Dog Community

Help With Training Treats

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:07:18 PM

I'm using Nature's recipe training treats for training Tasha but they contain a lot of sugar. Looking at other treats I see that all of them are loaded with sugar. Are there any healthier treats out there? They need to be soft and small.

jjsmom06

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:11:59 PM

My favorite training treats that aren't too hard are freeze dried liver treats. The dogs like it better when I use liverwurst...but the liver treats are MUCH less messy! [

]

chewbecca

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:13:02 PM

Let's see...I have a bag of Zuke's mini naturals Salmon training treats (they're my fave so far because they're small enough to fit a TON into my pocket for walks, and I'd have to feed her a TON to get her fat.)
I cannot locate ANY sugar in the ingredients.
I also have Nutrisentials "Lean Treats". I also use some natural Alaskan salmon treats, but those have sugar in them.
Zuke's are the only ones without any sugar, that I can find, in the ingredients.

glenmar

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:13:51 PM

Oh do I have a training treat for you. My gsds will all but stand on their heads for homemade liver treats.

Dump a pound of liver and a couple cloves of garlic in the food processor and liquify them. Pour that into two cups of whole wheat flour or oat flour and mix well, then glop it all onto a foil covered baking sheet and spread to an even consistency. Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes for soft treats. When they are cool, pull the foil from the baking sheet and cut into teeny tiny pieces with a pizza wheel. Then, put them back on the baking sheet to freeze before you bag them up...this way they won't stick together and are easier to snag when you need them.

I make multiple batches at a time, and I usually use chicken livers since they don't smell as bad.

chewbecca

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:15:13 PM

ORIGINAL: jjsmom06

My favorite training treats that aren't too hard are freeze dried liver treats. The dogs like it better when I use liverwurst...but the liver treats are MUCH less messy! []

I cooked up a plain chicken breast and broke off tiny, tiny pieces for Ella's first training session and yes, it was not as neat as the pre-packaged treats.
I NEED to get some more of those freeze dried liver treats.
I like small treats. They last longer, don't pile on the weight as fast, and Ella is forced to take it nicer from my hand because it's so small.

jjsmom06

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:20:02 PM

Oh do I have a training treat for you. My gsds will all but stand on their heads for homemade liver treats.

Dump a pound of liver and a couple cloves of garlic in the food processor and liquify them. Pour that into two cups of whole wheat flour or oat flour and mix well, then glop it all onto a foil covered baking sheet and spread to an even consistency. Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes for soft treats. When they are cool, pull the foil from the baking sheet and cut into teeny tiny pieces with a pizza wheel. Then, put them back on the baking sheet to freeze before you bag them up...this way they won't stick together and are easier to snag when you need them.

I make multiple batches at a time, and I usually use chicken livers since they don't smell as bad.

Glenda...excellent suggestion!! I might have to make those...it would be WAY cheaper than the freeze dried treats![

]

chewbecca

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:21:56 PM

ORIGINAL: jjsmom06

Oh do I have a training treat for you. My gsds will all but stand on their heads for homemade liver treats.

Dump a pound of liver and a couple cloves of garlic in the food processor and liquify them. Pour that into two cups of whole wheat flour or oat flour and mix well, then glop it all onto a foil covered baking sheet and spread to an even consistency. Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes for soft treats. When they are cool, pull the foil from the baking sheet and cut into teeny tiny pieces with a pizza wheel. Then, put them back on the baking sheet to freeze before you bag them up...this way they won't stick together and are easier to snag when you need them.

I make multiple batches at a time, and I usually use chicken livers since they don't smell as bad.

Glenda...excellent suggestion!! I might have to make those...it would be WAY cheaper than the freeze dried treats![]

I might make those this weekend. Ella would LOVE them, I think. I'll probably try the chicken livers, they're cheaper than beef liver.
But, crap, I feed raw and just a few of these treats a day and Ella's more than met her requirement for organ meat!

glenmar

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:24:12 PM

These are sooooo easy, and according to my dogs, the best things since kitty box crunchies. The only drawback is the smell of baking liver, but luckily they don't take that long to bake. That's why I do a LOT at a time.....so I have to make them less often. I think they keep in the fridge for several days, but honestly, mine always hit the freezer right away. And my dogs will still go nuts for the frozen ones.

Lilea Storm

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:25:40 PM

[sm=happy.gif]Thank you now I have some good ideas

jjsmom06

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:26:32 PM

I might make those this weekend. Ella would LOVE them, I think. I'll probably try the chicken livers, they're cheaper than beef liver.
But, crap, I feed raw and just a few of these treats a day and Ella's more than met her requirement for organ meat!

Rebecca...let me know how it goes if you make these..and also how smelly you think they are...DH hates when I smell up the house cooking doggie stuff (he is just finally getting use to me cooking lamb and apples for the pups!)[

]

btw- OT, but we enjoyed your italian beef recipe again...this time I made it in the crockpot while camping in the RV and it was the perfect camping food...I am forever be grateful for this recipe! [

]

papillon806

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:32:43 PM

I also use Zuke's mini naturals. They are great!

chewbecca

Posted : 1/2/2007 7:38:38 PM

Shelly-I love to hear when you make that recipe and just love it![

]

Glenda- So, after I liquify the liver and garlic, then I pour into a bowl with 2 cups of wheat or oat flour? I just want to make sure it's two cups. For some reason that seems like it would be a TON of flour. I'll probably make these this weekend. I'm just wondering where I'm going to find the space in my freezer for a cookie sheet or two.

papillon-The Zuke's are convenient AND great. Ella LOVES them.

glenmar

Posted : 1/2/2007 8:00:14 PM

Yep, it's two cups. When I was making these for a secret santa recipient who couldn't have wheat I could NOT find another type of flour and ended up using OATMEAL...just popped it in the blender and made it into flour......necessity being the mother of invention and all......

jennie_c_d

Posted : 1/2/2007 8:56:34 PM

One day, when I get the guts to, I'm going to make those with potato flour, and let you know how it goes. I cannot STAND cooking organ meat. Yuck! I know the dogs would love me forever, though[

]

chewbecca

Posted : 1/2/2007 9:00:03 PM

ORIGINAL: jennie_c_d

One day, when I get the guts to, I'm going to make those with potato flour, and let you know how it goes. I cannot STAND cooking organ meat. Yuck! I know the dogs would love me forever, though[]

potato flour???
Can you buy that in a grocery store or do I have to go somewhere else to buy it??