The best treats tend to be ones that are small and chewy/moist. I don't mean chewy like Starburst is chewy, so that it takes a long time, but something that is quick to bite into, chew, and swallow. Almost anything can be a dog treat, but for training, you want to use high value treats. Things your dog can't help but love.
Too often, crunchy treats or dog food just isn't tempting enough to hold our dogs' attention. So, you need to find what works best for your dog. This could be microwaved and sliced hot dog, torn up hamburger patties (cooked, of course), or things bought from a pet shop. My dogs really like the Pet Botanics training reward treats, as well as the Pet Botanics rolled dog food (which I cut into treat-sized pieces). Many trainers will use cooked fish or chicken. Dogs seem to really like grilled or poached chicken breast. They don't need any salt or seasoning though to like it.
The size of the treat itself should be fairly small. I would recommend pieces no larger than the size of a quarter, although they can be much smaller than that. If the treat is bigger than a quarter, the time it takes your dog to chew it up (and possibly gather pieces that fell out of its mouth) will slow down your training. The larger the treat, the higher its value will be, so if tiny treats don't pay off and you know it's a good type of treat for your dog, see if you can get a bigger size. This is why I like the two products I listed above. One comes in tiny bite sizes and the other, which is the same thing, lets me cut it into the sizes I want.
Too often, crunchy treats or dog food just isn't tempting enough to hold our dogs' attention. So, you need to find what works best for your dog. This could be microwaved and sliced hot dog, torn up hamburger patties (cooked, of course), or things bought from a pet shop. My dogs really like the Pet Botanics training reward treats, as well as the Pet Botanics rolled dog food (which I cut into treat-sized pieces). Many trainers will use cooked fish or chicken. Dogs seem to really like grilled or poached chicken breast. They don't need any salt or seasoning though to like it.
The size of the treat itself should be fairly small. I would recommend pieces no larger than the size of a quarter, although they can be much smaller than that. If the treat is bigger than a quarter, the time it takes your dog to chew it up (and possibly gather pieces that fell out of its mouth) will slow down your training. The larger the treat, the higher its value will be, so if tiny treats don't pay off and you know it's a good type of treat for your dog, see if you can get a bigger size. This is why I like the two products I listed above. One comes in tiny bite sizes and the other, which is the same thing, lets me cut it into the sizes I want.
The basic idea behind any effective dog treat is that it is quick to eat and that your dog wants to eat it. So, the more smelly or flavorful it is, the better. And, if it's chewy, your dog will eat it faster and the training will go faster. Experiment. Find out what works best for your dog and your training style.
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