In this video, I demonstrate how I cut up training treats. There are many ways to do this, this is just how I choose to.

Tips:

Treat size:

You want to make sure your treat size is about pea size or smaller. The object of the treat is to associate something good with the behavior they are performing. We pair that reinforcement with a marker word or sound to let our learner know reinforcement is coming.

I have seen treat sizes of all shapes and size. We want to use a smaller treat so we have as many opportunities to reinforce our learner. Big treats fill our learner up quicker and limit our times we can reinforce a behavior.

Characteristics:

Soft, pea size, smelly, moist.

We want our treats to be soft so our learner is not spending prolong time having to chew up and consume the treat.

I have seen moist treats do better than dry treats. Dry treats can dry out our learners mouth quicker, and they take time to chew up as well, taking away time to reinforce the behavior again. Also they could become a possible choking hazard using them over and over in the way we do in training.

Treats that are smelly are more likely to be a favorite.

Value rating:

In my bait pouch I use anywhere from 3-5 different types of treats.

This is to keep the learner engaged because they don't know what they are going to receive next. The first1-3 can be mixed in your bait pouch. 4-5 can be separated so you can access them when needed. I use higher value treats when teaching a new behavior or towards the back half of a training session, this is to keep the learner engaged all the way though.

Audition different treats and find out what your dog likes, then establish a rating system.

This way you can pay appropriate currency for task and environments.

Treat prep:

I highly encourage you to treat prep. I treat prep once a week and this consist of cutting up various treats and placing them in a coffee tub, this is my reserve. I keep the tub in the freezer so they don't go bad.

I also have little rubbermaid containers that hold about 25-30 treats. I make anywhere from 2- 5 so I have them ready for training.

This also acts like an accountability system and lets me know that I have trained all my desired sessions in the day (or not).