Choosing The Best Dog Treats for Training

When you’ve got a new four-legged friend in the family or just an old dog that could do with learning a few new tricks, finding the best, and correct, training treat is a must.

Finding the right training treat for your dog is crucial as it will help to reinforce positive behaviour and helps your dog learn the new commands you will be teaching them as well as giving them a tasty reward in return. 

But with so many different types of treats available to us, what are the best treats for training our dogs?

The Best Types of Treats for Training

The best treats for training dogs are usually those that are small, soft, made from natural ingredients and of high value to your dog (AKA delicious!). This is because they will usually need to be fed frequently to reinforce the behaviours you are teaching your perfect pooch and you will want something that is quickly consumed, fervently sought after and nutritious. You will also be looking for something relatively low in calories so as not to add unwanted weight to your dog.

(If you are worried about the number of treats you are using during your training sessions, you should make a calculation to determine the weight of treats you are feeding and take this amount away from your dog’s daily meal)

A few things to consider when shopping for you dog's next training treats are:

Softness: Something that is quickly and easily consumed so your dog can concentrate on the task at hand and not be distracted for too long when a reward is given.

A Small Size: To enable you to feed regular treats as a reward and not worry about the calories being consumed. The size will also help to reduce distraction time when rewards are given.

Deliciousness: You want your rewards to be coveted by your dog. The tastier the better! If you are trying to get them to train readily, they will want something worth their while in return!

Nutrition: Many mainstream pet food companies concentrate on making training treats moreish, by adding in flavourings and preservatives which aren't very good for our four-legged friends. We prefer to tempt our dogs with treats that are delicious and full of nutrition, so they get rewarded in the short and long terms!

All-Natural Ingredients: At The Pets Larder, we believe that your dog should only be consuming the very best all-natural ingredients, no matter if it's in their daily dinners, delicious dental chews or in their training treats. Our dogs are part of the family and we should treat them with all the love and respect they deserve. Feeding them the best we can, even if it's just the rewards they earn during their training, we think, is of paramount importance. But don't just take our word for it, check out this article in The Scotsman with expert advice from Dr Linda Simon, the in-house vet at pet experts Pooch & Mutt. 

Our Favourite Training Treats for Dogs 

JR Pure: Training Treats

The Pure Training Treats range from JR Pet Products is one of the most popular training aides we have on our shelves. This is due to the fact that each and every one of the varieties, which range from rabbit to duck, ostrich to seabass and almost everything in between, have only one ingredient, pure meat. These treats come in handy bite-sized pieces and are perfect for training any dog that has allergies or who just likes to mix up their protein sources! With 11 different flavours to choose from there’s sure to be something that will get your dog excited to train with you every time a class comes around.

The Pets Larder - Little Fish Biscuits for Dogs

Out Little Fish Biscuits for Dogs are made from three simple and nutritious ingredients, herring, perch and pea protein, and are the perfect reward for a job well done. Packed full of flavour, protein, omega 3 & 6 and low in saturated fats, these little wonders are great for training as they are super delicious and can be fed regularly when teaching without any worries at all!

Lily’s Kitchen Training Treats

Coming in two delicious flavours, Cheese & Apple and Chicken & Beef, and made by one of the best producers of all-natural dog foods and treats, Lily’s Kitchen, in the country, these tasty tidbits are formulated specifically for training. They are bite-sized natural treats made with the finest organic ingredients and really are the perfect way to persuade your pup to pay attention in class.

So, if your puppy is about to undertake their schooling or you’re trying to teach your old dog a few new tricks, don't forget to pick up the right type of training treat, using our helpful tips and recommendations above, so you can persuade them to the top of the class in no time at all!