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Sardines As A Training Reward, Please Say It Isn't So


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So I have a dog who generally ignores food while training and is...well, not so smart sometimes. Last week at home I tried to lure him with food into learning to drop backwards from a stand (straight onto his haunches rather than stepping into it as usual) and at school on Sunday my instructor gave it a shot with liver treats with similar amusing results. Dog fell over* or dog commenced with enthusiastic licking fest of luree's face with a big goofy grin.

Aaaaanyway, tonight I dumped a tin of sardines in with his dry food and did some training before he got it. Tried some dry food as a reward, nah no good. Took the gross plunge with some sardines and he got the drop within 1/3 of the tin :confused: Not 100%, but he's awkwardly getting the movement now.

Please tell me I have not just found the one food the rotten bugger will work for and please tell me I am NOT turning up to training with a treat bag full of stinky, oily sardines. Please tell me they are bad for him in quantities of more than 1 tin a week. PLEASE :D

*happens a lot while teaching new moves

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Yes dried fish I would try, you can generally find some in the cat section in Coles.

I saw some at fish n feather the other day whilst buying crickets....amusingly I noticed a packet of fish bits that looked identical to the stuff workmate and I eat in our 'Salted fish fried noodle' from the local tofu place. :confused: :D

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I used to use cooked human sausage cut up into small pieces then pour the 'juice' out of a tin of sardines over the sausage and allow to soak overnight. Still a bit stinky and slimey, but not all mooshy and gross.

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I've been thinking about using sardines & dried fish for training too, can't use cat kibble because they're not allowed to touch the cat food so don't want to confuse them. Now my questions been answered, thanks Jules :laugh: . I've been using fritz, sausage, cheese & sav's, so they get a pretty good mixture already but I want to keep it interesting.

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My dogs loveeee cat kibble. Bit less messy than sardines!

I tried that a couple of years ago as it's nice and smelly, but it was no better than tasty dog treats, cheese, ham, sausage, raw chicken, wet cat food, etc, etc. I mean, he'll eat it and appreciate it as a reward at home, but he doesn't work for it. The sardines were the first thing I've ever seen him really try for. I really hope that extends to dried fish too :)

Ptolomy - Oh gawd, even messier :) I'll bet he'd like them even more.

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Yes dried fish I would try, you can generally find some in the cat section in Coles.

I saw some at fish n feather the other day whilst buying crickets....amusingly I noticed a packet of fish bits that looked identical to the stuff workmate and I eat in our 'Salted fish fried noodle' from the local tofu place. :):)

Oh dear, I know the stuff you're talking about and I'm going to give it a funny look next time it turns up in a bowl of soup :)

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Dova they like the cat kibble so much cause it is the cats! And they aren't supposed to eat it :) :)

What about those little tiny fishies, whitebait??, stinky but maybe less messy than sardines.

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Yes dried fish I would try, you can generally find some in the cat section in Coles.

I saw some at fish n feather the other day whilst buying crickets....amusingly I noticed a packet of fish bits that looked identical to the stuff workmate and I eat in our 'Salted fish fried noodle' from the local tofu place. :):)

hehe - it's the same stuff :)

I get the opposite response. My mum told her auntie I was feeding the dog those 'salted fish' and her response was along the lines of "why are you wasting such good food on the dog"

ROFL!

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Depending on the reason for food rewards, I have found mince steak useful.

A couple of times visited country stores with blood dripping down my white handling shirt, as the large lumps of mince have bled from my top pocket.

Oh well, dogs more important than how I look. LOL

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Depending on the reason for food rewards, I have found mince steak useful.

A couple of times visited country stores with blood dripping down my white handling shirt, as the large lumps of mince have bled from my top pocket.

Oh well, dogs more important than how I look. LOL

And smell, eh LL? Nothing like a ripe bird for everyone to keep a polite distance from me at the Easter trials :)

Love chicken mince as a training treat (especially lovely when you're still finding it under your nails the next day :) ) and tinned tuna....however the latter is ridiculously difficult to handle so I use it in jackpot containers instead.

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Depending on the reason for food rewards, I have found mince steak useful.

A couple of times visited country stores with blood dripping down my white handling shirt, as the large lumps of mince have bled from my top pocket.

Oh well, dogs more important than how I look. LOL

And smell, eh LL? Nothing like a ripe bird for everyone to keep a polite distance from me at the Easter trials :)

Love chicken mince as a training treat (especially lovely when you're still finding it under your nails the next day :) ) and tinned tuna....however the latter is ridiculously difficult to handle so I use it in jackpot containers instead.

Ripe bird ha. At least we showered every day. Bush camping on the otherhand. I agree with the fingernails. Washing clothing is important after wiping mince off hands for hours.

The things we do!!!!

I was raised by European parents. Anyone else smelt blown herrings?. Enough to need desensation/flooding for life.

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Depending on the reason for food rewards, I have found mince steak useful.

A couple of times visited country stores with blood dripping down my white handling shirt, as the large lumps of mince have bled from my top pocket.

Oh well, dogs more important than how I look. LOL

I think we all need T shirts that say "I'm not crazy, I'm training my dog" :vomit:, could also add "or dangerous" :laugh: .

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