I got my first dog, Gracie two years before I became a professional dog trainer. I think a lot about what I know now that I wish I knew then. And a lot of what comes to mind is actually little, simple stuff that doesn’t require any particular expertise or skill to make life with a dog a little bit easier. Here’s one of the tips I wish I knew when I first got Gracie.

Force-free or positive-reinforcement-based training is the way to go to have a happy, healthy relationship with your dog. But prepping, handling, and giving treats has plenty of challenges, especially if you are newer to it and it hasn’t become a habit yet.

Using canned food as a treat helps sidestep a ton of the issues and hang-ups people usually have when it comes to training with treats. Here are a few reasons I think it’s great.

Dogs Love It.

No matter how healthy or affordable a treat is, if dogs aren’t motivated by it, it’s useless. Luckily, most dogs who eat dry food for their meals absolutely love wet food and will work pretty hard to earn it. I think it works great both in more distracting or exciting environments like on walks and hikes and when you are working on tougher training challenges like coming when called or overcoming a fear.

With her small size and long spine, we have to be careful about Gracie’s weight. So, wet dog food is a perfect treat for her.

It’s Healthy.

Two of the biggest concerns I hear when people start training with treats are:

1. They don’t want their dogs to gain weight.

2. Treats are junk food and/or upset their dog’s stomach.

I totally get both of these concerns, and have dealt with them myself. They are especially tricky at the beginning when you haven’t figured out what works for your dog and your lifestyle and what doesn’t.

Since wet food is a fully balanced food just like dry dog food, you don’t have to worry about those things! Just like when you introduce a new food at mealtime, you may want to do so gradually to avoid causing any belly issues. But once that period is over, you should be able to good to go!

To manage weight gain, you can then keep track of how much wet food you give in a day and adjust how much you feed your dog at mealtimes to compensate for the calories.

It Works with Strict Diets.

Most prescription and limited ingredient foods have a canned, wet food version. So, even if your dog is on a super strict diet, you should still be able to use wet food. Bonus: It should be cheaper and more delicious than the treats from the same line.

It’s hard to manage two leashes when one of your hands is sticky and slobbery from giving treats. Wet food works great on our leashed walks.

It’s Great for the Trainer, Too.

Since it’s shelf stable and relatively cheap, you can stock up on wet food so you always have a few cans available. When I’m ready to use it as a treat, I fill these baby food pouches, which are easy to fill, squeeze, and clean.

While you are out training, the pouch keeps your hands clean, dry, warm, and safe. No more sticky, slimy fingers. No bruises and scratches and white spots on your nails from your dog taking a treat too hard. No need to take off your gloves or mittens when it’s cold out.

A Few Tips for Using Wet Food

You want to use the type of food that is blended to an even consistency, not the chunks-in-gravy style.
If your dog’s stomach can handle it, switching up brands and meats can keep it interesting and motivating for your dog.
Fold the end of the pouch over before you squeeze it so you don’t accidentally squeeze food out the wrong end.

Wet Dog Food Makes a Great Treat

Dogs Love It.

It’s Healthy.

It Works with Strict Diets.

It’s Great for the Trainer, Too.

A Few Tips for Using Wet Food