[denmarkhse]

We are picking up our new puppy Lucca, next Wednesday In preparation for our new arrival we have visited our local pet shop but I am a little confused as to the array of puppy treats on display, most of which when you read the small print are not recommended for pups under 4 months of age. I am therefore after any advice as to what I can offer Lucca as a reward/treat, also can he have those 'raw hide' type chews at such a young age? He will be fed on Arden Grange as recommended by the breeder and be 6 1/2 weeks old when we get him.
Thanks alot
Sarah

 

[Karen_theArtist]

I had the same problem re treats. Many things were just too big. I bought some packs of Winalot Rewards as the sticks are soft and I cut them into little pieces with a pair of scissors! Sounds time consuming but he loved them.

 

[shelley]

We did the same for Holly as Karen, also tried the winalot treats shaped like bones - they broke up easily into small pieces.

Also Coachies treats quite small and recommended to us by pet shop man as kind to stomach . They were fine for Holly from very young age.

Shelley

 

[CharlieBrewer]

Hi Sarah

We also used to give Charlie Winalot rewards because they were soft, but he also had chicken gravy bones and they remain a firm favourite!

With regard to the rawhide - well there are conflicting opinions on this, our vet told us rawhide was fine (in small amounts) but they upset Charlies tummy so we stopped giving them to him but if your pup is fine with it then I would have thought it would be fine, Charlie has the rawhide in the shapes of shoes as the hide is thinner and is now fine with them, although I never give it to him or Izzie when I am not here as it has been known to get stuck in dogs throats.

Hope that helps?
Sarah

 

[mommy]

Hi,
I used ' puppy tubo's '.small enough to nibble and they love playing with them to.used them until they were devouring on contact, then moved onto dentasticks.
Now, Tilly occasionally has a pigs ear ( watch out for rumbles in the jungle ! ) or a largish hide, but on a daily basis she has Pedigree calcium bones. She loves gravy bones but found since her spaying is prone to get portly, so these bones are ideal as only 5% fat
Rhoni

 

[frodosmom]

Hi....

My guy is very fussy about his treats....He loves mangoes, cottage cheese , mcvities digestives lolz....yeah human food

..Luckily he can digest them....all the puppy treats i get for are fed to the strays....

 

[lablover]

Initially, you can use the kibble - although I use liver cake from an early age.
Liver cake is easy to make, you just cut it up into little pieces, keep some in the fridge and freeze the rest, for when you want to use it. It works out much cheaper then the shop bought treats, and healthier too.
I'll see if I can find a recipe - I tend to guess the amounts now.

Small pieces of cooked chicken will be fine too.

I never give rawhide chews or pigs ears - too much of risk of choking with them - they can get stuck in the roof of the mouth and in the throat.

regards
Jenny

 

[lablover]

Recipe for liver cake
I never bother measuring the amounts out, so you don't have to be exact.

400g liver (I use chicken livers)
2 eggs
4 cloves of garlic
about 200g wholemeal flour
a little olive oil

Put the liver, eggs, garlic and oil in a blender until smooth and runny, stir in the flour and put in the microwave. Again, it's a guess, but probably for about 8 minutes (depending on your microwave).

Forgot to add that you can also substitute the liver for sardines, tuna etc.

 

[denmarkhse]

Thank you all so much for your helpful hints - I will definately try making the liver cake - I personally love liver but never cook it for myself as the rest of the family hate it - so perhaps I will now finally find a fellow family member that will enjoy it with me!! :lol:

 

[mommy]

Lab lover...............Read your last post and totally agree and I never have, nor would I ever leave Tilly alone with a hide etc, as you say the danger is very great...............She is never left with anything should I have the audacitity to go out without her.
Whenever she has ANYTHING in her mouth I make sure we are in same room...........not difficult as she only leaves my heels if she has nicked a sock or whatever.
Thinking she is clever by disapearing with her loot, her absence meerly alerts me to her having ' lifted ' something ! LOL

As for Liver cake, I totally agree, used at our puppy group for training. As you say, cook, freeze in cubes and is ideal and always on hand.
Tilly would do anything for them .her fav by far.
I still use them now, but only for continued training rather than being a treat, far more effective as is garunteed to work ! Tis bit smelly to cook etc but so sooooooo well recieved and the best ' carrot ' I have ever found.

Just gotto ' think dog ' and work out how to use them to stop her nicking while I am on PC ! ( Only time she does it, clearly a statment from her ! )
Rhoni