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..... I'll start trying them one by one. Perhaps its just a matter of switching up to provide some verity or at least that might help.....

The salmon jerky for humans is a big hit with mine, and so are little pieces of any sausage.

There is a liver "biscotti" at my vet's office that you might look for, and I have also bought freeze-dried liver pieces that were/are VERY popular. Tidy, too, for carrying around.

Some places for ideas:

http://www.dog-training.com/treats.htm
http://www.naturespet.com/treats.html

Also, although you didn't ask (free suggestion!), if you decide to feed a diet less grain-heavy than what you are feeding,
http://www.leerburg.com/honestkitchen.htm
has proved to be a great standby for me. I do feed raw, but I use THK as backup for travel or just times when the 'fridge is empty. It's dehydrated raw (as opposed to cooked kibble), which you rehydrate and, if you like (my favorite part), add in RMBs such as chicken backs. Kibble and raw are not appropriate to be fed in the same meal, but this food is made for just that purpose. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I'm sure that mixing up the treats will help increase his enthusiasm, and you could also try changing the way you present the food.
Michael Ellis did a great job of demonstrating this at a seminar. He made the dog follow the treat with his nose and make some effort to grab it before rewarding him with it. It was similar to the way Bernard Flinks used food in the drive building video. His point was that the dogs enthusiasm really came from chasing after the food, even more so than eating it, while that was obviously good as well...
Using this method has made a difference with one of my dogs, who is usually flat when working for food.

That is a lot of obedience for a 15 week old pup. Maybe it is not the treats, but the pressure of this much obedience that is killing his spirit.

Go out sometimes with no obedience at all, just play with him, and give him treats for just being a puppy.

Good Point about the 15 weeks and OB. Play, play, play!

Earlier, I honed in only on the treat dilemma and was visualizing a 15 month dog in the scenario. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

15 weeks is early IMO too.

I didn't even catch the age... my pup is about 18 weeks old now n I haven't even taught her "sit"... I'm in no rush, all the pups abilities and drive will still be there when she's a year old. I'll start motivational OB at 6 or 7 months.

sheesh, I didn't catch the age either, only thing this pup needs is a lot of playing - no training!!! It is probably not the treats that are loosing appeal, it's that your asking too of the pup. Enjoy your puppy, there will be plenty of time to train later.

Mr. Brown,

It seems to me that treats could be replaced by a ball or some other 'reward' for behavior.

I've not been a fan of lots of treats in training. It seems easier - for me - to turn the training into a game that the dog wants to play.

And at 15 mos., my experience is that 15 minutes once or twice a day of focused training is a long training time. Of course, passive training goes on all the time. It is easy to turn training into an experience the dog does not want to participate in. Treats won't make the training time more fun for the dog.

I'd modify training to minimize treat rewards and utilize a toy reward the dog can 'play' with as a reward for an accomplishment or a good try. Enthusiasm is usually high for the opportunity to work its toy - depending on the trainer's enthusiasm and patience level.

With a ball or knotted rag or whatever you can train the dog to focus, and sit, and down, and stay, and get, and, and... And the dog gets to play with its toy almost without knowing it is being trained. And you get to 'share' the treat.

I think play and socialization is more important at 15 mos. than 'training.' But I only have 3 GSDs and could be very, very wrong indeed.

Oh, and a treat is a treat is a treat. The quantity should not be the equivalent to a small meal, and treats should only amount to a few morsels given out with restraint... Just my opinion.

Just my two cents.

Mike

I'm trying to mark the appropriate desired behaviour so I would think that making him follow the treat would conflict with this. Don't really think it will work with him, he is just not overly food motivated. Actually if I could find a bug that would jump in the grass, run around, and then jump back in my pocket and wait for the next earned reward I would have the perfect reward for this dog. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I just realized that I probably am coming across as some kind of puppy drill instructor. Not the case at all. Our actual "training sessions" probably only last a minute or two at the outside. The rest of the time is just more of a "This is the way we do things" type of training. For instance, he knows that going through doors requires him to sit and then go in after me or my wife. For this behaviour I will offer a small treat. He is completely house trained and has not had one accident in the house. He is offered treats (although not anymore)for going potty outside. He wont take treats when he has gone potty and that has been the case since the first time so now we give a lot of verbal praise instead. When he gets his food bowl he sits and then goes down, once down he gets his food. Over time I'll lenghten the time he has to wait but at his age once his chest hits the floor he get praise and his food bowl. The point is that the greatest portion of the "training" he is getting is done in the context of everyday activities not formal training sessions. We play ball in the yard (until the bugs are more interesting)and he gets something for bringing the ball back. Anyway your comments on his age are appropriate and I think I may need to play more with him. Thanks