Training And Rewarding With Healthy Dog Treats

Dogs are now treated as friends and less as pets. Although man
and dogs were together since time immoral, dogs have started
living indoors as part of our families only now. While many
people give out dog treats to their pets for the dogs pleasure
as well as their own, dog treats are also useful training tools.
A pocket full of dog treats can be used while training a dog to
heel, sit, stay, or any other such command. But you have to make
sure that the treats are appetizing to the dog. If you give
treats that are dried out, bland and crumbly, dog’s treats won’t
incite nearly as much enthusiasm in training as a juicy good
piece of meat or a scented cheese.

There are lots of dogs treat available in shelves of
supermarkets and pet stores, discount stores etc. They stock an
amazing variety of treats right from beef treats to bulk
products. Some treats come with treatments for heartworm,
antibiotics etc. They are carefully prepared by veterinarians to
treat various ailments. Treats are also designed so as to clean
the teeth as well as aid in digestion.

You need not depend on buying treats available in market. You
can make some for your pets at home also. Right from sliced
steak, chunks of cheese, rice, hamburgers, will serve as great
ingredients. But it’s always a good idea to consult a veterinary
doctor, before you decide on feeding your pets with your
homemade treats. Never feed dog’s chicken bones as treat. It’s
not good for their health.

Treats are excellent methods to train them. Ideally, the
training treat should be very small, so that you can give the
dog a large number of rewards without filling him up or
adversely impacting his diet. If you have an average built dog,
a 1/3 inch square treat should be just right. It is believed
that soft treats (say hot dogs) are better than hard treats
(like biscuits) because the dog can eat them and get on with the
lesson more quickly. But too much of soft treats should also be
avoided.

If you are confused at times as to what will be the best treat,
try picking raw hot dogs and bologna. Most dogs adore theses
treats. These treats are soft, inexpensive, and can be chopped
into small bits. Bologna is especially easy to prepare as you
can easily slice it. With this treat you can simply crosscut it
into small squares right in the package. Cheese is also other
good treat. Most dogs love cheese.

There are certain dogs who are quite active and might not prefer
simply food as treats. For such animals, try using the tennis
ball instead of the food treats. They may like to go after it
play and retrieve it for you to throw again in different
direction. Sometimes play a tug game with it. That ways you will
also come closer to the canine where as dog will also be happy.

Treats can be just food or some playful games, it depends on
what kind of animal you have and what mood they are in.
Generally you must mix both kinds to keep a healthy mix.