Training your dog is a labor of love and you want the process to be fun for your canine friend along the way. The best way to reinforce good puppy behavior is to use treats to cement concepts. Many people use treats in their training process with their dogs.
Treat training can be helpful in many different avenues of your dog’s life. You can use treats to encourage good behaviors, to teach new behaviors to your dog, to teach tricks and even to gain your dog’s focus or trust. For high-energy dogs, treats can be a great way to gain control of that energy and harness it for use in more productive ways.
Always make sure that you pick a quality treat for use in your training. Select a treat that is made with real food items that you recognize. It is also useful to pick a treat that is small enough that you will not be overfeeding your dog when you use treats for your training process. Remember that the treats that you are using to feed your pet are meant to be interesting enough to gain their attention but not so big or heavy that it takes them a long time to consume each treat.
Treat training can be very helpful when leash training a puppy or potty training a dog. You might also use treat training to help your dog to stay focused on a run or at the dog park. Treats are also a great way to help teach your dog to sit and wait to eat their food so that they do not eat too fast and get sick.
Some examples of good ways to use treats to reinforce good behavior:
Your dog drinks too fast and makes itself sick.
Use treats to encourage your dog to wait to drink or to take breaks while drinking. Treats can help change your dog’s focus and keep them from making the mistake of overdoing it when they are excited. If you need to get a better water bowl for your dog, make sure to check out our article about the best dog bowls for you and your dog’s needs.
Your small dog wants to go with you to the park but gets tired and can’t keep up with you.
This might also apply to an older dog who wants to be included but isn’t up for much walking. You can use treats to teach your canine friend that a dog stroller is just as much fun and means that they can be included without having to walk too much.
It’s Christmas and you bought your dog a great sweater but it refuses to wear it.
To keep your dog from ripping up its cute new dog sweater, you can use treats to distract them from this new sensory experience and get them to wear their winter gear happily.
You have added a new dog to your household and your older dog is not a fan.
You want them to eat together and take walks together but you are struggling with some behavioral issues with your senior dog. Using treats can help break this cycle and make everyone get along well in no time.
Your dog wants to rush the door when someone comes over and doesn’t listen when you call them back.
Use treats to make them refocus their attention on you again.
Your dog struggles with the dog park because there is too much going on and he/she gets too excited to behave.
Use treats to make your dog calm down and refocus that energy in a positive way.
Maybe your dog is struggling to learn to jump into the car.
Use treats to help them get over their nerves and hop right in!
You are working on your dog staying alongside you when you are leash training.
Using a verbal command and rewarding your dog when it comes back to your heel with a treat can teach your canine friend to walk on a leash like a pro in no time!
The neighbor’s dog rushes the fence when you take your dog for walks and barks aggressively at you both.
Your dog wants to defend you and reacts with equal aggressive. Teach your dog to focus on you rather than the misbehaving dog near them with treats.
You have bought your dog a bed to sleep on but it thinks that your bed is the place to be.
Use treats to teach them to stay on their own bed all night so that everyone can sleep peacefully.
Your dog is chasing birds outside or the neighbor’s cat and it smashing into the glass
Save your windows and doors by using treats to redirect their focus away from hunting and back to you.
As you can see from our list, treats can be a big help in many situations when training a dog. Dogs love to get positive feedback and are very motivated by food, so treats are a great go-to item for all sorts of situations.
Many negative dog behaviors are caused by your dog’s instincts taking over its ability to hear you and react to commands. If you are able to bring their focus back to you, they will almost always snap out of their reactive haze and do as they are told.
That being said, trying to figure out how to have treats readily on hand when you need them can be a bit complicated.
No one likes having to keep dog food in a pocket of a coat and trying to get to the treats quickly when they are carried in a pocket can make it impossible to reward behavior in a timely fashion.
Additionally, some treats are greasy or a bit smelly and you probably don’t want to have to carry those treats in your clothes for obvious reasons.
4 Best Dog Treat Pouches to Reward Your Pup From
Thankfully, there is a solution to this dilemma. You can buy a clever treat pouch to carry the treats in! No more reaching for treats in your coat pocket or smelling like dog food all day!
What is a dog treat pouch? You might not have heard of them but they are a great invention that carries not just treats, but other necessary items that you and your dog might need on a walk or during a training session!
To help you to pick the right treat pouch for your needs, we have complied a short list of our favorite 4 dog treat pouches to help you to get the right pouch for your needs. Always consider what your plans are related to the training activities that you will do most with your pet before picking out a treat pouch.
