I was doing total recall training. I had got to the proofing stage in the park using sausage, but Duke had put on some weight and after a weigh in a vet nurse said I shouldn't be using high calorie treats. Recall training fell in a heap at that stage. Can anyone suggest something to use that's maybe a bit healthier but still high value. Duke is sensitive to grain and chicken.
Cooked liver is very high calorie, but you can crumble it into such tiny pieces that it doesn't really matter. Brogan used to do pretty much anything just for a lick of my fingers if I'd been in the liver, let alone an actual tiny piece of liver. Duke may not be similarly 'fooled' but worth a try.
Couldn’t you just cut down his normal meal allowance a little? My Pig gets stinky oily sardines for recall training, but on days where she has a lot during training I just give her less kibble at dinner time. It’s a balancing act working out how much less, but it seems to work for us. Today we have agility and she will eat a lot of cheese, so she will get less dinner tonight. Obviously you want to vary the treats because it will impact on what nutrients he is getting if you do it every day, though.
Dried fish cubes tiny cubes of venison sausage dried apple dried sweet potatoe. You could also take a portion out if his normal food ration and try him with that.
Also if the treats are counted as making up some of his daily food allowance rather than ‘extras’ it will make him even more motivated for it because he will be hungry!
I use dried fish skin cubes amongst other things, no calories and very good for them. I agree with @Lara and also do the same, just cut down his meals. x
Hi @Anna Boyd , I've got to be honest and say that to me recall training is more important than a few extra grams of weight. I agree with others that reducing the food in his bowl will balance it out. How much weight did he put on? I have possibly been lucky in finding a good quality food that suits Cassie -- pre spay she seemed to be able to eat a great deal and remain skinny. I'm having to watch her waistline more now, but working on recall is still a priority
I allow around 150 calories a day for training treats whether it is recall or something new or just a refresh of a known behaviour. 150 calories is roughly equivalent to 100g of chicken breast. For training purposes you only need very small pieces to reward. If using sausage find out the calorie content if a sausage and reduce daily foid allowance by that amount. Any goid manufacturer will provide you with the metabolised calorific value per 100g of their food. It us easy to then reduce the daiky alliwance for the sausage treat rewards. It really isn't a case of not being allowed to use tasty high value treats but of ensuring that the daily food allowance accounts for them and that they are cut up small to provide lots of treats.
I too factor in training calories. I also buy a big hunk of roasted turkey, it’s low in sodium, and cut it into small pieces which I freeze in 1 oz packets. I’m in the states so I get this at Costco. I managed 26 packets for $13 US. I also cut Zukes minis, not sure if you have them, in half. It’s a pain but cuts calories and cost. I give dried lamb lung for special at home just because treats.
We use fish cubes, the dogs love them They sound expensive but you get a lot in 1Kg. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Challenge-...id=1525679436&sr=8-1&keywords=fish+cubes+dogs .
Some other really good treats are these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00JYCRZPS/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525685522&sr=1 Low fat and salt and only 0.3cals per treat in the medium size. Lots of different flavours available - Arctic Fish is 0.4cals per treat (low fat and salt). I use these as an alternative to fresh chicken and find them an ideal size for training and a jackpot of treats is very low cal
Green beans have no calories. Many dogs don't consider them a treat or food or even edible but sometimes it's in the presentation.
There is no way I could present a green bean in a way that would interest Benson, feeding him 100g would send him to the high hills! Smelly homemade treats work really well like sardines made with a little parmesan cheese mixed in. I leave the low-value stuff like kibble for when I am fading out treats. I do a lot of history reinforcement with recall, I like to work on it in the house, in the garden, and when they are running towards me, setting them up for success and rewarding generously with praise and treats. They LOVE the ping pong game, especially Bramble who finds it a highly rewarding game.
Chunks of bell pepper would definitely do it for Coco - he can tell the difference between me slicing celery & slicing pepper - just this evening he was snoozing in the other room while I was preparing salad, he came dashing in at the first slice of the pepper! Very low calorie.
Thanks. Of course they do. I mixed it up with the Glycemic Index,, where they are 0. They are pretty low in calories though. Lots of fibre, that might be a problem till dog is used to them. @Beanwood, I know. OUr whole agility class was amazed at how Jet would work for green beans. Most dogs there would not even eat them
