Treat Delivery Tips

Thank you for sharing your experience!

Here are the tips that others and/or you have shared to make them available to others. This kind of sharing in the community is fabulous... a win-win effort!

I'm sure we will all learn alot thanks to everyone!

If you have a new tip to share, please visit the treat delivery tip form by clicking Here.

REMINDERS:

All dogs may not be able to tolerate the same foods, so be sure to consider your dog's needs and health a priority.

If you deliver your dog's treats using a specific product for ease in your giving the treat requiring minimal fine motor skills, we'd especially appreciate reading your tips!

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July 3, 2006
Keli and Jack
from: Oregon, USA
Product: Molecule Ball
Treats: Hard
Explanation: This is a hard plastic ball you put treats in. Jack loves this toy and will roll it around for 45 minutes to try to knock the treats out. If I put it on my lap or hold it so he can see it he will excitedly work for it. I took it out with us on a walk once and he had his eyes on me the whole time. I put bits of bisquit in it to keep him occupied but when I really want him excited to get it, I put bits of pork chop in it.

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July 4, 2006
Douglas St.Clair
From: NH, USA
Product: Sliced Pepperoni
Treats: Soft
Explanation: I buy small bags of sliced pepperoni. They cost less than $2 per bag with 100 pieces in a bag. I stack the slices and cut them into quarters. The little bags they come in generally are resealable and fit right inside a treat bag that I wear at my waist. When I get home I slip the plastic bag out of the treat bag and into the freezer.

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July 4, 2006
Gail Nichols
Location: Kansas, USA
Product: Flexi leash bag, with Petsmart small puppy biscuits
Treats: Hard
Explanation: I have one of the Flexi leash saddles on my cane, with small pup biscuits in one side, and my glucose tabs and Anja's laserpointer toy in the other. THis makes it simple for me by having both her rewards literally in hand always, since I am never without my cane, and training now happens everywhere at any time much more easily.

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July 4, 2006
Judith Saylor
Location: Michigan USA
Product: Home made: Hot dogs sliced dime thin, microwaved to dry them out.
Treat: Soft
Explanation: I usually "prime" my service dog before asking her to perform by giving her a few treats. I've found that interspersing food treats randomly, with verbal and clicker rewards greatly improves my service dog's focus on the task at hand.
I also trained my service dog to not accept food from anyone (including me) unless it is offered with the left hand, and to never pick up food from the ground as a poison-proofing measure.

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July 5, 2006
Rita Lillico
Location: Alberta
Product: I match the treats to the dogs, from any grocery store
Explanation: I have used cheese, pepperoni, dried liver, ... I go in and raid the grocery store for inexpensive treat. Liver being the cheapest and goes the farthest.
Treats are give upon them turning their head when I speak their name. For if I need their attention I do not have time for several commands.
Treats come from all levels as sometimes my arms will not lift. They get a treat from my hand and they are hand signal trained and after their attention is on me, if voice is not working, their eyes have to transfer to my hands.
Kahns stare is so intense it has freaked a few people out.

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July 6, 2006
Carl and Rex
Location: Oregon
Product: Food Tube
Treat: Canned food consistency
Explanation: Carl uses the food tube, with a variety of levels of natural type of canned foods. This has been by far the most successful way to deliver treats quickly to Rex.

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July 8, 2006
Kirstin and Cole
Location: Missouri
Product: Homemade puppy trail mix
Treats: Soft
Explanation: I find food reinforcement is most effective when the dog doesn't know exactly what they are going to get. To make puppy trail mix, mix together some kibble, Cheerios, cheese crackers, bits of cheese, ham, turkey, liver brownie, or whatever you have on hand. Some are high-value treats for my dogs, some are less valued. It's like a gumball machine: sometimes you get a cool prize, sometimes just a gumball. The whole mix gets tossed in the pockets of a nail apron which is inexpensive (~$1) and easy to wash. If it's at all moist, I put it in a ziploc tub inside the apron to keep from getting juice on me.

Treats come only from me and are only for training. There are no freebies.

When using food for luring, I try to wean off as quickly as possible. I might do this by luring with a treat in one hand and treating with the other hand. Then I can lure with an empty hand (which is basically targetting) and continue to treat with the opposite hand. The focus should be *me* and not the treat.

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July 12, 2006
Michelle
Location: Florida
Product: Merrick's Lamb Training Treats or Fillets (dried lamb lung bits)
Treats: Hard
Explanation: I keep the treats in a bait pouch. Bait pouches are commonly used in dog shows. Mine looks like a little black leather envelope and it has a large safety pin on the back of it. I pin the pouch to my pant leg, within easy reach of my hand. The envelope velcros and I have found that after some use, my SD will look immediately to me for instruction if he hears the velcro. You can get bait pouches online on EBay or at a local dog show.

I like the Merrick lamb treats, as they are simply dried lamb lung. There are no preservatives or additives and they are made of lamb, so they do not upset my SD's tummy. They also do not have a lot of extra fat/calories, like other treats... which keeps my SD trim. The treats can be further broken into smaller bits, so that they last longer. They are dry, but not too hard/crunchy so they are easily eaten on the go by my SD and do not spoil in my pouch.

My SD is also trained to catch treats in his mouth. So if I am unable to physically give it to him, I just say catch and drop, toss or flick it to him.

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