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Tiny Dog. Tiny Treats.
We’re pupsitting and this boy is the smallest dog I’ve had in my home. For 50lb Bliss, my go-to handy treat that can stay by my chair is a cup of cheerios, so I can give her one when I catch her doing something great… but for this lil nugget, I’m breaking them into 5ths. 5 treats from one cheerio? Is this how you tiny dog peeps live, all the time? ????
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29 Replies
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First of all, what a cutie!!!
I am glad to hear about the cheerios, I always forget to use them.
I break all treats up tiny, even for bigger dogs. ????
Hee Hee on all the fun you’re having, sitting for the little cutie. Looks like Bliss is enchanted.
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Right? Cheerios are so easy. I sometimes give Bliss only a half of one, but I feel guilty. She’s usually very contemplative as she chews…. plotting revenge no doubt. lol
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She gets a treat for bringing me a chunk of the box I gave her to shred. Double dipping, much? ????
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@catherine Bliss is so sweet and those eyes! So cute! I love that you can break up Cheerios into such small pieces too! We use these at daycare, nice that you can turn one onto 4-5 and we know dogs are all eating same thing! My dogs love them too! It’s funny to see some dogs at daycare spit them out. Lol. But majority love them !
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Thanks, Krista! I always crack up when a dog spits out a treat… “Wuddya tryna do, poyzun me!?”
Nice low-value treat for a daycare setting. Well done!
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Those soulful eyes! ????
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I love love love her face!!!!
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Thanks, Halley – I know you have a sweet spot for those Aussum eyes! ????
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Absolutely!!!!
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Boop! ???? What cute pictures! ❤️
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Ahhhh totally boopable snouts!!!! ♥️
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This is such a relevant topic! I’ve had 6 toy breeds of my own, and LOTS of teeny pups over the years for board and train. I have to be creative and careful about the volume of treats I give to the B&T pups, especially when they’re fussy and won’t work for their regular kibble. Cheerios are great. Fresh proteins are, too, because I can pinch off very tiny pieces.
It’s a real bonus when the teeny student is highly motivated by petting, fetch, or tug, so I can use these on occasion as training rewards.-
Agree on all counts! I’m using the cheerios because they can stay out and not stink/rot… and the lil nugget gets 1/5th of a cheerio when Bliss gets 1. It’s anti-FOMO tax.
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Anti-FOMO tax!!!! ????
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Gonna get me some Cheerios!!! Yum.
I love the American Journey trail bars, for the simple reason that they are sturdy for pockets and so easy to break up small and dole out to excellent dog behaviors.
And, like Cheerios, they don’t leave a mess in your hand. They are great mid-value treats. I am a very tactile-sensitive person, (as well as a vegetarian) so it is an act of love to use slimy feeling treats. I use those yucky-feeling treats for high-value stuff, but I wash my hands or use wipes and sanitizer afterwards, in my car!
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“I’m showing you my sweet fluffy paws. Please respond.”
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These are one of my go-to treats for any size dog! They’re stinky and crunchy, and dogs love them!
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@Halberry124 ???? Yes I LOVE freeze dried treats! They are easy to break and stash in pockets. I agree they can be a little smelly. All for the love of dogs. ❤️ ????
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My favorites to use are Freeze dried Salmon (Wai’s FAVORITE) and beef liver. ????
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These are sooooo tiny that you don’t even need to break them!
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Wow! ???? Even better. ????
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Here is another treat that the dogs go a little crazy over!
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These are all really great suggestions. I love those freeze-dried treats – all the flavor with less mess! Sometimes I add a little water to make them more of a jerky texture. That can help when I’m doling them out quickly during fast training reps.
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Adding a little water. So smart I will have to remember that. I love Happy Howies rolls.. You can make them so small. Also freeze so not as slimy. I also love taking normal small kibble and chop some hotdogs with them, throw in fridge over night- then ALL kibble smells like hotdogs:)
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Yes, I always have Cheerios in my treat bag. And I have broken them into smaller pieces for itty bitty pups. Low cost, low calorie! I also mix them with hot dog bits for a dog that loves hot dogs but I want to control calories. The Cheerios become “hot dog flavor” after mingling in a ziploc with the hot dogs.
For tiny pups, I also cut a mozzarella string cheese into tiny pieces and then freeze them. I take the bag out of the freezer on my way to the lesson. They thaw just enough and aren’t as oily as using non-frozen version.
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@Shari that’s cool about mixing the cheerios with hot dogs so they take on that flavor. I bet there are a bunch of humans that would be all over that flavor of Cheerios, if it ever hit the market, LOL! Definitely a calorie conscious choice!????
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We work exclusively with rescued dogs-some who come to us in sad states, some with jaw or major dental issues. It seems as if we saw many of the smaller and older type dogs of late so I offer up this treating suggestion for the little ones in this thread in case others have the same challenges.
Chewing on treats is not an enjoyable (or even possible) option for some of our tiny tots. We use a treating device in place of traditional chewable treats. This may not work for all but I offer it up as a suggestion in case some want to give it a try.
We use it with our bigger dogs too when we have a hard “ask”-i.e.-asking them to look away from something- as a traditional crunchy treat is gone in a nano second as is their attention-keeps them focused on the handler longer-(via licking and swallowing versus chewing) good for luring too. We sometimes have noted that the licking of a treat (vs chewing) seems to keep them mentally engaged longer as well (until the novelty wears off for some). Dog dependent, we find It is a bit messy at times so we mostly use it in outdoor tutoring scenarios.
The treating devices also come in protein based treats vs. fruit/veggies-pureed salmon is a favorite amongst some of our clients-just watch out as some protein based versions contain onion or onion salt. And I think some of my colleagues are also making a DIY version as well (which is probably healthier)!
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Those baby food pouches are a novel solution. I have a friend with severe arthritis who loves these for on the go treats because she doesn’t have to try to handle itty bitty bits! She can hang onto the pouch and just lower it down for a quick lick. Great suggestion for both ends of the leash, @pamm – Thanks for chiming in!
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Hi @pamm
This is awesome. Thank you for bringing these pouches to our table! I petsit professionally and have many small dogs/senior dog clients, who are either heavily diet-restricted (no no=traditional treats) but are allowed to have carrots, sweet potato, etc. One is a little 14 year old dachshund, who loves her carrots, but has to have them steamed, because she recently had ALL of her teeth extracted, poor little girl! She is able to gum the steamed carrots, but this would be an excellent suggestion for the owner, in a pinch. THANK YOU!
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