What are the best low and high value training treats for unmotivated dogs?

For training purposes we sometimes will give foods not normally recommended to our pups, such as SMALL pieces of cheese, tiny pieces of cooked hot dog, or a lick of a spoon with peanut butter or EZ cheese. Some dogs also really enjoy the freeze dried liver treats such as these https://www.chewy.com/stewart-pro-treat-beef-liver-freeze/dp/44918. As long as you are giving very little pieces and your dog doesn't have food allergies or a sensitive stomach these can be good choices for high value rewards. Other dogs respond well to being rewarded with a certain toy. Many dogs, for example, are in love with/obsessed with tennis balls and just getting to catch a tennis ball or hold it in their mouth can be a reward. Another way to increase treat motivation is to give a smaller meal or wait to give a meal until after your training session. Your dog may not be interested in treats if he just ate his whole bowl of food and has a full belly!

The best training treats are ones that your dog really loves and that can be broken into very small treats. This is especially important with a small dog like Bella. I have used and really like Wellness Soft Puppy Bites and Fruitables. This article also mentions a couple of other small and soft chews that would work well for Bella. https://www.rover.com/blog/favorite-healthy-dog-training-treats/ Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

You can use baby carrots or green beans as healthy training treats, if she likes them. Small bites of chicken or roast beef can also work well. If you prefer store bought treats, I like Zukes brand quite a bit for my own dogs - they use very healthy, high-quality ingredients, and their training treats are nice and small.

The most popular training treats are soft, small treats. Dehydrated liver also works well. Certain biscuits are also made small for training purposes. As long as the treat is made in the United States, it should be fine to give. Treats should account for <10% of the daily calories because they are often higher in calories. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

A few general recommendations: stick with well known brands with a good reputation. Look for products made in the USA. Kibble works great for treats and I use Purina Pro Plan chicken or lamb and rice. Dry biscuit type treats usually have less calories and salt. The jerky or moist type treats are fine in moderation (they have more calories and salt usually). Lastly, many dogs really like dehydrated chicken livers and chicken jerky. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It can be tricking to work on behavior training a dog that is not particularly food motivated. You may need to find a treat that he really loves in order to motivate him: you could try freeze dried liver treats, cutting up pieces of refrigerated semi-soft dog food into small pieces, or very small pieces of cheese. Some dogs are more motivated by toys or play time, so you could also try giving him a favorite toy as a reward. You may also want to consider seeing a trainer for tips - puppy kindergarten and obedience classes can be very helpful!

Most dogs don't dislike all treats, so it may just be that you haven't found one that she likes. You can look into more natural treats or ones that have a distint flavor that is more appealing to her. You can start here with your search--> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dog+treats&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 Also, look at the ingredients (chicken, beed, turkey) in her dog food and use that same profile when selecting treats. You can also just use her normal dog kibble and give this to her in treat form. I do hope that this helps you find something that Zuzia likes. Best wisehs with her training moving forward!