Okay, I have given up on most store bought, so-called, healthy treats.

Ramsey either doesn't like them or gets diarrhea

We do fine on boiled chicken or steak (expensive tastes!).

How does everyone carry them? Directly in the bait bag? Kind of messy. Or in zip lok or prepared a certain way?

I just boil the chicken, and cook the steak very rare. No spices. At least he likes my cooking

Have tried most of the easy to carry ones. A couple work but take to long to chew. Like Merrick turkey patties broken up.

Thanks!

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tyson-Grilled-Ready-Chicken-Breast-Strips-22-Oz/14664699

 Quote: Carol Blumlein

Okay, I have given up on most store bought, so-called, healthy treats.

Dog treats or human food treats?

I make Tanner pumpkin and cinnamon treats. He loves cinnamon and they're a lot cheaper than store bought dog treats.

I will look up the recipe for the Tanner treats.

Whatever he can and will eat that doesn't upset his digestion and is easy to carry.

Walmart is not really near me.. but I will check the stores. Those chx. breasts look easy and neat.

Thanks

 Quote: Carol Blumlein

Okay, I have given up on most store bought, so-called, healthy treats.

Ramsey either doesn't like them or gets diarrhea

http://leerburg.com/1078.htm

I get the salmon ones and the rabbit ones. Actually, I get them all, but for the one G.I.-challenged dog, I use the salmon and rabbit ones, and make a mixed bag with skinless white-meat poultry, baked and diced into M&M size.

BTW, a piece of cooked bacon mixed in with the plain white-meat bits scents it all .

The Zuke's, yes, they can go straight into the bait bag. The diced white chicken can, too, if it's cooked a bit dry. Otherwise I take a sandwich-size zip-lock that I cut the zip-lock part off and line the bait bag http://leerburg.com/736.htm

The fold-over sandwich baggies don't hold their shape in there as well, even cut open. I want it to be no-fumble, and the trimmed zip-locks don't "collapse" so much.

I definitely don't need a new one each time I have real meat in there ..... I just keep the baggie in the fridge in between, and I refill the same trimmed baggy many times.



ETA
A person at our club bakes a whole skinless poultry breast (skin it first; leaving the skin on for later removal might be good for the taste for people, but removing it makes for a much neater bait-bag product), cuts it into tiny dice, and then throws them all back into the warm turned-off oven on a cookie sheet for a couple of minutes to dry the surface a little. It makes dozens, probably well over a hundred, to mix with the Zuke's (or whatever).



Edited by Connie Sutherland (05/12/2013 10:06 PM)
Edit reason: eta

What are pumpkin cinnamon treats? That sounds good. Do you bake it? Anyone have a link?

Cinnamon is a good thing, for us and for dogs.

Here's the original recipe

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 cup wheat bran
2 cups flour
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 cup wheat germ

Roll it out to 3/8" thick and cut into shapes. Bake 3-3 1/2 hours in 250 degree oven until dry.

The original recipe has too many spices IMO and makes a crunchy treat that doesn't really work for marker training. I omit the ginger and cloves. I spread it out on a small jelly roll pan and bake at 300-325 degrees for however long it takes until the top is dry and it feels "done" all the way through. Maybe 30 minutes? I just eyeball it. Immediately after taking it out of the oven I slice it into 1/4 inch squares. I wait to break it up until it's cooled down some. It gives me hundreds of marker sized treats that I can be generous with unlike rich liver based treats. They keep well in the fridge.

Wonderful idea on the cut ziplok and even reuse. YES!

Which Zukes are you using? Ramsey won't even look at the dry ones and is not too enthusiastic on the small chewy ones. I think they are too small for his BIG mouth,LOL! I take it back. I know those Zukes. Are you grabbing handfuls or one at a time? Your dogs must be smaller than mine. Seriously, he really does have a big mouth.

If I really want enthusiasm, steak is king! So I mix the steak with the boiled white chicken. I will try your mixture.

I'm not much of a cook, Connie. I am using boneless skinless chic breasts I just boil them. If I want to bake them, should I put them on a baking sheet at 350? Can I do it without oil or what?

Edited by Carol Blumlein (05/13/2013 02:43 PM)
Edit reason: ETA

You can boil (simmer) them if you want. (I don't like the smell.)

To bake instead, just stick 'em on a no-stick cookie sheet and bake at about 350 F.

They are done for dog-treat purposes when you cut one open and it runs clear rather than pink juice.

Thanks, Cathy!


I'm thinking of other flour-like substances that might work to get rid of the two cups of wheat flour. I wonder about ground quinoa (quinoa "flour"). Might be worth some experimenting!