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Guide To Australian Shepherd Training & Care

High-Valued Treats

by Ron and Margie
(Sunriver, Oregon)

What is/are the best high-valued treats... and what is/are the best sources?

Comments for High-Valued Treats

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treats
by: jcrply

This is just my own opinion. I think boiled or baked or oven dried chicken (that's dried, not fried) or other meat is the best treat. Dogs love it, and it's good for them, and you bought the meat so you know the source, and it has no additives or preservatives. When I bake a chicken for us, I pull off some tiny pieces and freeze them in a bag to use as training treats for the dogs. You can use up every little bit of the chicken this way and it's amazing how many treats you can make from a relatively small amount of meat. When I'm ready to use them, I take out some of the frozen pieces and put them in a little fold-over sandwich bag in my pocket so my pocket stays clean. Small pieces of mild cheese are another choice though not as easily digested as the meat. Some people make their own beef or other jerky by drying strips of meat. You can also buy packages of chicken livers and gizzards in most grocery stores... bake them and cut into pieces. Dogs love these also. If you prefer purchased treats, go for USA sources and grain-free if possible. Soft treats work well for training and you can break them into tiny little bits.

Treats
by: Dorothy

I started making my own dog treats (no wheat, no corn, no soy) from a recipe that I got from www.bakingobsession.com. It calls for brown rice flour - which I use along with a mixture of oat flour and flaxseed meal. It has a lot of brewer's yeast in the recipe. My dogs love them and when they are baking the house smells wonderful. If you are not into baking, just buy treats that are all natural with no fillers or ingredients that you can't understand. Also, do not buy anything that is not made in the USA.

Treats
by: Dorothy

Also, you can slice up a sweet potato (1/4 in thick slices). Put slices on a cookie tray and put in the oven at 250 for 1 hour and turn them over and bake another hour until dried. If they are not dried just turn off the oven and leave them in. Keep refrigerated. My dogs love them and they are good and healthy.

Treats
by: jcrply

Dorothy, great idea about drying the sweet potato slices.

Treats
by: jcrply

I have found a packaged treat that I like to use sometimes for training. It is LITTLE STARS by a company called Wet Noses. The treats are made from organic ingredients and I really like the fact that they are extremely TINY. You can use them for training and not be concerned with giving your dog too much extra food. They come in "sweet potato", "peanut butter", "cheese", maybe more. My dogs really like them.

In my opinion
by: Mystic

High Value is what your Aussie loves the most. If he isn't interested it doesn't matter if you buy prime rib for him. My Shaman just isn't interested in treats for training at all. He will eat most meats when offered with a meal but turn his nose up at them as a small treat even when he doesn't have to work for it. I've tried over 30 types of store bought treats and so many meats and cheeses that it would make your head spin. He won't eat liver even in his food and I've tried 3 different kinds besides the treats that have it. He will take almost anything though if there is another dog who might be interested in it. However I often discover that he's just hidden it somewhere unless it's super small. Good luck finding something that your Aussie will do anything for.

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Guide To Australian Shepherd Training & Care

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