another training treat question

Oh I know not another :yikes Ok so I bought mini pepperoni's for training treats but after I bought it I heard it can cause Pancreatic issues so now I guess we will put it on our pizzas.
So today I went to find a precooked turkey breast that you just heat up. Couldn't find one in the store I went to but I did find Jennie-o turkey ham. Here is the ingredients:
http://www.jennieo.com/products/110-Turkey-Ham
Think this would be ok as a substitute? I plan to cut it in little small cubes, using garlic powder & Parmesan cheese then microwaving it.
I don't want to use ground turkey as it would be too hard to handle when you are doing quick training. I can also cook another chicken breast with garlic powder & Parmesan cheese too. I am trying to find quick, easy to handle treats that would be extra special for training classes. I am trying to avoid crumbles. I also don't want things that are so greasy that you need napkins afterward.
Currently we are giving ziwipeak treats, wellness treats and blue buffalo treats. He likes them but I want to WOW him at class especially starting this weekend we are doing training outside the training area and traveling inside the store. Lots of distractions!

Becky

I would be concerned about the amount of sodium in the turkey. Processed meats are always highly salted.

I use duck or chicken jerky that is meant for dogs (not salted). The chicken is brittle and breaks into small pieces pretty well (do in advance). I get them to the size of maybe a peanut, with lots of smaller pieces.

If you want to use people food, try a mozzerella string cheese stick. It shreds down to tiny pieces, and doesn't require any pre-class prep.

Thank you for the reply. Since I didn't get replies for awhile I went ahead and cut 1 slice then cut that slice into pieces the size of your pinky nail. I rotated it with all the other treats so he got maybe 10 little bits of it on our walk around the neighborhood. I hope those 10 bits wasn't too much salt.
I never thought of string cheese. I wonder if he would like it, it really doesn't have a smell that would attract him. The ziwipeak treats are pretty much jerky so that is why I wanted to try something new.
Back to the drawing board LOL
Becky

I've looked into deli meats for Sydney to wrap his pills in and since he has a heart issue, salt is a big issue. All the deli meats are high in sodium, however, I found that Boars Head low sodium roast beef is VERY low. They have a web site with all their nutritional info on it. Also, in the supermarket by the refrigerated section, there is dog food called Fresh Pet (http://freshpet.com/). I use to buy this for Sydney. They're small meatballs, either beef or chicken, so maybe that would be good too.

gamefanz said:

Thank you for the reply. Since I didn't get replies for awhile I went ahead and cut 1 slice then cut that slice into pieces the size of your pinky nail. I rotated it with all the other treats so he got maybe 10 little bits of it on our walk around the neighborhood. I hope those 10 bits wasn't too much salt.
I never thought of string cheese. I wonder if he would like it, it really doesn't have a smell that would attract him. The ziwipeak treats are pretty much jerky so that is why I wanted to try something new.
Back to the drawing board LOL
Becky

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A little isn't going to hurt him, it's when it gets to be a lot of treats (like a training class, which is pretty much constant treating). Try the string cheese, it's easy, and if he doesn't like it you can use it make pizza with the pepperoni you already have.

Something else you might want to try are the Wellness brand "WellBites" treats:
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/products.aspx?pet=dog&ft=3
I find them at the big box pet stores.

Sophie will stand on her head for the WellBites. The small amount of grain have not triggered her food allergies, either. They have a smoky scent and she luuuurves them. They're the only thing that got her attention as a training treat.

I cut each little square into six pieces, so a little goes a long way.

On that same page, below the WellBites, are the jerky treats. I've tried them but won't buy them again. They're not as soft, but Sophie likes them, too. They're a little more difficult to cut into six pieces, because they are a jerky, and the softer treats are generally better for training.

Thank you all for the recommendations and advice. I will look into all of them!

Becky

You could also get one of the pre-cooked rotisserie chickens from the grocery...they sell half and whole ones. I do this for Brooky sometimes, and use the rest for diner or a sandwich! And no cooking so it is easy.

