For pet parents looking to positively reinforce good behavior or teach their dog a new trick, training treats can be effective. According to Victoria Schade, dog trainer, author, and behavior expert for Great Pet Care, the best dog training treats are small, low calorie, and easy and quick to chew. They also differ from normal treats in that they need to be no bigger than thumbnail-size and very high value.
“This means greasy, stinky, mushy, or all of the above,” she told Bustle via email. As for the texture of a training treats, Schade recommends moist treats over dry biscuits.
“Moist treats are always a great idea — [they should be] soft enough so that you can easily split them. Freeze-dried treats are another great option, which varies from crumbly to harder cubes. As for flavors, meat flavors are always winners, followed by peanut butter and cheese,” she added.
As a guideline, Schade advises feeding dogs no more than 10% of their daily caloric intake in treats. Keep in mind that you can also mix in kibble with training treats to help cut down on calories. But high-value training treats will typically keep a dog’s attention and serve as the best motivator during a training session.
Keep scrolling for the best selection of training treats you can find for your puppy pal on Amazon. All of these can be used on puppies and dogs as little as 5 pounds and up.
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