How do you manage the quantity of food rewards for a growing puppy?

I'm a veterinary technician and have a solid foundation of canine behavior but I happen to be out of town right now and have a puppy coming in ~3 weeks. I would consider myself skilled in Fear Free and balanced approaches to training...but my question is regarding the quantity of food rewards for a puppy. The back of my brain says their metabolism is so high at that age that you can use treats without discretion (for the most part) and it is only when they reach adulthood that you may have to moderate the quantity of treats vs exercise.....true?

Leerburg's Answer

I tend to use my puppy's daily rations as rewards for training so that I make myself more valuable to the pup and I am not giving "treats" that may or may not upset my pup's GI function.

I've raised all my personal pups for the last 15+ years using their daily food ration in short, frequent little sessions. I am also a raw feeder so I use a freeze dried form of the food I feed so I am controlling the quality of nutrition and getting them their daily calories in a way that is teaching them skills I will need for later training.

"Treats" are really anything the dog likes and since I tend to choose dogs that have a strong work ethic and food drive, using their daily food is what works for me. For some dogs, you may need to go to cheese, chicken, etc... but I really try to not do that with little puppies if I can help it since they are growing so quickly. I want their calories to come from balanced, high quality food as much as possible.

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