(Healthy) dog treats

by Lenda | May 4, 2020 |

First of all we want to clarify that not all prizes have to be related to food or sweets : extra pampering, a soft brushing or a toy are without a doubt the best prize for our pet.

But in this article, we are going to refer to those quick rewards that are used in training to reinforce positive behavior. These are usually food because they are immediate , recognizable as a prize, and easy to manage and chop.

The objective is that this “reinforcement” is only necessary at the beginning, for the learning of behaviors, and that little by little we are replacing these awards with a “very good” or a “yes”.

We must also bear in mind that many times we add too many calories to our dog’s diet if we are carrying out a training that requires many of these small prizes. If, in addition, the training is prolonged in time but does not require an extra expenditure of calories (which would compensate for the “extra” intake) we can find that we are overfeeding our pet.

To avoid this, we are going to recommend some prizes that do not contribute too many calories and that are received as a feast. It is important that the pieces are small because if the immediacy is not lost, and the dog may even forget why you gave him the award:

–       Pieces of cooked turkey sausage or cooked turkey ham (York type)

– Chunks of cooked chicken or turkey breast .

–       Cookies or snacks formulated for dogs. You will find them of different prices and qualities, we recommend that you give less quantity, or less frequently, but that it is a quality product. If you’re prone to being overweight, try small or light formulas.