Paw Lifestyles-Dog Treat Training Pouch
This versatile dog treat pouch is large enough for quite a few treats and comes with some added perks.
It has an included dog poop bag dispenser so that you do not have to carry another pouch with baggies in it. The pouch also offers enough room if you want to bring your dog’s favorite toy along on your walk.
It is designed to wear on your waistband, off a shoulder strap or can hang off the study belt hook. The pouch has sturdy D-ring attachments for clickers and other training items that you might want to include in your work for the day.
This pouch is lightweight and waterproof and will keep treats and other items clean and dry no matter the weather when you and your dog go outside.
There are even two zippered pockets on the front for your phone, keys or anything else that you might need to take with you on a walk with your dog.
The price point is excellent for this pouch and it comes with a 100% money-back guarantee as well.
Perrama Dog Treat Bag with Clicker and Food Bowl
This super nice dog treat pouch is a bargain due to all the great stuff included with the pouch itself.
If you plan to train your dog while on a hike or a long walk, you can use the collapsible food bowl for a snack on the go or to give your pet water during a break.
The high-quality clicker is a great help with any kind of treat-based training work and this one is made to attach to D-rings on the side of the pouch. The pouch itself is waterproof and has enough room for lots of treats plus other larger items that you might want to bring along with you.
The pouch has a zippered mesh pocket on the front for smaller items that you don’t want to lose like car keys and there is enough room in the pouch for a phone or other items.
You can wear this pouch off the metal belt clip or else carry it with the wrist strap. There is also a longer strap so you can wear the pouch over your shoulder. The included poop bag dispenser removes the need to carry another item with you for walks.
The pouch has a 100% money-back guarantee and even comes with a free e-book training guide with tips and tricks to train your canine friend.
PetSafe Treat Pouch Sport
If you want a slightly smaller dog treat pouch that still offers all the space that you need for treats and other items, this is the right choice for you. This pouch comes in two sizes and three colors and is flexible and waterproof.
It offers a larger main pocket for treats and other items like phones or clickers and then has a smaller zippered front pocket for little items or poop bags. This neat little bag has a clever hinge that locks the pouch open so that you can get to treats easily while on the go.
The inner pocket is also divided so you can bring multiple types of treats with you if you want. The pouch comes with a carabiner to attach keys and other items to. It comes with a waist strap for easy use but can also be hung from your belt with the belt clip at the back.
This pouch can be washed in the washing machine and is so lightweight that you will hardly know that it is there. Smaller doesn’t mean less functional in this case and you will find this pouch to be just as effective as larger style pouches without taking up so much space.
This is the right choice if you and your dog are very active and you don’t want to feel weighed down while running or hiking.
Hero Dog Treat Training Pouch with Collapsible Bowl
This versatile dog treat pouch is made for many uses and will not disappoint.
You can carry food, toys and accessories of all kinds in this pouch. It is lightweight and waterproof and comes with a handy poop bag dispenser built into the pouch.
Its two zippered pouches inside are perfect for keeping treats separate from your phone or other items that you wish to bring with you.
The pouch can be worn over your shoulder like a purse, can hang off the attached belt-clip or be worn using the wrist strap attachment. Perfect for active pets and their handlers, this handy pouch comes with a collapsible bowl which can be used to food or water on the go.
This bag is larger than the others on the list, making it useful for travel as well as training or walking your dog. The pouch comes with a 100% moneyback guarantee as well and can be washed if it gets dirty.
The clever interior design means that you can carry food and also treats without worrying about your pet’s items getting mixed up. You can even drop a leash into the pouch if need be! It comes with included roll of dog poo bags so that you can be up and running right from the moment that you receive it in the mail.
This is a great bag if you have a larger dog or if you plan to be gone for long training sessions where you will be away from your dog’s kibble or other items.
Conclusion
Training your dog is only rewarding if you are not struggling to keep track of all of the things that you need to do so.Having a quality dog treat pouch on hand can make your training process that much easier.
Having a dog treat pouch with you can also make it possible for you to keep your hands free while working with your doggy companion, which is a big help in many instances.
Nothing is worse than going for a walk and forgetting poop bags or your clicker, but a dog treat pouch can help you to stay organized.
Dog treat pouches are a great solution as well for those who travel frequently with their pets or go hiking or running.
Being able to keep your hands free when training your pet is a huge help and a good pouch for treats can make this possible as well.
Consistency is key when training a dog and a dog treat pouch will help you to be successful through consistency.