming...) when he's in very distracting environments, or in environmemts where there are a LOT of treats being given and dropped by others, both of which happen in his agility class, if I'm not on top of him, he'll release and go treat hunting. I've started to be more generous with the treats on all occasions and he's starting to be more attentive, but if he thinks he has to work too hard or long for a treat (my assessment) he releases as soon as there is some break in eye contact, etc. and heads like a cruise missle over to the treat hunting grounds. Does anyone have suggestions for high value treats that are readily available (ie: found in a store or on line), non or semi non perishable (able to spend an entire evening in a pocket or treat bag) and come in small enough portions that he doesn't have to stop and chew? There is a whole wall of treats down at the local Pets(Wal)Mart but most look like they were either made by prison labor in China or came from the Chem Labs at Monsanto. I'd rather not spend time baking, frying, chopping or blending and if I leave something in a pocket or treat bag, I don't want to have to pull on my white Tyvek suit and SCBA to deal with it the next morning. I want the Holy Grail of treats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleS. Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Not sure if your dog will think these are the Holy Grail of treats but my dogs certainly do and when I use them all the other dogs in the class seem to gravitate my way. Yummy Chummies. They come in strips that I break apart. I think they tend to get hard if you leave the bag open though. I don't use them alot because I can barely stand the smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Moon Posted January 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 OOooo, those look good. Cerb actually comes out every morning at the sound of the fish oil vitamin bottle being opened. He sits and waits with great anticipation and then gobbles the pill down. Any other suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 You might try Taste of the Wild kibble for something handy. I use it as a training treat with my raw fed dogs and they think it's the best stuff ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Exotic kibbles are good -buffalo, salmon, herring based. My favorite is frozen shredded cheese. I buy a bag or two when it's on sale, spread it on a cookie sheet and freeze for a week or so, stirring it up a little every couple days. The freezing dehydrates, so that it doesn't stick together and you can easily use a tiny piece at a time for treats. It takes a while, but I find it easier than chopping up the tiny tots, etc, into smaller bits. And, it holds up in a baggie/treat bag much better. Ruth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Red Barn or Natural Balance food rolls. You're going to have to chop it up before hand, but most dogs love it. The unused portion of the rolls do need to be refrigerated, but the chopped bits will be fine in a treat bag for a day or two. String cheese is also a really good one. Individually packaged, easy to find, easy to break off in little pieces for rewards. And not a big deal if they're left in your pocket overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G. Festerling Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 I second the more exotic dog foods. Just bought a big bag of pure lamb dog food that the dogs love and it is already pre cut. Also, the Natural Balance Dog Food logs. Easy to cut keep well. Bill Jac frozen food. Thaw it and you can make tiny little balls of treats. A bit slimy though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimL Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Red Barn or Natural Balance food rolls. You're going to have to chop it up before hand, but most dogs love it. The unused portion of the rolls do need to be refrigerated, but the chopped bits will be fine in a treat bag for a day or two. String cheese is also a really good one. Individually packaged, easy to find, easy to break off in little pieces for rewards. And not a big deal if they're left in your pocket overnight. We call Natural Balance rolls, "doggie crack", they'll do anything for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Zukes Mini Naturals, though I think they are high in sodium. They don't seem to go bad, just rock hard, which also made me question them a bit. My dogs get (in order of importance to them) TOTW kibble, Natural balance food roll or chopped/cooked liver sprinkled with parm. The smell is disgusting, but if I have to break out the 'big guns' this is what I use. You can not forget this in your pocket. I usually make a big batch, separate it in ziplock baggies and freeze until I need it. They will take it frozen or thawed. I know you'd rather not, but that's what I use and the dogs love, love, love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Moon Posted January 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 That seems to be about 4 or 5 votes for the Natural Palance food rolls. I may go out and see if I can construct a treat pouch with a hard plastic liner I can throw into the dish washer. Add that to my training Utility Belt (think Batman) along with another pouch for lower value treats, clicker, tug toy.... Anyone ever drench their treats in salmon oil or other stinky oil? Retaining the stench on my treat hand could be a plus.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 For "normal" treating I use the Natural Balance dog food rolls. When I get the roll I cut it into rounds and freeze them. Then I take out one slice and cut it into small pieces; those go into a ziplock bag in my pocket. They'll last a day even in the summer without going bad. In the summer I don't thaw them out first. For HIGH VALUE treating,and high convenience for me, my dogs and I love Dogswell "Happy Heart" Chicken Breast strips. They come in a little bag and are expensive for the bag, but not really that expensive once you cut them up into little pieces. Ingredients: Chicken breasts, Vitamin E, Flaxseed, Taurine, Tumeric, Cinnamon, Dandelion oil. They are already dried, so they keep without refrigeration. And the dogs go nuts for them! --D'Elle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushdoggie Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 The food rolls are pretty popular here, as is a soft treat that smells fishy. There are a few brands. What really works as "doggie crack" though, believe it or not: Old Roy Dinner Rounds in the pouch. They are total crapola but seem to be like Twinkies for dogs. I keep a few on hand as they don't spoil easy and while I don't want them to eat a lot, like Twinkies I figure a few won't hurt them and use them for really inspired things. You were looking for "ready made" treats, but since I don't mind cooking I will also make cooked heart bits for them. I dice up beef heart on a cookie sheet and cook it at 30 until its really well cooked and rubbery. The dogs say it tastes really good and they are remarkably dry and not too gross on my hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Moon Posted January 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Is the TOTW Pacific Fish kibble homogeneous or the bits differentiated? Does it come in smaller packages? