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So you’re ready to make that commitment to start working with your puppy. You run to the pet store to grab your token dog training equipment and are met with an aisle of dog cookies to choose from. Which one is the best??
Well safe to say we spend several hundred dollars a month in dog training treats, so we know how to pick what motivates a dog. Below are the top 10 Dog Training Treats we use at the OC Dog Ranch for all our Boot Camp Programs.
10. Primal Raw
Primal has a variety of food that makes perfect treat sizes and comes in unique protein sources for added variety. I love using the frozen raw Primal which comes in small bite-size sizes. When training at parks I just bring it frozen and it thaws as we train.
Merrick’s Lamb Lung Fillets and Bite Size training pieces are great for dogs who “smell” the food on you and only listen if they can smell the treats. The Lamb Lung has very little scent but dogs love the taste!
Vita Essentials has a variety of perfectly sized training treats. Some of the more unique varieties include Tripe, Duck, and Salmon. Treats come in a variety of sizes so if you need to stock up in bulk, this brand is a great option!
I don’t know what it is but dogs go nuts for Liver Treats. Stewart Freeze Dried Liver is great because the ingredients are simple, its made in the USA, and the freeze dried process means long shelf life!
Stella and Chewy’s is another brand that has a huge selection of food products that make perfect training treats. Both the dinner patties and meal toppers are great texture and can easily be broken into smaller pieces.
Probably our biggest bulk purchase we make at the ranch is spending $200+ per month on Real Meat Dog Treats. We’ve had great luck buying in bulk (think 10lb bags) and the dogs seem to really like the Lamb or Beef. They also have 2lb and 12 oz size packages too!
One thing we always have on hand at the OC Dog Ranch is cheese. Dogs love mozzarella cheese! You can get string cheese sticks or go big like we do and buy it in 1lb blocks to cut up.
3. Hot dogs
When I first started training dogs, we would buy the bulk size hotdogs from Sam’s Club and start the day chopping them into smaller bits. They are easy to dice into smaller pieces (especially if you use a food chopper like this one) and dogs love the smell and taste. I prefer to bake mine on low heat on a cookie sheet to take out some of the moisture/oils so its not so messy in your hand.
For dogs who have sensitive stomaches, making pure chicken breast is an easy treat. We keep precooked frozen chicken in our freezer, as well as cooking fresh chicken breast every other week for use. If you are in a rush you can get chicken in the lunch meat section that is seasoned for salads.
Meatballs are probably our #1 go-to training treat for dogs at the OC Dog Ranch. We buy the giant bags at Costco because its so simple to grab a handful and cook them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. I typically chop them into smaller pieces and take a small baggie for training outings. Very few dogs will spit out a meat ball so it makes it a very enticing treat for training!
We hope you’ve enjoyed our training treats suggestions! Remember the bestway to motivate a dog is through high value food items that are soft and easy to eat fairly quickly. This is just one component of what makes our Boot Camp programs so successful! If you’d like to find out more about our training programs, please feel free to call us at 949-525-7362 or email us at thepack@ocdogranch.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]