Keeping what you are using for training nutritious is incredibly important. It is easy to go through a 1/4 cup of treats and for a small dog that could be like eating a whole cheese cake. When you are using food to train your dog you need to keep your eye on portions. That means if your dog normally gets 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup at night maybe you use 1/2 a cup of their normal dog food for training instead of putting it in the food bowl and a 1/2 cup in their bowl.
Some dogs are picky and that simply wont work. Other times when distractions are high you may have to use a higher value reward. In those cases it’s important to keep in nutritious. I use different types of dog food instead of treats in most cases. Here is what I use.
These are two types of dog food that work really well as high value training treats. These foods are a typical kibble shape and feel and are a good size for medium to large dog. If training a small or toy breed try using Fromm food.
These are freeze dried brands and are great for picky dogs. These are also great for working on new behaviors in public settings. They are a dried complete dog food more crumbly than regular kibble, but better for picky dogs or dogs that get easily distracted. These are perfect for large and small dogs. Be sure to bring water because it can leave them feeling thirsty.
As high value as the freeze dried dog food, but cheaper and less crumbly. These dog food rolls need to be precut which can take some prep time, but are great for any sized dog. It’s high value enough for picky dogs and can work great to focus dogs that normally don’t want food when distracted.
Best Budget Option for Picky Dogs
Any of the freshpet dog foods located in the pet freezer at Kroger, Costco, and Target.
Assisted me a lot, just what I was searching for : D.