Dog Training Treats

I’m a professional dog trainer. Here’s what I recommend for treats.

Treats are my magic wand. With them I can install new behaviors and stop old ones. I can reward something as basic as toileting outdoors, or as complex as heeling. They’re practically my stock-in-trade.

But there are so many treat options available! Which ones work best?

When I go shopping, I’m primarily looking for something soft that’s also in my budget. If I can get it in strips or big pieces, that’s a bonus!

• Why soft? Softer treats are usually more appealing to dogs compared to crunchy treats. They’re also faster (and cleaner) to eat, and easier to cut down to size.

• Why strips? I use a LOT of treats and everything I buy has to be cut down to size so the dogs don’t get too many calories. Larger pieces (like jerky) are faster to cut than a bunch of small, but not small enough, treats. However, be careful searching for ‘dog jerky treats’ because you might wind up with something very difficult to cut.