What Rewards do you use?

[Stedders]

A simple question, but I am sure there will be many different answers – but what Rewards do you, or did you, use on young puppies. I appreciate there is no definitive right or wrong in this, but I suppose it's down to what works – I am just looking for ideas.
My Mini Schnauzer, Ziggy, is twelve weeks old.

[zeta1454]

With our young puppies we use very tiny pieces of chopped cooked chicken or cheese. You can buy prepared training treats but it is probably easier to use food that you have at home which you know has no additives or unwanted ingredients. You will probably soon find out what motivates Ziggy the most. With our older pups we have used Simpsons 80/20 puppy kibble which has tiny pieces which do not take much chewing. You really do need soft, small treats at this stage or the puppy will take a while eating them and the focus of training may be lost.

[Oscar 12345]

I used to mix it up a bit. Small pieces of dried sprat, "healthier sausage" or frankfurter were very popular and when a bit older we progressed to small pieces of wafer thin ham, turkey or chicken. I needed something that I could get easily and quickly out of a treat bag and that didn't leave any yucky residue on your fingers. The only biscuit type treat I used was Bounce and Bella Grain Free Fish and Sweet Potato treats. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grain-Free-Tra ... B074P63X2C.

[Dawnspell]

If I'm buying shop bought I like soft semi moist ones that can be cut up to small pea size. Pet's at home do plain chicken strips which scissor into nice little squares. They also do cod and chicken rolls which I manage to cut one into 16 pieces. Make sure you read the packaging on shop bought as some are unsuitable for under 4 months old. I also used Lilys kitchen puppy food as treats they are about a third the size of normal kibble.

Homemade which are generally the higher value for when out and about are liver cake, sardine cake, any roast meat left overs.

You need to grade the value of your treats. Too higher value at home can mean he will be too focused on the treat rather than what you are trying to teach. Not high enough value when out and it will get ignored. What works at home doesn't always work when out.

You may find some odd things that he loves. For Barney the reliable treats that worked when at training class was liver cake but only if it had pureed sweet pepper added and Apple rice cakes intended as snacks for babies. Jasper its Morrison's French baguette, he goes mad for a crumb other brands available but just dont work. He also likes Bavarian smoked cheese and Jarlsberg both are good as they keep their form and dont crumble like other cheeses

Neither dog was/is motivated by food and leave meals so finding treats that work has been a challenge.

[Stedders]

Many thanks to everyone who has replied to this. I am finding that a finely chopped mix of turkey / ham and frankfurters (the latter particularly useful for the smell!) are proving quite popular with Ziggy and seem to be doing the trick.

Thanks everyone