I used canned food (Merrick's Before THe Grain) as a topper; I'm pretty lazy.

Food reward! Oven dried liver (beef or chicken) is my go to for a high value reward. That or just plain boiled chicken. It's all cheap and easy and relatively clean to handle. The liver is particularly inexpensive.

 

I dont know if it was the brand, but canned food gave my dog the runs.

 

What was the brand?

The stuff I'm mentioning, by the way, shouldn't unless the dog has a food sensitivity. It's literally meat and enough water to process it into goop.

 

To be honest, it was probably just the cheap brand from the grocery store.

Either way, I am more looking to know what foods are safe for my dog. I am in the training stage and want something I can hold in my hand and is still very appealing for her. I know I can give her cooked Beef and Chicken (includign liver). But what else? I.E. Is rice safe? Bread? Corn? Cheese?

Thanks

 

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/foods-are-hazardous-dogs This is a list of toxic foods. If it's not on there, it's probably safe though tummy upset may be an issue.

I think you'll find, though, that things like corn, rice, and bread don't do much to motivate your dogs. Cheese is usually popular though.

 

I have done some lookling online, but it is so hard to know what to trust. Thanks so muich for this link, I will refrence it!

 

I get the Sojos Grain Free mix. They have varieties with freeze dried meat already in it, or ones where you buy meat and add it yourself. Then add water. It's a complete meal, so it's as healthy for your dog as kibble.

The Honest Kitchen makes a similar product.

ETA: And as far as high value treats go, meat and cheese products are very popular with most dogs. Any type of cooked meat, like chicken, steak, sausage, hot dog, liver, meatballs, etc etc. String cheese is nice because it comes prepacked in a small-ish size, and it's easy to break up into smaller pieces.

 

When it comes to adding stuff to her kibble, mostly stick with proteins. No reason to add more carbs to kibble . Cottage cheese seems to be pretty popular, and of course various types of meat.

For training treats, this is anything your dog likes enough to work for. I've heard of dogs who will do ANYTHING for bread, although I think most dogs prefer cheese and meat, the smellier the better.

 

For feeding, you could try putting the kibble in a toy like the Kong Wobbler.

As for training, maybe try cheese? Most dogs love cheese.

 

I have tried yogurt (plain of course, no sugar) but she does not like that at all. I will try cottage cheese next time I shop though! I will also try cheese strings as suggested.

Thanks for all the tips!

 

I give Zoey bits of string cheese. I have also used freeze dried chicken liver back when toilet training. I have used Old Mother Hubbard mini cookies and Pet Botanics training treats.

When our last dog wouldn't eat we would buy the roasted chicken thighs that the supermarket sold, mixed it with her kibble and she never stopped eating once we did that.

 

Kibble is not going to do a thing and I hardley want to hold salmon in my hands LOL.

Here is a very simple recipe for homemade "salmon crack", if salmon happens to be your dog's favourite thing.
http://agilitymach.hubpages.com/hub...eats-Great-Treats-for-Gaining-Focus-During-Dog-Agility-Training-or-Competitions

 

Yeah Kristin's salmon recipe is a good one. I add in some cheese too if I have it. You can also use tuna instead of salmon.

Also, I'd experiement with mixing kibble with higher value treats too. Like meat or hotdog or meatballs. A lot of times it will soak up some moisture and flavor.

I use a lot of ziwipeak to train but it's expensive.

 

Oh I like that recipe, sooooooo easy! Thanks. I am looking forward to going grocery shopping this weekend with all fo these new ideas. Food rewards are what is really helping with my dog. It is so cute to see her sit and still as she possibly can just waiting for that treat!

 

I use shredded cheese quite a bit. I buy a lot of it to eat / cook anyway with so I almost always have some on-hand. It's easy to parcel out small or large rewards and travels well while you are on a walk, at least during the cooler months.

For dinner you can add in yogurt, pumpkin, cottage cheese or cooked veggies. But if your dog doesn't like it you will end up with a floor full of carrot bits that they pick out like I did

 

When I was feeding my dog kibble he would get some chopped up boiled liver or chicken with it. He ended up developing an intolerance to the chicken but never had problems with the liver. He also had his kibble soaked in the juice of the meat packages, like the raw blood and liquid stuff, and in the water the meat was boiled in. That's the only way he would eat kibble, he was really picky about it. I did find one kibble he ate with no problem though, Merrick salmon formula, forget the specific name, but I guess the extreme fishy smell was good enough to make him interested in it lol.

 

When I was feeding my dog kibble he would get some chopped up boiled liver

I tried boiling liver once and almost threw up. It has a very pungent smell (I don't really like liver in the first place.) The house reeked for a couple days. Caveat Emptor.

 

I make or buy all the dog treats from the grocery store.
String cheese
Thin sliced deli - not particularly good for dogs and expensive but tasty
Left over plain meat sliced thin, pork loin and chicken breast are lean and easy to handle
Thin plain omelet cooked long and slow so it is dry enough to handle
Cheese sandwich - melt cheese and smash flat, peanut butter works but I have a horrible allergy to the stuff.
Hot dogs
Tuna/garlic bread - blend egg, can of tuna and tiny bit of garlic, add flour to make a thick dough, knead until smooth and pat out on cookie sheet, run pizza cutter through bake at 350*F for 15-25 minutes. I find that much easier to deal with and less messy than treating it like brownies, just rub dough off my hands and incorporate into the dough. Can do with liver or other canned meats or more eggs or veggies or fruits. Just keep the wet stuff to about 5 ounces so you won't have too many treats to deal with. I freeze most of it so it won't spoil.

Popcorn is often used for treats. My dogs adore bread. Currently I have puffed rice cereal in the Treat&Train as reward but they really aren't crazy about it except that it comes from the magic buzzing box. Pizza crusts are a big deal around here. Ginger stole my acorn squash shell last night and both dogs nommed up the mess on the floor.

Print out that list of dangerous foods and try anything that isn't on the list on your dog. You may be surprised. Ginger will eat plain lettuce and celery. Who knew? Not saying I think those are foods that add much nutrition but she likes them. For nutrition lean to the fish, meat, organ, egg and maybe dairy side of the grocery store. Here is some more reading for you. http://dogaware.com/diet/commercial.html