Training Treats

ihartgonzo · May 10, 2010

I use lots of variety in my treats, to keep them guessing. And my dogs really like grain-free kibble as treats. Especially if it's in the same bag as really gross squishy yummy stuff.

My dogs love chicken organs (hearts, gizzards and lungs only because I don't like liver) sprinkled in garlic powder and baked until they're a bit dehydrated. They also love a hot dog (or a turkey/chicken/soydog) microwaved for 1+ minute so it's really tough. Ground beef with some garlic powder is also a favorite. Fishy treats that make me gag are super popular with them, like Yummy Chummies. You can mix in some kibble (preferably grain-free) with high value treats, leave them in the fridge together overnight, and the kibble will be much more exciting. You can also give your dog a spoonful or two of plain canned pumpkin after a training sessions to keep the poops firm, and some yogurt or digestive enzymes to help build good flora.

mamallama · May 11, 2010

lizzybeth727 said:

I'm cutting the cheese into less than 1/4" pieces ... ~ pea size, as recommended. Dogzilla is around 70 lbs. During recall training, used less than 2 sticks.

It's been a terrible last few days now and waiting to hear from vet, who says it sounds like colitis. I've only had him for about 3 mos and he was in foster care for around 6 mos. prior. I know foster mom was feeding him all kinds of crap treats, as she turned everything over to me (including a full jar of already cut up treats). Would not have mattered in terms of adoption, but it's a bit strange she doesn't acknowledge a similar problem, when I asked about his sloppy poop after I got him. I kept his food the same as they fed him - Evo Chkn/Turk - and have been adding pumpkin. That worked for a while, but these past few days the poor guy's pooping like goose again.

[sigh]

lizzybeth727 · May 11, 2010

mamallama said:

1 1/2 sticks of cheese is still a lot... I know my stomach is upset if I eat that much cheese.

Maybe do shorter training sessions - use 1/4 to 1/2 a stick at a time, and just do one or two sessions a day. IMO the most productive training sessions are less than 2 minutes long, though you can do several throughout the day.

AgilityPup · May 12, 2010

I use chicken hot dogs sliced thin, then put in the microwave for about 15 mins until they're really dried out. I like using them cause they're not so messy, and my dogs love them.

When it's not that, it's chicken hearts that I boil, cut into like 6 slices.

When it's not that, it's liver boiled, then sliced, then dried out.

I haven't bought treats for training in a long time, only bought meat and made my own. I also use Salmon treats every once in a while, which I make, but don't make those often, just don't like dealing with fish.

CaliTerp07 · May 12, 2010

Is there a chance that his stomach issues are linked to his food, and not just the treats? What if you don't give him any treats? (Feed him his kibble in training sessions throughout the day) Is it still bad?

mamallama · May 12, 2010

CaliTerp07 said:

Although I'm not 100% convinced his food isn't causing *some* problem, it seemed that when I stopped ALL extraneous treats (and just used honey nut cherrios) and added pumpkin to his kibble, the poop firmed up.

The sequence was:
Came to me eating Evo Chicken/Turkey + crappy treats = loose poop
He was tested for parasites (none) and vet said try bland homemade diet
He didn't like boiled potatoes, so I switched to pumpkin w/bland diet (boiled chicken)
Slowly integrated Evo back into diet, keeping pumpkin, until I was back to just Evo & pumpkin = firmer poop
Any treat deviation (I think ... since I just recently started trying string cheese) = back to sloppy poop ... this last bout included his worst bout of diarrhea, including urgent/frequent pooping
Now seems to be subsiding.
As I look back, the only thing I haven't tried is Evo w/o pumpkin. I guess that would tell me if the food itself is contributing to the poop probs.

I know Evo is great food, but what if it's TOO rich .. or chkn/turk's not the right thing for his tummy?

Thanks ...

and sorry for getting away from OP ...

ihartgonzo · May 13, 2010

My dogs didn't have good poops on Evo... it could definitely be the kibble, and/or he could have a meat allergy.

I would switch to another grain free food, with a different meat source. Like Orijen fish. Then, if his poops and everything are good, try something with red meat and such. An elimination diet could tell you if it's just the food, or a meat source, or maybe both? I would also feed some plain yogurt and digestive enzymes to help improve his flora.

You shouldn't have to feed pumpkin after a week or two of transitioning to a new food, really. :/

MPP · May 13, 2010

I had a dog with colitis. She had to be on a low-fat diet, which I don't think Evo is, so it possibly could be the food and not the treats.

CaliTerp07 · May 13, 2010

mamallama said:

It sounds VERY similar to my Lucy when we first adopted her. The shelter attributed it to stress of being in a new environment, but she didn't seem stressed at all. We tried chicken based food, lamb based, buffalo based, and grain free foods, all with gross poop. It was so frustrating, because they were all "good" foods, she just can't handle them.

FINALLY we tried a grain free salmon based food, and she's 1000x better. So long as the only things we feed her are kibble and cheese, she's okay. Any treats have to be salmon based. Bully sticks, pieces of chicken, licking a plate to get meat juice, etc upset her tummy horribly.

I definitely agree with the elimination diet. I'd try a food that's less rich with a different protein source than the EVO.

ETA: We found this awesome little pet store that has a wonderful policy where you can return half full or more bags for a full refund. We tried 5-6 different types of kibble before we found one that worked, so we saved a boatload going that way. It might be worth looking into if you're going to go down that route.

mamallama · May 13, 2010

CaliTerp07 said:

THANK YOU for posting that CaliTerp!! Yes, I heard stress too

Keeping in mind that there's a chance it's *not* the Evo, I should probably still gradually introduce the new kibble, right? I'm going to try a fish protein. Poor guy was a farm area stray & probably ate crap his whole life ... strange to think he's got a delicate tummy (the big moose)

CaliTerp07 · May 13, 2010

mamallama said:

You're welcome

I don't know how to transition properly. Everything I read said to gradually change foods, but when my dog was pooping liquid, essentially, I didn't feel much of a need to do a gradual transition. Why keep feeding her something that was obviously upsetting her so badly? I just swapped completely one day. My dog's not picky, so she was fine with it.

Good luck - let us know how the new food goes.

smeagle · Jun 12, 2010

I use anything soft and smelly. Chicken, sausage, luncheon roll, roast meat, steak etc that can be swallowed quickly and easily. Nothing she has to chew, because she often doesn't bother and if it's too big/dry she'll have to cough it back up. My dog has a real sweet tooth though so for special things like trials she gets a bit of Krispy Kreme donut LOL

Training Treats

ihartgonzo

and Fozzie B!

mamallama

New Member

lizzybeth727

Active Member

AgilityPup

Agility freak!

CaliTerp07

Active Member

mamallama

New Member

ihartgonzo

and Fozzie B!

MPP

petperson

CaliTerp07

Active Member

mamallama

New Member

CaliTerp07

Active Member

smeagle

New Member

Members online