It can be overwhelming to walk down the treat isle at the pet store and try to decide which one to buy for your dog.
There are healthy treats, and small puppy treats, and big crunchy treats and jerky treats...
These are all wonderful snacks for your dog if you are rewarding something occasionally or once.
Example: Every time the dog goes in their crate before bed they get 1 cookie - Thats exactly what those treats are for.
But if you use them for consistent rewards, one after another, you'll go through a bag in one session and they are often far too rich on the tummy as they aren't a balanced diet.
So what do i use if i want to frequently reward my dog?
Head over to the air dried & Freeze dried food section...
Thats right I said FOOD!
That means these are BALANCED - meaning it could be a meal.
If you are doing alot of training utilitizing these rewards - just feed less dinner, and your dog is still getting their nutritional needs met.
These are also FAR less likely to upset the tummy than most "Treats" on the market.
If you have a food hound you may even get away with using their kibble as rewards.
What flavor is best?
I've had the best luck using Lamb, Beef and Duck flavors
In my experience Fish is the easiest to digest for sensitive bellies but can be super smelly and high value if you don't mind smelling like a fishing boat.
Many dogs have an allergy to Turkey + Chicken - so I tend to stear clear of those as a general rule to play it safe.
Here are some of the rewards we use
Additional Reviews / Comments about each of these
Kiwi Kitchen Air dried
Lamb is softer than beef (Lamb crumbles more - but that may be ideal for a young puppy under 16weeks or an older small breed dog)
Smallest in size and easy to break into multiple pieces.
Kiwi Kitchen Freeze Dried
Larger Cube - great for grabbing attention or tossing to the ground and making sure they notice it or can see it when tossed. Not as easy to break into smaller pieces.
Vital Essentials
Small Round-ish shape - holds together well - not very crumbly - not meant to break into smaller pieces.
Primal Topper
Cube - Holds its shape very well - doesn't crumble on its own if you just want to grab a handful and put them in your pocket, can break it into pieces but not very easy to do so. Similiar size to the Kiwi Kitchen Freeze Dried (Maybe a tad smaller), and approximately same size as rawbble but holds together better.
Rawbble
Highest Value for most dogs - does crumble a bit - roundish shape but soft and easy to break into smaller pieces.
Kiwi Kitchen Air dried
Lamb is softer than beef (Lamb crumbles more - but that may be ideal for a young puppy under 16weeks or an older small breed dog)
Smallest in size and easy to break into multiple pieces.
Kiwi Kitchen Freeze Dried
Larger Cube - great for grabbing attention or tossing to the ground and making sure they notice it or can see it when tossed. Not as easy to break into smaller pieces.
Vital Essentials
Small Round-ish shape - holds together well - not very crumbly - not meant to break into smaller pieces.
Primal Topper
Cube - Holds its shape very well - doesn't crumble on its own if you just want to grab a handful and put them in your pocket, can break it into pieces but not very easy to do so. Similiar size to the Kiwi Kitchen Freeze Dried (Maybe a tad smaller), and approximately same size as rawbble but holds together better.
Rawbble
Highest Value for most dogs - does crumble a bit - roundish shape but soft and easy to break into smaller pieces.