Whats a good treat for a puppy?

tylerdylan

Hi all
I have an 9wk old springer spaniel and was wondering if anyone can advise on a good doggie treat?I got a box of winalot shapes...but he does not seem too impressed with them!I have him just a few days and never had a puppy before and want to use the treat in the training etc.
any and all help greatly appreciated

Nala

Maybe buy him a really nice toy and when he does something right, i.e. sits on command, give him a game with it???

Sarky

Try dipping the treats in the juices left from cooking meat. Should be nice an easy on the digestion, and let's face it, what dog doesn't love meat?

luckat

My dog likes the cat's food - IAMS dried kibble.

Kalikat

Teeny little squares of cheese or hot-dog make excellent training treats - anything nice and smelly that your dog likes. Some dogs will happily work away for their regular food, but not my pair though! Not too much cheese, mind, as it's not great for them - you only need teeny tiny pieces, enough for them to get a taste. And if you're doing a lot of training, then remember to subtract the equivalent amount from his meals. At one point I was giving my pup his entire actual meal in training to teach loose-lead-walking!

Also good is liver cake/tuna cake/sardine cake (recipies here). My pair go nuts for liver!

Then, of course, you can use 'life' rewards. i.e. You want to go out? Okay, sit first. You want your meal? Okay, down first. That way training just becomes part of your daily routine, and you get a nice well-mannered dog. Um, in theory. Seriously, though, I was using those techniques, and my little one was sitting on cue just days after we got him. His default mode is 'sit' now! Else he runs through his entire routine (sit/down/stand/paw/etc.)if he wants something, which is quite amusing. Look into clicker training - it's excellent!

tylerdylan

Thank you all so very much for the great tips.I will try them all (well the dog will try them!!)

Actualy on a different note..anyone know where u can buy a kong toy?

Nala

Yep!

You can get them here

roxy

Aww we got my springer when she was 10 weeks. She's 10 years now! And still as cute and smart as ever. This post has reminded me how gorgeous springer pups are.

I think I remember being advised a nice treat for a pup is bread, broken-up and covered with milk. Not too much bread, obviously. I could be dreaming but I thought I remember the vet recommending that as a little change from their normal food.

The first thing I used to train my dog was doggy "chocolate" drops. Pure ash really. As per usual. But she has always loved cheese. Also, the Pedigree Chum Schmackos come in some really smelly flavours. I mean really beefy smelly! You can break them up which means they'll stretch further as treats. Try them out maybe.

And enjoy your springer! He'll be doing tricks in no time! Wait till you see how easy they are to train...

skittishkitten

Cheese or leftover meat cut up in niblet sizes . Liver is excellent but should be use sparingly as it can be tough on their little tummies.

tylerdylan

Thanks so much guys!all super ideas which I will try out.
Now on a different note...how about some tips to stop the biting????
the kids and I are really going thru the mill with the nips....ouch :mad:

The puppy is 3 mths old ...how long will it go on?

again many tks

jinxycat

eh tbh it depends on the dog to how long it'll take them to stop biting i don't think you can really do anything to try and get them to stop, it's just something that they grow out of with age unfortunately :rolleyes:

cranoo

If he is biting the kids, try a little lead behind the ear, it works every time

skittishkitten

Try firmly grabbing him by the muzzle, looking him in the eye with a scolding expression and firmly , LOUDLY , telling him NO! or NO BITES! If he continues ( after several times trying the above) then grab him by the muzzle or scruff of the neck and push his head to the floor in a submissive position and again tell him NO! or NO BITES! This is how his mother would reprimand him for biting. Usually if they get to the being "put on the ground" stage it's a serious offence and mommy dearest has full well had enough of their antics. Most times they are often screeching to high heavens as they know they've went to far. Don't let him chew on fingers, not even now and again , instead buy him a few chew toys and some soft cloth toy to carry around and chew on. Then if he wants to chew your fingers , simply remove your fingers out of reach and offer him a toy to chew instead. He'll learn quickly enough to keep his teeth to himself as it is socially unacceptable in his "pack".

tylerdylan

Well again many tks guys for all the sugguestions.

Some brill tips which we will work on right away!

We do love him to bits and want to start of on the right foot(paw!)

Lafortezza

skittishkitten wrote:

Try firmly grabbing him by the muzzle, looking him in the eye with a scolding expression and firmly , LOUDLY , telling him NO! or NO BITES! If he continues ( after several times trying the above) then grab him by the muzzle or scruff of the neck and push his head to the floor in a submissive position and again tell him NO! or NO BITES!

I went out with a girl who was into this type of thing, I miss her terribly...

koneko

lafortezza....
*cough*


Anyway there's a few good tips there for you tylerdan, let us know how you get on.

Ducky

You can buy kongs in Ireland - www.pet-bliss.ie, much cheaper than buying in England and paying sterling postage rates.

I know my monsters and any foster dogs i've had love Bonio's !

flynnc

you can get treats called beggin strips my dog went mad for them.
when he bites you get up walk away and dont talk or make eye contact with him, he thinks he is play with you and he would be losing his teeth try giving him pigs ears,and the knog i got one in boardwalk pets in town

flynnc

Ducky wrote:

You can buy kongs in Ireland - www.pet-bliss.ie, much cheaper than buying in England and paying sterling postage rates.

I know my monsters and any foster dogs i've had love Bonio's !

had a look at the prices on pet bliss not cheap at all

Nala

I was gonna buy a birdie kong for my two birds until I found out it was €12! Seems a bit of a rip off to me.

Anyway, back on-topic - you're doing well to be teaching the pup right from wrong at a young age. I'm sure it's only cos he's teething that he's biting.
Post a pic!!!

tylerdylan

Well the bad biting has really eased a LOT! so its happy days again

I also agree that the kongs are quite expensive but the petbliss site is good.The staff are very helpful but yes its dear.I have yet to find a kong under 10 euro.The dog loves a carrot its messy but keeps him happy....for a while.but hey you cant get much cheaper than a carrot!
anyways yes tried to post a pic but there were all too large.avg of mine is 149kb and limit is 100kb.I took them in vga the lowest setting so dont think any way round that

flynnc

they start at €7.25 in boardwalk pets thats where i got mine

tylerdylan

Super...but where is broadwalk pets? :rolleyes:

flynnc

boardwalk pets
15 wellington quay
dublin 2
6778160

Kalikat

Stick the carrot in the freezer, and then give it to him! My little one loved that - especially when he was teething, as it eased his poor sore gums. Frozen Kongs with filling are great, too - our pair still have them now, and it keeps them quiet for ages. A nice frozen natural yoghurt Kong was fantastic for them in the heat-wave we had.

As for the biting: as you've seen, it does ease up eventually. I despaired that it would never stop when our boy was younger. My arms were scratched to pieces from sharp puppy teeth! I'm not an advocate of yelling/alpha rolling/physical punishment, so my solution was to yelp like a hurt puppy when he bit, and then remove my attention from him. He was doing it for attention, so ignoring him was the worst possible thing I could do to him. I don't think holding him down/alpha-rolling/smacking him would have achieved anything but to confuse him.

There are some great articles here, and I think this one on puppy biting would be of most interest to you.

Enjoy your little one!

Ducky

I just checked out the kongs on petbliss and there are two under €10. In Petstop superstore they are a fortune !! The smallest one is 7.99 - euro cheaper through the web. And these are original kongs, not the fake ones.