As usual I must thank this forum. After reading how many people use sardines as a high value reward, I thought I would try it out today on our walk when approaching strangers. Now, I've been training the heck out of this, taking him places where I know there'll be strangers so that we can practice... but even so usually he growls at at least one person we meet regardless of how quick I am with my treats. Today he didn't growl or back away from anyone and actually wanted several people to pet him! I'm going to go ahead and credit the sardines and I will definitely be going to get some more tins soon
Great to hear you're seeing progress ☺ I tried sardines with Ella for the first time a week or so ago. They are the most valuable treat I've come across so far! I'm using them solely for paw/nail desensitisation as it's Ella's real struggle.
How do you give sardines as a reward, you must get mucky, smell fingers? I am not into pureeing them and putting them into sqeezy bags, so if anyone has other suggestions I would be grateful
I cut them up into little mushy pieces and then spend the rest of the day trying to get the smell off my hands! I'd definitely love to hear of any better ideas! ☺
Unless you are prepared to use The Labrador Forum Sardine Gun (LFSG) aka as baby food pouches, sardines are extremely messy to use as treats. A more expensive solution, but one which is a great deal easier, is to snip the corner off a pouch of Fish4dogs salmon mousse and squeeze bits of that out as a reward. I have to say, this is my go-to squeezy messy fish treat these days.
As I've only been using them for paw/nail desensitisation I haven't had to move them from the chopping board in the kitchen so it's only the stinky hands causing a problem for me! I might have a look out for the salmon mousse though thanks ☺. The things we do hey?
Sardines are the best, along with salmon mousse. Funny thing OH put the heated seats on in the car, and suddenly he said yuk what's that fishy smell. Me I replied,
Sardines are the best here too. I blend them and us Squeezy tube that I bought on Amazon for about £8, pop it in my pocket quick and easy to dispense, NO stinky mess xx
A while ago, when Charlie was at the very peak of his hooligan madness (hard though it is to imagine it was worse than it is now ), I visited a traditional gundog trainer, who wanted me to correct Charlie on a slip lead because he would not walk by her kennel of dogs without going nuts - I had to walk by the kennels to get to the training field. She told me that I'd never manage it with Sardines alone. The next time I went, I got a big thick freezer bag, tipped in 4 tins of sardines, and rewarded him for even a microsecond of calm (or not as nuttiness as normal) by allowing him to stick his whole head in the bag and snaffle up a tin of sardines. I used up the whole bag walking along the 10m in front of her kennel. But it worked. It blinking well worked! Sardines rock.
I never even thought there was any other way to give sardines than to stick your fingers in a disgusting mushy bag..... this is opening up some new possibilities! Honestly I just brought some disposable hand wipes with me and it wasn't so bad
I always wear a disposable glove under my fingerless mitts,as I am phobic about getting poo on my fingers, so I guess a glove on the 'treat hand' would work - until of course, poochie punctures it with those sharp pointy teeth!
I see people giving cream cheese or some sort of leberwurst pate out of squeeze tubes at training sometimes.. seems to be a hit!
Oh - and well done!! The sardines may have distracted him, but you are the one in charge of dispensing them! Good job
Julie is right...sardines do rock,they helped me with my 'look at me' when I was working on Dexter's lead reactivity....to get his focus at first I used to point to my eye to get eye contact....you know how it can be,getting your clicker,treat and timing all right? ....I had it mentioned on more then one occasion by neighbours I met....'you have a little something just by you eye' Sardines rock...but smell bad when you wear them! X
I use smelly fingers to my advantage. Poppy is glued to my side when we are off lead practising, i just keep wiggling my fingers in front of her nose. she loves the smell.