I am not into the processed lunch meats for a lot of reasons, but mostly because i don't eat them (I eat a pretty whole, organic diet) so my food values tend to get passed on to Brooklyn, for better or worse!

Thank you. Thats a great idea for a quick treat bag. I truly HATE giving people food. I NEVER did it with my Peke but Toby needs something special to get him through training especially within a public setting.
I think I will still do the chicken breast tomorrow with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese to see how it goes.
Becky

Our trainer suggested baby food for a "high value" treat, which means a treat that dogs will go wild over. She brought one in that was just liver and all of the dogs went crazy. She said to make sure not to get one that is turkey and rice or anything with fillers because it usually is more soupy and not as appealing as the pure meat ones. She just takes the lid off of the jar and lets the dogs have a lick so that they know what they are getting and then they just get a lick or two as a reward every time they follow a command. We haven't actually tried it yet, but I know alot of people in our class have brought in jars of baby food and it seems easy.

Interesting! I'm trying to imagine myself hold a jar of baby food as we walk and I say heel LOL but it is a good idea. Thank you. I wonder what other baby or child food is out there that we can use. I haven't had a baby is almost 22 years.
Becky

ashleighelizabeth said:

Our trainer suggested baby food for a "high value" treat, which means a treat that dogs will go wild over. She brought one in that was just liver and all of the dogs went crazy. She said to make sure not to get one that is turkey and rice or anything with fillers because it usually is more soupy and not as appealing as the pure meat ones. She just takes the lid off of the jar and lets the dogs have a lick so that they know what they are getting and then they just get a lick or two as a reward every time they follow a command. We haven't actually tried it yet, but I know alot of people in our class have brought in jars of baby food and it seems easy.

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gamefanz said:

Interesting! I'm trying to imagine myself hold a jar of baby food as we walk and I say heel LOL but it is a good idea. Thank you. I wonder what other baby or child food is out there that we can use. I haven't had a baby is almost 22 years.
Becky

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LOL, yea I'm not sure about it yet either!!!! But we will probably give it a shot at some point! Let us know what works for you!!!!

I'm wondering who would feed their baby "liver baby food", yuck! I can see it for a dog, but for an infant?

gamefanz said:

Interesting! I'm trying to imagine myself hold a jar of baby food as we walk and I say heel LOL . . .

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Finding a "high value" food for Sophie was a real challenge. She's fed raw, so hot dogs were "meh" for her, cheese didn't do it, nor cooked chicken, and I worried about sodium, etc. in people food. I was on the verge of giving up, and then I was lucky to run across the WellBites, and even luckier that she luuurrrrves them.

Keep trying things until you find something that works.

If I want a high value training treat I buy the large packages of chicken breasts, split the up. Save some for me and boil some for the dogs with a little garlic powder. Cut them up small, discard bones and skin if they come that way. Not bad to handle.

Thank you everyone. I will try the chicken today to see how it goes. Our trainer suggested a wooden spoon full of peanut butter. Each time he does something right give him a lick. I guess I could try that too LOL
Becky

Light bulb moment :w*w:I forgot we have a dehydrator in a packing box somewhere in the garage. What about dehydrating banana slices and thin slices of steak? A fruit and meat and just switch off between the 2? What else to dehydrate?
Becky

I just saw this. And I was going to tell you about a friend if mine who home cooks for her dogs, and one night, accidentally left her crockpot on with skinless, boneless chicken breasts that she had intended on using for their 'diet'. The result was dried out chicken treats (she seasons them while cooking, so the treats were seasoned). Now she does this regularly. Let me clarify, she left the crockpot on all night long....just in case that wasn't clear.

If you want further details, let me know and I'll ask. Claire is so food motivate I never have to use anything special :badgrin:

Thank you. Sounds like something I'd do LOL I bought banana's, sweet potatoes, lean thin steak & turkey breast strips to start out with. I'm gonna try the dehydrator for some of it and then cook some of it to see which one he likes best. The hardest issue we have is that some training we do is fast and frequent so it needs to be something he can eat and swallow quickly and move on to the next.
Becky