Probably A Silly Question

[Baby Dragon]

I give treats while we are training and exercising, usually pieces of dried liver and probably about a handful of kibble.

Is it bad to give treats while he's running around at full speed? I know you shouldn't feed a dog and then exercise it, so that's why I'm wondering.

Is it ok because it's only a handful, or should I stop giving the treats when he's running around?

We are mostly doing recall training at the moment, that's why I'm using the treats.

[APBT]

that's fine if its just a few tiny teats for training, just not a full belly.

its more a a problem with breeds who are prone to bloat,

[Baby Dragon]

Thank you.

Edited June 2, 2009 by Baby Dragon

[chepet]

that's fine if its just a few tiny teats for training, just not a full belly.

its more a a problem with breeds who are prone to bloat,

Which breeds ARE prone to bloat ?

[Red Fox]

Breeds At Greatest Risk

Afghan Hound

Airedale Terrier

Akita

Alaskan Malamute

Basset Hound

Bernese Mountain Dog

Borzoi

Bouvier des Flandres

Boxer

Bullmastiff

Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Collie

Dachshund

Doberman Pinscher

English Springer Spaniel

Fila Brasileiro

Golden Retriever

Gordon Setter

Great Dane

German Shepherd

German Shorthaired Pointer

Great Pyrenees

Irish Setter

Irish Wolfhound

King Shepherd

Labrador Retriever

Miniature Poodle

Newfoundland

Old English Sheepdog

Pekinese

Rottweiler

Samoyed

Shiloh Shepherd

St. Bernard

Standard Poodle

Weimaraner

Wolfhound

Sighthouds

Bloodhounds

source: http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm#Breeds...Greatest%20Risk

[chepet]

thanks for the list - Secretkei

[gsdog2]

It's not a silly question. I also use treats, and I've found my GSD (6mths old) tends to leave the treat sitting in her mouth, rather than swallowing it straight away. This can be a problem if we're moving at fast pace, as she often drops it and wants to stop mid-excersise to find it again . I have used so many different types of treats and it doesn't make any difference. She works well for treats, it just seems to be a habit she has developed over the past six weeks or so. My worrry is that she may choke on it, instead of just dropping it!

[Jigsaw]

I prefer to use soft treats - chopped devon, raw meat, BBQ chicken when training on the move. The dog is more likely to swallow the soft treat and can recover quickly. Harder treats can be inhaled while moving and dogs are less inclined to chew when moving or excited. When I use liver treats my dog often stops and gags and it goes flying out her mouth. I've not had this problem with softer treats. I also find that with most dogs the softer foods have a higher value to them than dried liver or kibble. But depends on the dog!

[gsdog2]

I prefer to use soft treats - chopped devon, raw meat, BBQ chicken when training on the move. The dog is more likely to swallow the soft treat and can recover quickly. Harder treats can be inhaled while moving and dogs are less inclined to chew when moving or excited. When I use liver treats my dog often stops and gags and it goes flying out her mouth. I've not had this problem with softer treats. I also find that with most dogs the softer foods have a higher value to them than dried liver or kibble. But depends on the dog!

I totally agree - left over roast, steak and chicken are all soft (and high value ), these also spend time sitting in her mouth before eventually being swallowed. I'm wondering if it's more the size of the treat that causes the probem - if it's larger, she's more likely to be aware that it's still there.