Giving your pet treats is more than an expression of your love for your companion friend, it can be a critical component in dog training and rewarding good dog behaviour. 

One of the reasons treats work so well in training, is because a dog’s sense of smell is so unbelievable. Dogs can smell a treat from far away and can get a pretty good idea of the main ingredients. 

Here are some tips on using dog treats effectively, when to give them and which healthy dog treats to give. 

Tips For Using Dog Treats Effectively

Use pet treats to reinforce a calm, submissive state. Refrain from using dog treats to reward an excited, over-stimulated state of mind. Let your dog smell the treat first, but hold it up away from them and wait. Dogs can smell from far away so you don’t have to put the treat under their nose. Once the dog has the scent, they may jump around at first, and will probably jump on you. If so, indicate your disapproval with your attitude and body language and slowly move back or to one side and then wait. Keep in mind that your patience as an owner will pay off in a well-behaved dog for a lifetime.

After some time, your dog will probably begin to try to figure out what they need to do to get the treat. They will lower their back to the floor and wait while looking at you in quiet anticipation. At that precise moment of calm, give them the treat. It’s best not to use treats to reinforce an excited dog, but rather to command the calm, submissive state.

When To Give Dog Treats

In between meals is the ideal time to give treats. Choose a treat that your dog will enjoy. If you are using treats as a training tool, your treat won’t work as well right after your dog has had a full meal. Make sure your treat giving occurs in between meals and not immediately before or after a meal.

A Few Exceptions

Caloric needs vary according to breed, size, age, exercise, and temperament. Puppies need more calories than older dogs while active dogs need more than a couch potato of the same size would need. Busier dogs, dogs who fidget, dogs who play and work hard, and dogs in training generally burn more calories than dogs without these characteristics. For these reasons, a healthy treat might be used to sprinkle over their dinner, to help provide them with essential proteins, minerals and vitamins important for a nutritional raw diet. 

What Treats Are Best

When choosing a dog treat, make sure it’s something your dog will like and something that’s appropriate to give a dog. If the ingredients include things you don’t recognise or can’t pronounce, it might not be the best treat for your dog. 

Keep in mind, too, that human treats are not necessarily good for dogs. You’d think if a dog would like beef tendons, he’d probably go for a chocolate bonbon, but chocolate can make dogs very sick. There are many things that we eat that dogs are allergic to or literally can’t stomach.

Exercise And Discipline 

Keep in mind that dog treats are a form of affection. They need to be given at the right time and for the right reasons. You can actually confuse your dog if you’re not consistent in how you administer treats. Some dogs can be demanding about treats and when they aren’t given what they want, behaviour problems can ensue. When using treats try to be consistent in your routine of exercise, discipline and then affection.

Instincto Dehydrated Pet Treats 

If you are looking for a healthy treat to reward your pet, Instincto has a large range of dehydrated proteins that are 100% natural without any added preservatives, colourings, flavourings or additives!

With all the benefits of the protein, our purely dehydrated treats include:

• Roo rib rack
• Roo liver
• Roo jerky
• Roo heart
• Pilchards
• Mackerel tail
• Mackerel skin twist
• Lamb crumble sheet (lung)
• Beef liver
• Beef jerky
• Shark tail

Whether it’s for training or sprinkled over their dinner, dogs and cats enjoy all-natural dehydrated protein treats, plus they provide them with essential proteins, minerals and vitamins important for a nutritional raw diet. 

Most are suitable for dogs of all sizes and can easily be broken into small pieces making them the perfect training treat. Your dog’s nutritional needs will vary based on age, breed, and other factors. If you are unsure about your pet’s nutritional needs you can try our meat calculator or contact us and we will be happy to help you with more information.

Browse our online shop to view our extensive range of treats and natural dehydrated protein products.