This Chapter introduces the following topics: -
Fresh food treats
Dried food treats
Which foods?
Size matters!! - Quality not quantity
Variety is the spice of life
My dog is not interested in food treats
Sardine cake recipe
Liver cake recipe
Food is by far the most traditional method of rewarding and motivating a dog. The secret of its success is that Nature designed the canine species to be tireless scavengers, and dogs get a great deal of sensory satisfaction from being given food as a reward.
The morsel of food excites their sense of -
This stimulation of the senses when giving dogs food is often overlooked, and one that is addressed by feeding your dog natural non-processed foods such as those advocated in Dr Ian Billinghurst's book Give Your Dog A Bone (which can be purchased through Sheila Harper Canine Education mail-order service).
As Values of Motivators explains, it is important to understand which food treats your dog finds highly rewarding and which foods it still enjoys but are not so exciting. You can then use these different value treats to great effect, depending on the training situation or task that the dog is required to do. Here is list of some different foods that can be used as treats - experiment with your dog and try to work out your dog's "value scale" (ie least exciting treat number = 1, most exciting treat = 100).
FRESH
|
FRESH
|
|
Needs cooking
(meat off-the-bone) |
No cooking required
|
Fish Treats
|
Chicken or Turkey*
|
Scraps of cooked meats
from the Deli' counter - eg ham, salami, beef, luncheonmeat* |
Dried dog foods - eg
chicken, lamb, beef, tripe, fish, turkey |
Lamb*
|
Tinned or
packet Hot-dogs |
Dog biscuits -
eg Bonios, Shapes etc* |
Beef *
|
Tinned Fish -
eg tuna, sardines, pilchards, salmon, prawns |
Dog treat strips*
|
Liver Cake or |
Spicy sausages
- eg Pepperami* |
|
Pork*
|
Bread*
|
Dog treat sticks*
|
Sausage*
|
Cheese*
|
Dog chocolate drops*
|
Gammon |
Fruit or Vegetables |
Cat treats -
eg fishy flavours |
Liver*
|
Human Snacks* |
Pig snout or ear
|
Beefburger*
|
Dried tripe stick
|
* Size matters! - QUALITY NOT QUANTITY
It is very tempting to give your dog large pieces of food as a reward, however, the dog does not appreciate the amount that it is given - after all, the treat is swallowed very quickly! As explained
earlier, the dog is far more interested in the smell, taste and texture of the treat and will appreciate having a small "gem" rather than a large unappetising biscuit.
Take the time to cut the various foods into very small pieces (as and when you have any leftovers from your meal etc) and store them all together in an airtight container in the freezer or fridge.
Another reason for keeping the food treats extremely small is that dogs can suffer serious health problems from exercising on a full stomach, or becoming overweight.
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
You may be wondering how on earth you are going to amass such a wide range of food treats! The answer lies in collecting and storing any fresh leftovers in one large airtight container in the
freezer; mixing them together as you add to the box; then taking out a handful of the mixture as and when needed and storing it in the fridge in a small container such as a Treat Box. Another
large container of the dried and processed treats can be mixed up and stored in a cupboard (as they have a longer shelf life) and another treat box filled for these types of treats. Your dog will be
very keen to see what you take out of the boxes each time you open them to reward him!!
"MY DOG IS NOT INTERESTED IN FOOD TREATS"
Some dogs do not seem to be interested in food as a reward. There are a number of reasons why this could be -
A great recipe is Sardine cake cooked in the microwave (my dogs love it!)
SARDINE CAKE RECIPE
2 tins of sardines in sunflower oil - any type of tinned fish can be used
4 eggs
Garlic to taste (garlic paste in a tube can be used)
Liquidise or blend the ingredients together and then add either plain flour or rice flour to mix to a cake like consistency.
Cook in a microwave (650 watt) on high for 5-7 minutes. It comes out nice and firm and easy to cut up and it freezes well
LIVER CAKE RECIPE
500gr raw liver (remove any "stringy" bits)
2 eggs
1 clove of garlic
Blend the above ingredients in a blender or food processor until thoroughly liquidised. Stir in as much plain flour (wholemeal flour is healthier) as possible to make a firm dough. Press
into a lined or greased tin (I find a swiss roll baking tray is just the right size) and bake in a moderate oven (350C) for approximately 20 minutes until browned. Allow to cool in the tin.
Cut into very very small pieces and store in a airtight container (it is extremely smelly, which is why the dogs love it so much!).
These are just a few ideas of what you can do, use and develop further. Ask your friends what ideas they have.
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