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 The bits are all the same sized, I can find 10 lb bags at my feed store. If you find you can fabricate a Batman style treat pouch, with the removable/washable hard insert, let us know! Ruth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Moon Posted January 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 The bits are all the same sized, I can find 10 lb bags at my feed store. If you find you can fabricate a Batman style treat pouch, with the removable/washable hard insert, let us know! Ruth Some kibble has different bits mixed in. I'm worried about pulling a different treat out of the pouch every time. Right now I have a hiking fanny pack with a cut off water bottle in one of the bottle holders. When I'm done I can just pull the bottle bottom "cup" out and throw it in the dish washer. It would be nice if it were bigger to accomodate my ham sized mitts and had a drawstring or other type of closure to keep the treats in when I throw it in the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantal Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 We call Natural Balance rolls, "doggie crack", they'll do anything for it! Agreed, we recently discorevered it, and oh my! Though the beef seems less popular than the others. And you can also freeze the bits. I like to cut it up, portion it out to ziplock baggies and just grab right before class from the freezer, no need to untaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Old Roy Dinner Rounds in the pouch. They are total crapola but seem to be like Twinkies for dogs. I keep a few on hand as they don't spoil easy and while I don't want them to eat a lot, like Twinkies I figure a few won't hurt them and use them for really inspired things. I've used those too, from time to time. But I usually get the Moist and Meaty ones because the ingredient list isn't quiet as bad Dogs l.o.v.e. it and it doesn't spoil in my car during the summer. And I recently found Bit O Luvjerky treats at Family Dollar of all places. Pretty decent ingredients for a shelf stable, high value treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Natural Balance rolls are great but my ultimate stinky dog treat is Plato Dog Treats Salmon Strips. I use a sharp scissor to cut them lengthwise in 1/4" strips, and then crosswise again in about 1/4" bits. They have a strong smell of fish (I think I've only found one dog *ever* that didn't go bonkers for them, when I was helping teach dog/puppy classes), and do not spoil in your pocket or break up like more fragile treats can do. Plus, a small amount of these tossed in with any other treat (kibble, cheese, whatever) will impart an irresistible smell to the other items. The other thing I like, in limited quantities, is the tiny pepperoni rounds by Sugardale (I think). They are little rounds, maybe 3/8" across, that make high-value, smelly, durable, don't-spoil-in-your-pocket treats that make everything in a bag with them smell good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BustopherJones Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Annie loves a treat recommended by our vet that also has beneficial effects for joints. The treat is Sea Mobility Joint Rescue in venison flavor (it also comes in lamb flavor, and in small packages of beef minis); the flat strips (which look like beef jerky) contain Chondroitin, Glucosamine, MSM, and Sea Cucumber. We break the strips into small sections, and give her small pieces a treats. I would note, however, that they are not cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sluj Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 That seems to be about 4 or 5 votes for the Natural Palance food rolls. .... Anyone ever drench their treats in salmon oil or other stinky oil? Retaining the stench on my treat hand could be a plus.... Make that 6+ votes for NBFR ("magic sausage"), and add another vote for Yummy Chummies. I always get the giant bag from Helping Udders. The smell does stick to you if you handle them enough, e.g., for breaking them into smaller pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 That seems to be about 4 or 5 votes for the Natural Palance food rolls. I may go out and see if I can construct a treat pouch with a hard plastic liner I can throw into the dish washer. Add that to my training Utility Belt (think Batman) along with another pouch for lower value treats, clicker, tug toy.... Anyone ever drench their treats in salmon oil or other stinky oil? Retaining the stench on my treat hand could be a plus.... Don't even go through all that worry. If you're going to use the Natural Balance roll, you can re-use a ziplock bag multiple times. I frequently put two baggies in one pouch... if I'm using a pouch, which is seldom. I also mix kibble into my high-value treats and the flavour mixes with the kibble and they don't know the difference... well, Riley doesn't seem to care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Moon Posted January 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 Don't even go through all that worry. If you're going to use the Natural Balance roll, you can re-use a ziplock bag multiple times. I frequently put two baggies in one pouch... if I'm using a pouch, which is seldom. I also mix kibble into my high-value treats and the flavour mixes with the kibble and they don't know the difference... well, Riley doesn't seem to care. The main reason I'm thinking about a pouch with a stiff plastic liner is that ziplocks don't lend themselves to rapid action treat dispensing. I'm always reaching into a pocket only to find the bag folded over....and Cerb rolling his eyes and tapping his paw, waiting for me to get stuff straightened out. OT: Anyone else ever get a pocket chewed out of a pair of jeans from an unattended laundry basket? Find a layer of petrified kibble dust in the pocket of jeans you just pulled out of the dryer? Just think; a year and a half ago I was a cat person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sluj Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 The main reason I'm thinking about a pouch with a stiff plastic liner is that ziplocks don't lend themselves to rapid action treat dispensing. I'm always reaching into a pocket only to find the bag folded over....and Cerb rolling his eyes and tapping his paw, waiting for me to get stuff straightened out. What about a cheap vinyl coin purse or golf tee bag? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SecretBC Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 http://www.petco.com/product/10790/PETCO-Treat-Tote.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyotecreek Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 with Kate..I alternate. string cheese, bits of chicken and liverwurst for BIG stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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