Two Kinds of Treats
One thing I knew for sure when I chose my
golden doodle…I wanted a dog that was extremely gentle and good with kids. I
just became a grandma for the first time, in fact, twice. Two of my children
had babies last summer/fall. I researched dog breeds and the golden doodle, a
mix of standard poodle and golden retriever, fit the bill. She came home at 8
weeks old, the last day of my 32 year teaching career and I was delighted. But
it was like having a baby in the house. House breaking and teaching her to obey
and be gentle had to be focused on full time! Sleepless nights and exasperating
accidents were the order of the day for a while. Of paramount importance was
that she listen to me and follow directions to become a dog that people enjoyed
being around, including myself. Proper training would also help to keep her
safe. I wanted my dog to be a best friend too but that doesn’t just happen. It
takes a lot of effort and time. As she grew, she became very strong and I knew
that with my arthritic hands, I needed to teach her to behave quickly. I
couldn’t handle heavy tugging and lunging at other dogs or have her trying to
chase people on the street to play.
I am NOT a training expert so I quickly enrolled in the Nanaimo Kennel Club’s Canine Good Neighbour classes. One important thing I learned the very first night was that treats are used for two distinct purposes and there should, therefore, be two different kinds. I had taken a pocket full of her regular dog kibble with me in my pocket for instant rewards. The instructor came over and told me that training with hard treats invited biting! Eeek! Training treats should be soft so the puppy just quickly sucks them into her mouth instead of chomping down on them. They should be small so there could be many rewards without a huge intake of calories.
Dogs also need hard treats to promote dental health. As a result, Island Skalliwags creates both kinds. Soft and small for training and hard and crunchy for dental delight! Tana gets a lovely, healthy cookie once a day. She runs off to her blanket and happily munches on whatever flavor I’ve chosen for her. She is food driven so she has been equally enthusiastic about all my flavors! I feel good giving them to her, knowing that I approve, 100%, of all the ingredients in them. Training is also coming along very nicely with my pocket full of tiny liver tidbits.
Please visit our website at: www.islandskalliwags.com
I am NOT a training expert so I quickly enrolled in the Nanaimo Kennel Club’s Canine Good Neighbour classes. One important thing I learned the very first night was that treats are used for two distinct purposes and there should, therefore, be two different kinds. I had taken a pocket full of her regular dog kibble with me in my pocket for instant rewards. The instructor came over and told me that training with hard treats invited biting! Eeek! Training treats should be soft so the puppy just quickly sucks them into her mouth instead of chomping down on them. They should be small so there could be many rewards without a huge intake of calories.
Dogs also need hard treats to promote dental health. As a result, Island Skalliwags creates both kinds. Soft and small for training and hard and crunchy for dental delight! Tana gets a lovely, healthy cookie once a day. She runs off to her blanket and happily munches on whatever flavor I’ve chosen for her. She is food driven so she has been equally enthusiastic about all my flavors! I feel good giving them to her, knowing that I approve, 100%, of all the ingredients in them. Training is also coming along very nicely with my pocket full of tiny liver tidbits.
Please visit our website at: www.islandskalliwags.com
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