When going on walks with your dog, is your dog triggered by different things? Things such as other people, dogs, scooters, skateboards, bikes? If this is the case for you, bringing along training treats on your walk can be extremely helpful. We always have them on walks!
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Training Treats For Your Walks
Walking with Rex
When I first started walking Rex, he was sometimes a little reactive when he saw other people or dogs. But using treats was a simple trick to help calm him down! Now when we’re out and someone’s approaching us, I’ll distract him with a treat. It works like a charm! Sometimes I’ll even hold the leash in one hand and treats in the other so I can lead him with them. Although this is sometimes a little tricky when Isla is with us, but we make it work. Overall, it’s made our walks more enjoyable.
Today’s walk was a good reminder of why we do this.
Unfortunately, Isla didn’t feel like walking with us because she heard some loud boom noises and was convinced the world was ending. So, it was just Rex and I that adventured out.
We came across a man who was walking fast, and we had to dart right in front of him. Before I could even whip out a treat, Rex decided to bark at him!
After that, I kicked it into high gear with our training. Anytime I saw someone else approaching us on our walk, I gave Rex a treat to help him stay focused and ignore the other people. Consequently it was a good reminder of why we do this training, and I think Rex did well.
Your Pup is Comfortable Now
So, once you and your furry friend get comfortable around new people and situations, you can start praising them instead of always using treats. The idea is to get to a point where you don’t need treats all the time, but you still use them every now and then as a reinforcement. Just keep in mind that every dog is different and if your pup starts barking again after cutting back on the treats, it’s fine to go back to using them more often for a little while.
Considerations When Using Training Treats
First off, if your pooch is prone to packing on the pounds, it’s important to pick low-calorie options. Don’t worry, I’ve got great suggestions listed below. You can also consider swapping in some of your pup’s regular kibble instead of treats and adjust their meal size accordingly.
Even if your furry friend isn’t prone to gaining weight, it’s still important to keep an eye on how many treats they’re getting versus their regular meals.
Additionally, if your pup has food allergies, make sure to double-check the ingredient list on any treats you’re considering.
Variety is the spice of life, so we like to mix it up and have some distinct kinds of training treats on hand at once.
Finally, not every dog is a treat fanatic. Do you have any alternative training ideas for non-treat motivated pups? Comment and let us know!
What Treats to Buy??
We are major fans of Chewy’s treats, and we wanted to share some of our favorites with you. Some are soft, which are great for breaking apart into smaller bites, while others are perfect for those crunch lovers out there.
Soft Breakable Treats
Here are some bigger soft treats. They are nice and soft, which makes them perfect to break into smaller pieces. And, of course, they are a big hit with our furry friends. Give them a try and let us know what you and your pups think!
Small soft treats
If you’re looking for some smaller training treats that are soft and chewy, we’ve got you covered. Check out our top picks below:
Low calorie treats
Next, check out these awesome low-cal crunchy training treats we recommend! If you’re keeping tabs on your pup’s calorie intake, these are a great option. And hey, our furry friends have tried ’em out and gave them two paws up – they think they’re pretty darn tasty!
Small crunchy treats
And finally. These crunchy goodies are paws down, some of our doggie’s faves!”
