# Best Dog treats for Obedience



## Samuel Gibson (Jun 25, 2014)

What are the best dog treats for engagement/obedience training with low food drive dogs?


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## Matt Vandart (Nov 28, 2012)

whatever the dog likes best


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## Samuel Gibson (Jun 25, 2014)

Matt Vandart said:


> whatever the dog likes best


Haha good answer. What are some of the best things to try out. My dog isn't even excited about smelly sausages.


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

You have to experiment. What does your dog like? What does he get for treats normally? 

I've had dogs go nuts for Rollover. A bit messy, but Satin Balls were pretty popular with my dogs. 

My dogs will work for kibble, so tempting them isn't an issue. I try to have a mixed bag of treats when I train - usually kibble and one or two other things. I bake liver long and slow until it's like leather. Cut into bite size bits and freeze. I cut up wieners and microwave them for a few minutes until they are a bit dried out and more chewy.


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## jack van strien (Apr 9, 2009)

Is the dog normally a good eater?Is he healthy?Make sure he is not overweight,dogs in the USA are usually heavier than dogs in Europe.
What is the reason you want to use food?
the dog does not want to work for a toy?
A healthy hungry dog should work for food,only feed him while he is working and when you are done working feed him the rest of his meal.
It may take some experimenting what he likes best,animals have a preference in food just like people.
He may need an attitude adjustment,needs to understand nothing in life is free.


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

Folks have used string cheese, Vienna sausages, deli meats, leftover trimming from cooked meats, cooked pig liver, etc. You have to troll around and see what the dog really likes. Mine didn't seem to like the dry-ish or high salts of some items. Finally hit on the german bologna (from walmart). they liked that over the stronger beef-based bologna. Even the low food drive dogs seem to perk up and go for it.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

If he has a low food drive, why are you trying to reward him with food?

Try a tug or a ball.

*But*, before you start working with him, either tie him up and "provoke" him with the tug/ball, or just have him around and tease him with it, but do not let him get hold of it

When the dog is crazy to get hold of the tug / ball, tuck it into your back waist band, or wherever he can't get at it and start working. Within a few seconds or so, if he works to your satisfaction, bring forward the tug/ball and let him have a bite at it - not too long. Repeat this a few times until you are satisfied that he is concentrating on you (ball/tug).


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## Amy Swaby (Jul 16, 2008)

I cut up hot dogs


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## Ben Thompson (May 2, 2009)

I use cooked hamburger. Never had a dog not like that.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Liver dried in the oven with a touch of garlic powder.


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## Denise King (May 31, 2009)

I use Natural Balance roll cut into smallish cubes, string cheese sliced into penny sized pieces or Brunswiger Lunch meat cut into pieces then baked in low oven for a couple hours then popped into the freezer until ready to use. The lunch meat I use for high value rewRds!


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## Ben Thompson (May 2, 2009)

I also thought of using Papa Johns Pizza cut into tiny pieces but I would have eaten it all before I got to the training site.


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## Samuel Gibson (Jun 25, 2014)

Thanks everyone for the tips. I chopped up some sausages and covered them in salmon oil. I then baked them. It was an instant hit. I had full concentration and no checking out


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Wow, I would have eaten them myself \\/


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## Gregory Doud (Nov 10, 2008)

_For obedience we use raw hamburger, frozen Bil-Jac, string cheese, hot dogs, Red Barn, and Pup-Peroni. We switch it up a lot. - Greg_


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## Catherine Gervin (Mar 12, 2012)

i end up using scraps from our own leftovers saved for "bait" purposes--cooked hamburger is a favorite, totally, and cooked steak or chicken are great--now that it's summer i cannot use raw bacon or burger anymore because it gets into that TemperatureDangerZone well before we've finished our walks--but i use lamb jerky treats when i run out of better scraps. she notices but seems to forgive me for it.


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## lannie dulin (Sep 4, 2012)

If the dog has low food drive then you need to make it more about the game. I had a presa that had the same issue. It is necessary to develop a dog's food drive because it is the best way to get a lot of reps in of any particular exercise. 

If your dog likes playing with you then exploit that drive to build the food drive. Take a hotdog, treat, or whatever and play with it like a toy. Be very animated and move it around like prey. When the dog does give chase throw in a few misses like a tug. Then let him catch it and then make a big deal lots of praise. Repeat this until the dog gets the idea of chasing the food (this can take a week). Then what I like to do is simplify the pattern so that I hold my hand out at eye level, give my reward marker and the dog launches at the reward (food in this case). I let him get it and then reload so he can circle back and launch himself at the next treat. At this point the dog doesn't care that it's food he just like the game of catching the food (as I drop it out my hand and he goes flying by). If you replaced the food with a rock the dog wouldn't even notice. I'll try and shoot a short vid this weekend to show you.

PS - I wouldn't feed the dog a day in advance of doing this, just to further stack things in my favor. GOOD LUCK.


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## Rob Kringel (Aug 2, 2011)

Samuel Gibson said:


> What are the best dog treats for engagement/obedience training with low food drive dogs?


Red Barn Beef and Liver Chub. Cut it up in to bite sized pieces. Its great for tracking too.


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## Brian Anderson (Dec 2, 2010)

let the dog get hungry enough and he WILL be driven by food.


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## Samuel Gibson (Jun 25, 2014)

lannie dulin said:


> If the dog has low food drive then you need to make it more about the game. I had a presa that had the same issue. It is necessary to develop a dog's food drive because it is the best way to get a lot of reps in of any particular exercise.
> 
> If your dog likes playing with you then exploit that drive to build the food drive. Take a hotdog, treat, or whatever and play with it like a toy. Be very animated and move it around like prey. When the dog does give chase throw in a few misses like a tug. Then let him catch it and then make a big deal lots of praise. Repeat this until the dog gets the idea of chasing the food (this can take a week). Then what I like to do is simplify the pattern so that I hold my hand out at eye level, give my reward marker and the dog launches at the reward (food in this case). I let him get it and then reload so he can circle back and launch himself at the next treat. At this point the dog doesn't care that it's food he just like the game of catching the food (as I drop it out my hand and he goes flying by). If you replaced the food with a rock the dog wouldn't even notice. I'll try and shoot a short vid this weekend to show you.
> 
> PS - I wouldn't feed the dog a day in advance of doing this, just to further stack things in my favor. GOOD LUCK.


Yeah please do send the vid. I csn get my boy chssing me with the food and he likes it but he checks out snd then re-engages but im working on it*as much as I can.


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## Jojo Bautista (Mar 7, 2010)

It doesn't matter what TREAT you are using, apply WEIGHT MANAGEMENT.


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## Jessica Hodges (May 16, 2014)

Dehydrated: liver, chicken hearts/gizzards, deer meat, just chicken (with the garlic powder as someone else suggested, or without). Usually the dehydrated meats work the best, but I've had dogs work for dehydrated sweet potato, and banana before.


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## petguide.co (11 mo ago)

Matt Vandart said:


> whatever the dog likes best


hehehe


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