Why soft treats are the right choice for training
A soft treat is easy to break into smaller pieces, and that is exactly what makes it well suited for training. When you reward many times in a row, for example during recall, sit or walking on the lead, each reward needs to be small enough that the dog does not get full after the first ten repetitions. A soft texture lets you split the same treat into several pieces with your fingers, without a knife and without crumbs in your pocket.
At the same time, the dog chews a soft treat quickly and swallows it right away. This keeps the pace up in training, so the dog associates the correct behaviour with the reward without a long pause to crunch a hard biscuit. Our mini Delights treats are made in small pieces precisely for this purpose, and the entire range of training treats is put together with the training situation in mind.
Gentle for puppies and older dogs with sensitive teeth
Soft treats place few demands on the teeth, and that is why they are often recommended for both puppies and senior dogs. Puppies change teeth during the first few months, and during that period hard chews can be uncomfortable for the sore gums. A puppy can eat a soft treat without having to bite down hard.
Older dogs, at the other end of life, often have worn teeth, missing teeth or sensitive gums, and here the same logic applies: a treat that can be mashed between your fingers can also be eaten by the dog without difficulty. If you are looking for rewards specifically for the youngest members of the pack, you will find them in puppy treats.
Mini Delights in four flavours of duck, salmon, turkey and lamb
The collection holds four variants of Mini Delights, each built around a single protein source. DUCK MINI DELIGHTS and SALMON MINI DELIGHTS give you duck and salmon respectively, while TURKEY MINI DELIGHTS and LAMB MINI DELIGHTS offer turkey and lamb.
The fact that each flavour is based on one meat makes it easier to steer clear of proteins your dog cannot tolerate. If, for example, the dog has reacted to poultry before, you can choose salmon or lamb and stay completely away from duck and turkey. It is the same thinking that lies behind our allergy-friendly selection.
Teeth Delights and Sensations each for their own purpose
In addition to the four Mini Delights, the collection contains two other series, each solving its own task. Teeth Delights combine flavour with ingredients such as collagen and turmeric, chamomile and sage, or probiotics and cinnamon, and they belong to our dental series, where the focus is on teeth and mouth. Sensations are available with rabbit and rosemary, beef and oregano, or duck, and are part of the sensations series.
If you are going to use the treats as pure training rewards, the small Mini Delights are the obvious choice. If you want to give a treat with a purpose beyond the reward, you can look towards Teeth Delights. You can also combine several types in one Delights Treats bundle.
How many soft treats can your dog have per day?
A common rule of thumb is that treats should make up no more than around ten percent of the dog's total daily energy intake. The rest should come from a complete meal, so the dog still gets the nutrients it needs. The precise number of treats therefore depends on the dog's size and on how much it otherwise eats: a small dog can tolerate far fewer than a large one.
If you train a lot on a single day, cut back correspondingly on the evening meal, or divide the treats into even smaller pieces so the overall balance holds. If you want to read more about how to find the right balance, we have gathered the advice in the article how many treats can a dog have.
How to store soft treats after opening
Precisely because soft treats have a higher moisture content than hard biscuits, they dry out faster or go bad if the bag is left open. Close the bag tightly after use, or move the treats into an airtight container, and store them cool and dry. Always check the best-before date on the bag, and look at and smell the treats if they have been left out for a while.
If you take a small portion in your pocket for the day's training, only fill up with what you use the same day, rather than having the whole bag open for hours. That way the rest lasts longer, and the treats the dog gets are fresh.
