String cheese

[TuMicks]

One hint the agility instructor gave me is that string cheese is a way more high value reward than the store bought dog-training treats.

Today we loose-leash ambulated all around Home Depot, did out of sight down stays, sit stays... (I don't work on recall, she does that fine, and it she doesn't need any encouragement to get up from a sit or down.)

So I would say in the last 2 months her "street obedience" (as opposed to ring Ob) is really solid! WOW! My gonzo field bred maniac could actually masquerade as a civilized pet. Except with that whole "friendly stranger" scenario. Alas! If I don't stop her, she's up in their faces licking them to death. In that moment, my string cheese don't mean nothing.

Gotta think about this some more.

[POPTOP]

I use string cheese too, a favorite here. You might try taking a mixture of treats so she never knows which goodie she is going to get.

[TuMicks]

I've even heard that some dogs will kill for the little gold fish cracker things. Probably Cheeto's would work. The orange mustache would look kinda weird though.

[Snowshoe]

I bought roasts of beef or pork on sale, cook, cool, cut into about 1/4 inch cubes, freeze, take out what I need. Real food, no preservatives. Still, Oban would get used to that and respond like bits of dried apple were manna from Heaven. He gets bits of cheddar every Sunday when I cut toenails. Now I make kangaroo jerky, mixed with banana or baked sweet potato or both. I do find whatever I use, a change is well received. I also find strange dogs we meet off leash often come up and glue themselves to my left side by the treat pocket.

Jet wowed our agility class by working her little heart out for pieces of raw green bean. Heck, I was out of treats and there they were growing in my garden, what a find the night I took green beans.

RD is too smart to not know people are way more fun than a measly bit of cheese. Well, mine are measly.

[arentspowell]

I can barely get the cheese out of the fridge without two pairs of sad puppy dog eyes looking at me. Sounds like RD is making good progress, way to go!

[TuMicks]

So we go back and forth between PetSmart and Home Depot. Tonight at PetSmart, she got a brisk (leash) correction for trying to get bowed up on a Rottweiler (she's an IDIOT) and after that was pretty chill with other dogs. (And was given lots of string cheese when she looked away from the canine and toward me.) Next week in doggy class we are expecting two Dachshunds that have, apparently failed to graduate from 2 previous "advanced" courses. So that may be another acid test.

(You know... if my field training homeys find out about string cheese and PetSmart, I might get laughed out of the retriever club. But what fun is it to have a dog that you can only pick up birds with?)

[windycanyon]

So we go back and forth between PetSmart and Home Depot. Tonight at PetSmart, she got a brisk (leash) correction for trying to get bowed up on a Rottweiler (she's an IDIOT) and after that was pretty chill with other dogs. (And was given lots of string cheese when she looked away from the canine and toward me.) Next week in doggy class we are expecting two Dachshunds that have, apparently failed to graduate from 2 previous "advanced" courses. So that may be another acid test.

(You know... if my field training homeys find out about string cheese and PetSmart, I might get laughed out of the retriever club. But what fun is it to have a dog that you can only pick up birds with?)

Ahh, don't worry. My field training friends have been known to join in on our obed classes in the winter time, and they always bring good treats too! String cheese is a favorite here as I can buy the big bag at Costco and I don't feel bad if I accidentally eat a piece while it's hidden in my mouth during training. Anne

[smartrock]

I use e-collars when I take our dogs to the beach along with a large supply of cheese bits, string cheese or the cheddar sticks. When they hear the tone, they come running "h*ll-for-leather" for their little piece of cheese.

I've also used chicken hotdogs, sliced in half then sliced into half circles about as thick as a dime. Spread them on a paper towel and microwave them some to get some of the moisture and fat out. I can get 50 or 60 pieces out of one hotdog. That idea came from one of our trainers and they are a big reward as well.

Sounds like RD is doing quite well. Makes me think I should cook up some hotdogs and go out for some review!

[shellbell]

I always use string cheese for training treats, with three labs I go through almost a pack a week sometimes. If I want to make it even more high value, I also throw in cut up pieces of hot dog or braunschweiger.

[doubledip1]

I use chicken sausages, hot dogs for training recall and recall only, string cheese, freeze dried liver...

My dogs even love Cheerios. Doesn't really matter what it is as long as Mom's the one giving it to them.