Bargain Dog "Treats"

A question about : Bargain Dog "Treats"

Our dog is very food focused, which is handy for training. We used to buy the little packs of dog treats but I didn't feel great about giving him them very often as they tend to be rich and really are only for an occasional treat. Even the training treats are not cheap.

I had a disaster trying to make my own, and didn't want to go through that again.

Then I was thinking.... our dog sees anything other than his regular food as a treat. We feed him Burns. I bought a small bag of Wellbeloved dry food for toy/small breeds and use it for treats. I keep some in my coat pocket for on-the-spot training during walks. He loves it - I'm sure it's far better for him that proper treats and a small bag lasts months and months.

Best answers:

• That's an excellent idea; the dog won't know or care that he's being given "regular food" rather than a "treat", it's his reward for being a good boy, and that's what counts to him. It makes him happy, so go with it! He'll be less likely to put on more weight than is good for him, too.
  Can I ask what sort of dog he is? That's purely me being nosey, as I adore dogs.
• Have you tried raw carrot, my dog will do anything for carrot, and its good and healthy for them.
  Look up the benefits of raw carrot for dogs and your be surprised, plus you can grow them yourself = free
• He's a little rescue dog, some sort of terrier. All black with brown points like a doberman, but the size and shape of a Jack Russell. He's going on 12 yrs old now, but healthy and playful as a pup!
  He doesn't like carrots which is a pity, looks like they would be a good choice too!
• He sounds delightful!
  Like humans, dogs have different preferences. A little Westie who stayed with me a couple of years back had a carrot and a small dish of dog food for each meal, and he'd always eat the carrot first!
  My beloved Penny-Dog used to adore fish; if she needed to take medication, wrapping it in fish was the way to get it into her.
• I do the same Mine are raw fed so see dry food as something a bit different, so it's a handy cheap treat
• Mine won't go anywhere near carrot- she spits it back out.
  She loves cheese, chicken etc but as she's fairly small, we break/ cut up whole treats into five or six pieces
• I find cat kibble to be good. Very small and usually more smelly.
• Yellow stickered sliced beef or pigs liver - baked until hard and dry in the oven then diced into very small pieces.
  Primula squeezy cheese with ham or prawns - ours are happy to just lick a minute spot from the noozle as a treat. Or just bog standard cheese - cut up into very small cubes We have a lab, retrieverXlab and a Doberman/GSD/bull terrier cross - all 3 very food orientated!
• my staffie (god rest her) absolutely adored cucumber - so that was one very cheap low calorie treat!
  my springer thought ALL food was a treat! including the cats 'go cat' - and my son thought so too - he used to nick it all the time. to the point I rang the manufacturers to check that it was ok for human consumption. After the nice lady who answered the phone stopped laughing, she put me through to the research and development guy, who stated categorically that there was nothing in it to cause problems with humans - but he did recommend putting down a bowl of water as well!
• A lot of dogs will do anything for a bit of cheese! Do go easy on it though, as cows milk products are not really very good for dogs.
• I use those Bakers chunks, small dog, cut them in half with scissors.
  Ilona
• One of mine went mad for peas in the pod. After four whole pods she'd chew the fifth and then spit it out but the first four went down every time. She was quite delicate about taking them out of my hand, too.
  I also had a cat who used to nudge cooked peas off my plate and scoff them.
• I know you said it was not great the last time you tried to make dog treats but this recipe is so simple even I can make it and I have never met a dog that does not love it and it's really cheap.
  https://www.bdws.co.uk/2011/09/11/hom...orlds-greates/
• Hi, we move threads if we think they'll get more help elsewhere (please read the forum rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board. If you have any questions about this policy please email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
  Zip
• I have two german shepherds neither of them like carrots, cucumbers or tomatoes, yet love all other veggies and fruit.
  It was suggested by a breeder to use popcorn (unsweetened) or plain cooked pasta for training treats. However I always used gravy bones for training the older one and the younger, she'll do anything for a cuddle
• I give my dog cheese and cocktail saugs we but them once every other month (cheap own brand) chop them up in bags and stick them in freezer they last ages and each bag normally will last my dog a week. I do chop the treats small tho saving money and hes a big dog (cocktail saug will get round 20bits from)
• Mine likes pears and apples but not green ones! She nicks the pears off the tree! She also likes carrots, green beans, dried up corn on the cob, nuts of any description- actually, most food!