Product Recommendations
Dog training Products
Training Treats
For many dogs/puppies, a portion of their daily kibble can serve as adequate training treats in low distraction environments (low-mid value reward). Utilizing their food in training can help ensure they don’t take in too many calories in a day.
Charlie Bear Treats & Fromm Crunchy O’s are great low-calorie crunchy treats for training in low-distraction environments (low value reward).
Zuke’s Minis and Wellness Wellbites are soft training treats that come in a variety of flavors/proteins and that work well as mid-value rewards. For some dogs cheese ( string cheese or Babybel cheese rounds work well) is another good mid-value reward.
Freeze dried meat treats (like chicken breast, salmon, beef liver, etc) are usually considered higher value treats by most dogs. Cut up hot dogs can also be a higher value reward.
Essentially, the meatier and stinkier the treat, the higher value it will be considered by your dog. When training it is best to have all three levels of training treats on hand to be prepared for distractions in the environment or teaching more difficult behaviors.
When choosing gear for our dogs to wear and for us to use, we want to look for items that are easy to handle and that don’t cause discomfort or pain to our dogs, or inhibit their range of movement.
Treat Pouch: The ideal treat pouch is one that you can easily reach in and out of without it falling off or spilling. Here are a couple of pouches that I’ve used and liked: the Petsafe Pouch, the Rapid Rewards Pouch, and the Trek n Train Pouch.
Leashes: For young puppies it is a good idea to have on hand a six-foot cotton leash. These kinds of leashes are light, so they don’t pull heavily on their collars when wearing, which would be uncomfortable. Lupine is a good brand for these starter leashes. 6 foot leashes are ideal for sidewalk walking.
For hikes, trail walks and recall training, it is best to have a longline leash. They can range from 10 to 30+ feet. Biothane is the ideal material for these leashes, as they are easy to clean and don’t get heavy when wet. Cotton/nylon lines work fine as well, they just need time to dry when used in wet conditions.
Collars: Simple, flat collars are most comfortable for dogs, and for safety the dog should have a quick release buckle for easy removal should they get caught on something. Here’s an example.
Harnesses: The Ruffwear FrontRange Harness, Balance Harness, and Freedom Harness are three different brands of harness that are adjustable and comfortable for most dogs and work well for walking.
Clicker: There are a few different clicker styles out there, I’ve found the box clicker and the Starmark clicker do the trick!
Crates: Crates are must-haves for keeping your dog safe when unsupervised. I find wire crates best for ventilation, security, and transporting.