High Value Treat

So, a while ago, a dog trainer said to find a high value treat to train your dog. She said don't buy treats like "Beggin' bites" and "Pupperoni" because they are all full of sugar. We used anchovies for Mika's training and he liked them. The trainer had mentioned that one of the parents had brought brie cheese because the dog could smell it and was all over it. That parent had all of the other dogs coming to her.

Well, when I came home from visiting my family, I had brought home some of my dad's homemade beef jerky. I opened the bag and took one out to munch on, guess who was next to me in a blink of an eye? Mika remembered what this thing was! I had used some to train Mika before (I ate most of it and gave him a strip or two during training.). Now, every time I take a strip of beef jerky out, he's at my feet. This is a huuuuuge break through because before this, his high value treat were "Greenies," but how could I make that into a training treat? I didn't, that treat is his special treat to make him beeline back home if he escapes. He only eats that treat on his bed. But now, I have found something that I can pretty much make him do anything for. I have never seen him so focused on dad's jerky. So, all I need to do is buy a dehydrator, a kitchen aid and the meat grinder attachment, and make my dad's yummy jerky.

The funny thing was, I recently had Taco Bell and Mika was uninterested, until I went and got a strip of jerky. That's how much Mika likes my dad's beef jerky. It trumps processed fast food. The cool part is, I know exactly what is in the jerky too (no unknown chemicals to preserve the stuff). =)

-mika's mommy