Wasn't sure whether to put this in behaviour or feeding as it's a bit of both - hope it is ok here.  Just wondered if anyone had any good training treats they could recommend.  A couple of new things I've tried recently have been thrown straight in the bin as my mini schnauzers have turned their noses up at them.  I need something really tasty that they will really WANT.  Also the treats need to be fairly small (or easy to break up) since they are generally impatient to get into the next adventure!

Any ideas would be appreciated.  Thank you

home made liver cake, tuna cake or sardine cake

have you tried gravy bones my dog kacey is a really fussy eater she wont even eat a biscuit unless it has been dunked in tea anyhow she turns up her nose at alot of things but gravy bones seem to do the trick she could eat them not stop

Hi Kate,

I usually braise a few lamb hearts or a lot of lamb kidneys at a time - they can be sliced/diced up into small pieces and frozen in portions appropriate to how many bits you think you would use over a day   Any offal is usually something that gets most dogs going but like everything else only if kept for "special" occasions

HTH, Teri

Someone already mentioned liver cake had the recipe but haven't made it for ages so forgotten now ? bit rubbish my memory... maybe someone could let me know please ???
but I sooo remember my dog would of jumped through hoops fire for the stuff.
can't remember is it chicken livers or calves ? always see it cheap at the supermarket .

I dont think you find calves liver cheap!
It's my favourite
JUst do a search for livercake you will find plenty about it.
Karen.

I use Barker & Barker little liver treats.  No need to have your house stinking of liver!!
http://www.dogtraininginfo.co.uk/products.html  and they can be broken in half / quarters to make them tiny.

Sarah.

>can't remember is it chicken livers or calves ?

Pigs' or ox liver is the cheapest. Chicken or calves (normally from the poor crated continental veal calves ) liver are the most expensive.

Thanks you lot - sounds like offal in general is the way to go, although it makes me a bit squeamish thinking about it (used to be a veggie lol!) so I might try Belgian Bonkers suggestion first.

Kerrie - I have tried gravy bones and whilst they will eat them they are not that keen.  Fussy little devils!  Still, whenever we are cooking Sunday dinner my boy will walk around on his back legs for scraps so obviously anything related to real meat is a fave.

i dont use treats i use a favourite toy as reward

If you google liver cake you'll find the recipe but from the top of my head I think it is 1lb liver (any - I used chicken livers £1 in sainsbury's) 2 eggs 1 whole bulb of garlic, 12 Oz Self Raising Four & half a pint of water.

Pulverise the liver, garlic & eggs in a blender, then add the flour & mix, then add half a pint of water and mix. Pour into a cake tin and bake at about 180 degrees for half an hour or so until it is firm on the top. It needs to be used within 24 -36 hours though you can slice it into portions and freeze it. this makes quite a lot. I imagine it's probably a bit rich t be giving them everyday, I am using it for his training classes.

Also I make a roast chicken every week for me & hubby and save lots of scraps to use as training treats, other faves of mine are hotdog sausages. I wash off the brine and chop into little pieces for training - he loves it.

Love Oz x

Hot roast chicken or pate works with mine!  Tubs of pate are quite easy and neat to handle in your pocket - dog recalls or whatever, quick lick of the tub and off he goes again! 

I've seen people use tubes of cheese spread in the same way too.
Apparently it works well if teaching your dog to stand for the showring etc etc.

I use those Quorn vegetarian sausages (grill them) - they are a lot smellier than real sausages, and they're not greasy!

I trained mine using kibble - just kept a cup full from their daily feed to use in training...it worked well considering how dull it is but did not create much enthusiasn.  I now use a mix so they get something new and I swap over what I use so sometimes hot dogs or sausages or garlic chicken, or liver or livercake or meatballs as well as toys.

Some others that I have found effective are:  bits of apple cut up and left a day or so to wither and soften on the edges, canned chickpeas, minimarshmallows and small gummie bears - sparingly, cubes of cheese like mozzarella, bits of most vegetables like green beans or carrot left out to soften up a bit, bits of cereal like Cheerios put in the bag with some bits of hot dog begin to smell like hot dog.

Just this week I made real liver treats and on our walk this morning puppyboy decided he would like to try hot liver treats, recycled direct from the factory.  Yech!  Got a good "leave it" thank heavens.

I sometimes make liver cake, also tuna cake with same recipe but tinned tuna instead of liver is very good, and also anchovies mixed in to either gives it that special 'something' to my dog.

As well as Liver cake I use:
Cheese - extra value mature cheddar is great,
any left over meat eg. roast dinner, sausages, I've even used casserole which they love but is a bit messy, liver and kidney - but too much offal at one time can give the runs.
they also love black pudding, which is cheap from the deli counter but not for pockets.
cocktail sausages (when reduced)
my fall back position is Bob Martin's Jerky Snacks (which I get from Tesco). It comes in rather big bits which I cut up into smaller bits which then break easy as I need it. Because it's dry I always have some in a plastic bag in my dog walking bag. The dogs love it but some people think it smelly.

I use liver cake, I also make a variant with tuna instead of the liver which my boy goes mad for. Also cheese, chicken, sausages etc.

I use cheese, tiny pieces, dogs will do anything for cheese

Just been reading all your tips on treat training I am now off to go and bake a cake!  I am always looking for new ideas to treat my dog, and you can't beat home made food for woman's best friend.

Especially the really smelly rind off french cheeses, my dog loves that, but it makes a mess in your bag so only for use when at home, really.

Mine will do absolutely anything for a bit of black pudding lol...really...anything BH 

Slices of cheap wafer thin ham, they don't get a whole slice of course unless they do something really special.

For liver cake I don't weigh anything out and just use :

A packet of liver
An egg complete with shell
Two cloves of garlic
Enough flour to make it a sticky consistency

I whizz everything up together in a food processor, spread it out on a baking tray that I have covered in silver foil and bake it in the oven for around 30 minutes at Gas Mark 6. When it has cooled down I cut it up into slices and freeze these in individual bags so I can use as and when. Once defrosted I cut the slices into tiny cubes and keep them in the fridge. One cake can last a month or more.

You can also do the same with tinned pilchards in tomato sauce but just need to add a bit more flour.

I don't use treats for training once they're out of the puppy basics stage but for treats to have at home I make tuna bread, it's easier and less smelly than livercake which turns my stomach at the blending stage! They also love cheese, cooked ham and apple and the Nature's Menu chicken treats and the Pet Bakery cheese paw and chicken bone biscuits from PAH all go down well too.