Treats

[Mothbox]

I'm looking for some advice on treats - both for training and general use.

 

We spent a bit of time looking into various foods and found a lot of opinions on various brands and food types but with treats there's not so much information.

 

For training we're using SavourLife.  They're a bar like treat that can be easily ripped into small chunks to reward so they're easy to hold and use during training and when out and about.  We tried others but some of the cheaper ones had a plastic texture and our dog didn't have the enthusiasm to continue training to be rewarded.  With the SavourLife ones he goes wild for them.

 

For general treats (a snack etc) - we found Vetalogica pellet chews.  Same logic as the SavourLife ones.

 

For chewing we've been picking up some kangaroo tails from Kmart.

 

Basically, after trying a few different brands and landing on the above, we've realised that its definitely worth spending a little more to get some better quality ingredients in there, although I'm sure there's also some not so good stuff in there too.

 

I've tasted all of these myself and there is a noticeable difference in flavour and texture between them and the other stuff we've bought in the past.

 

Anyone got any other recommendations that don't break the bank but are decent quality?  We'd like to rotate treats to keep the enthusiasm, especially for training.

 

[Papillon Kisses]

Make your own!

Get one of those silicon roasting tray things from Kmart that are meant for draining fat off meats as they’re roasted. Also called pyramid baking pans. Turn it the other way around so it’s a mould.

 

I varied this recipe by doubling the salmon, adding canned sardines in unsalted spring water, mackerel, anchovy. Replaced the wheat flour with oats flour (put oats in food processor), sometimes added lemon balm (his favourite herb, which incidentally pairs well with fish lol) or other additions like chia seed, smashed blueberries, etc. Look up pyramid dog treats on Facebook for ideas and to see what I mean about the moulds.

 

https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Salmon-Crack-Dog-Treats-Great-Treats-for-Gaining-Focus-During-Dog-Agility-Training-or-Competition

[Tassie]

41 minutes ago, Papillon Kisses said:

Make your own!

Get one of those silicon roasting tray things from Kmart that are meant for draining fat off meats as they’re roasted. Also called pyramid baking pans. Turn it the other way around so it’s a mould.

 

I varied this recipe by doubling the salmon, adding canned sardines in unsalted spring water, mackerel, anchovy. Replaced the wheat flour with oats flour (put oats in food processor), sometimes added lemon balm (his favourite herb, which incidentally pairs well with fish lol) or other additions like chia seed, smashed blueberries, etc. Look up pyramid dog treats on Facebook for ideas and to see what I mean about the moulds.

 

https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Salmon-Crack-Dog-Treats-Great-Treats-for-Gaining-Focus-During-Dog-Agility-Training-or-Competition

Yes to the silicon pyramid pans.     Tapioca flour is good for dog treats .. makes a nice smooth mixture, easier to get into the little moulds.   And a hack for getting the mixture in neatly .. blend it to like pancake batter, then use one of those squeeze bottles that chefs use - or a clean sauce squeezer and fill the molds with that.  Much less mess apparently, but time consuming.

 

And OP .. yes I like the Savour Life ones .. but the Nature's gift / I think grain free lamb with rosemary treats from the supermarket are pretty good too .. according to my guys - mind you, they're not very choosy.   The other go to treat I use .. partly because it's visible for when I want to throw treats.0 is Bega 50% fat reduced cheese.  A bit expensive for dog treats, but cut up fairly small, it lasts .. and is actually a nice cheese .. the dogs are happy to share it with me.

[juice]

I use Pawsome organic treats . Different flavours , I like the banana and hemp best . 

Treat training I use blackdog yogurt drops . 

You could always use fresh Roo tails rather than the coated ones . 

[sheena]

For training treats, I go through hundreds a day, so I make my own by cutting up Prime 100 rolls into 1cm pieces & dehydrating them for a couple of hours in a dehydrator or a slow oven.  Easy to put in the pocket.  I mainly use Kangaroo or Wild Boar.  The salmon one the dogs like too but are a bit smelly in the pocket. For a larger treat like at bedtime, I give them a bone shaped biscuit made by the Australian Pet Food Company.  I also use their kibble for training treats