What treats are ideal?

Before we start training together to walk on a leash, so that the dog does not pull, let's talk a little about treats. They are a big motivator for the dog. 

When trainers hand out treats, they are always more generous than you are at home. That's because they don't see treats as bribery but as reinforcement for a job well done. For the dog, the treat is a motivational engine. A student is happy when he finds an A under a test, so is a trader when he gets a commission from a job well done. 

A dog only repeats what is worthwhile to him. And doing a command or trick and getting a reward for it is definitely worthwhile. This is especially important in the early learning phase when the dog is trying to figure out what you are asking of him. 

On the other hand, the treats must not make the dog overweight or endanger its health. Therefore, use very small treats, so that the dog can feel the taste. Your dog will not complain about the size. If you have good quality training treats, you can divide them into even smaller pieces. This way you can then reward your dog more often without fattening him up like a goose :-)

The value of the reward should match the difficulty of what you are asking the dog to do. If he does the "sit" command at home in a quiet environment, he may get a few small kibbles, whereas doing the same command in the middle of a large loud city square will definitely be worth something bigger. 

I am occasionally asked if you can give a dog human food, if he will not start begging at the table because of it. He won't. He'll start begging when you give him food from the table. And as far as human food as a reward, only beware of food that hurts the dog. So don't worry, but think while you do it. To a dog, treats are just treats, and it doesn't matter if they come from the grocery store or the dog store.

I get my treats from McAdams. They are soft baked treats that I gobble right up and don't have to bite. They won't make your hands or pockets greasy, they easily break into smaller pieces and are great smelling. Made with organic free range turkey and vegetables. And mine have pumpkin and gouda cheese in them too. We dogs don't deserve just a simple treat, we deserve the royal treatment. Yum :-)