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High Value Rewards!
WHAT IS A 'HIGH VALUE REWARD'?
Something your dog goes banana's for!
A high value reward is essential for multiple reasons in the context of K9 Nose Work®.
Your dog will be learning to hunt independently therefore, we need to have a reward that your dog is highly motivated to find. When your dog finds the reward, it needs to be special enough that the dog considers it a reward for the effort they have just put into finding it + valuable enough, that it will motivate your dog to continue hunting for more.
We call this the Primary Reward.
For 99% of dogs, the primary reward is food.
If you think your dog is in the 1% where the primary reward is a toy, brig their 2 fav, fav, FAV toys and some food which is extra special and meets the criteria below. Also, drop us a line if you are new to class and we will have a quick chat.
So, what does Primary Reward food look like?
What boxes does it need to tick?
SMS: smelly - moist - soft
High value treats are best if they're Smelly, Moist & Soft [& not too crumbly].
That makes the reawrd quick + easy to eat!
Below we have listed some great options, as examples, for you:
Cooked meat.
Roast beef is one of our go-to's. Lulu and I both have it for dinner the night before training or a trial 🤤 But any other meat, fully cooked through is perfect. If on the road, I sometimes grab a steak [and simmer it in a little water then also give Lulu the water out of the pan to sip once cool].
Cooked sausages.
Look for [or ask your local butcher to suggest] low sodium + low fat sausages. To prepare the snags, microwave 4 sausages for approx. 3½ minutes. When cool, slice each sausage into four long lengths of equal size and then slice each long length into thin pieces. Also easy to poach these then slice up.
Cheese.
Cubed. Make sure your dog can tollerate it first please! Or grab a lactose free block.
Prime100 Roll
Prime100 is a popular choice. Find a local stockist here. It is a nutritionaly balanced, fresh cooked, single protein meal. It is especially good for dog's with food allergies [under vet direction] - this is how I discovered it. When Lulu was introduced to the salmon roll, she acted it was like doggy crack. I train with salmon however this is not Lulu's everyday food. I cut up a roll and freeze it, taking out training treats to defrost, as required. Also look for the 'Prime Pantry' range which is more budget friendly and still lacks any nasties.
4legs Meatballs
These meatballs are an affordable and healthy food that is a great training size, available from Woolies, Colles + IGA's.
Other
Some people use deli meats. I don't because they tend to be a little higher in sodium +/or fat [+ I need to watch little Lulu's waist-line]. Think Hot-Dog. Chicken Loaf. Cabana. Twiggy Sticks. Devon etc.
But there are NO RULES... as long as your dog LOVES it.
What is NOT a High Value Treat?
Anything hard, crunchy +/or chewy.
ie: Kibble. Cookies. Biscuits. Jerkey + other dehydrated treats.
A HVT is NOT something your dog eats every day.
Anything raw.
Lastly, nothing that will upset your dogs tummy!
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