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jinhopark · 01-08-2011, 11:11 PM

We have 2 yorkies...Rocci who is under 5 lbs is almost 3 years old and Reeses who is just over 5 lbs is a pup at 20 weeks. Normally Rocci eats a 1/4 cup of dry kibble twice daily and Reeses eats a 1/4 cup of dry puppy kibble three times daily.

I say normally, but as of recently we are making an extra effort to be consistent with our rules and to lavish the dogs with praise and treats when they do what we ask (which is what most owners suggest, right?).

So here is the issue...most off the shelf dog treats are relatively large for toy breeds, and even cut in 1/2 (which is what we do) is quite large. It does not take many treats to equal 1/4 of a cup, which essentially replaces 1 of the meals above. I've read countless times that treats should not exceed 10% of a dogs daily food intake... In Reeses' case it might be 33% of her intake, and in Rocci's case it could be worse at 50%!

When using the positive praise/treat system to reward good behavior is suggested...ie dog stays off the couch = praise/treat, dog stops barking at neighbors dog = praise/treat, training dog to heal = praise/treat...etc...etc...these things can add up, especially for our puppy who we are house breaking. Get puppy to go into crate on their own = praise/treat, puppy goes potty on pee pad or outside = praise/treat, puppy goes poo on pee pad or outside = praise/treat.

So my question, are most of you owners out there just giving really tiny treats Vs. the off the shelf I get at the grocery store (which can be relatively large)? How large should the treat be? Are there healthier treat alternatives out there? Any suggestions or tips would be helpful, as I don't want my dogs missing meals because they feel full from eating treats through the day...nor do I want them to become picky eaters due to the fact they now have a taste for treats only or something.

01-08-2011, 11:11 PM	#1
jinhopark Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Bolingbrook, IL, USA Posts: 59	Too Many Treats??? We have 2 yorkies...Rocci who is under 5 lbs is almost 3 years old and Reeses who is just over 5 lbs is a pup at 20 weeks. Normally Rocci eats a 1/4 cup of dry kibble twice daily and Reeses eats a 1/4 cup of dry puppy kibble three times daily. I say normally, but as of recently we are making an extra effort to be consistent with our rules and to lavish the dogs with praise and treats when they do what we ask (which is what most owners suggest, right?). So here is the issue...most off the shelf dog treats are relatively large for toy breeds, and even cut in 1/2 (which is what we do) is quite large. It does not take many treats to equal 1/4 of a cup, which essentially replaces 1 of the meals above. I've read countless times that treats should not exceed 10% of a dogs daily food intake... In Reeses' case it might be 33% of her intake, and in Rocci's case it could be worse at 50%! When using the positive praise/treat system to reward good behavior is suggested...ie dog stays off the couch = praise/treat, dog stops barking at neighbors dog = praise/treat, training dog to heal = praise/treat...etc...etc...these things can add up, especially for our puppy who we are house breaking. Get puppy to go into crate on their own = praise/treat, puppy goes potty on pee pad or outside = praise/treat, puppy goes poo on pee pad or outside = praise/treat. So my question, are most of you owners out there just giving really tiny treats Vs. the off the shelf I get at the grocery store (which can be relatively large)? How large should the treat be? Are there healthier treat alternatives out there? Any suggestions or tips would be helpful, as I don't want my dogs missing meals because they feel full from eating treats through the day...nor do I want them to become picky eaters due to the fact they now have a taste for treats only or something.