High value treats: what works for you?

[heidiwine]

After a near death experience with our 5month puppy we are starting recall training again (from scratch) using pippa mattinson's total recall book.
I need some really high value treats and am happy to try a range of things to see what really works. Would love to know what your dogs would do anything for!!

Cheese
Frankfurters
Liver cake (though I recently had a food processing disaster with this)

Get a long line so it trails behind pup, but you can grab it if she/he ventures to far. I'd also highly recommend an acme 210.5 whistle for recall. When pup returns on the whistle reward, praise and let off again.Trained my dog to the whistle from 10 weeks, whistle 2 come for food as well. Good luck.

Carrots

Cheese

Both of mine love hypno teasers treats2sit4.co.uk/hypno-teasers but when I need a really high value treat I tend to use either cheese or frankfurters cut up into cubes. Something with a strong scent seems to work best so they know you have them and they want to do whatever they can to get them.

Cheese is top of the list alongside cooked chicken and then hotdog sausages.

Sprats
Cooked chicken (usually only on a Monday after a sunday roast)
Dog sausages

Second the Acme whistles - they are VERY loud.

My dog recalls to a whistle and it's lovely to see him wheel around when he hears it and come hurtling back to me

When he gets back we reward him with:
Cheese
Warm roasted chicken (keep wrapped in foil)
Stinky sprats

But what trumps absolutely everything else is a squeaky tennis ball - I keep one in my bag for emergencies

My dog finds toys more exciting than food but we can't usually train with toys as he gets so excited he can't think straight..,

Mine adore the atomic drops from treats2sit4. They also love chorizo (cheap from lidl), dried sprats, hot dogs, and cocktail sausages. Mine don't get on with cheese, but some people use primula and a friend uses a pouch of cat food as her jackpot treat

I use the Acme 210.5 (black) whistles too - we have a few on lanyards so anyone sounds the same, and with puppies I get in an opportunity to treat really early in the session so they know that something really good is on offer.

Cheese he would do backflips for cheese and also tesco meaty strips they stink but he loves them you really need to long line your puppy though

Hotdog sausages here too they are like nectar to Eric. I'm surprised he knows what they taste like though as they generally don't touch the sides

Mine gets cocktail sausage on occasion usually when he is doing something naughty last time it was the post but he dropped it and hoovered up the sausage but i dont think he tasted it

The black pudding that the local Sainsbury's sell on their deli counter. Mine bloody love that.

Diced ox heart (Morrisons used to sell this, no idea if they still do) cooked with garlic and chopped into really tiny pieces.

Leftover gammon/roast chicken/any other meat.

Cocktail sausages.

cheese
banana
peanut butter
cooked liver

Basically anything that's smelly, strong tasting and not too dry. Banana can get messy and for peanut butter I'll coat dry treats in it. When doing recall I always mix up the treats so they don't get bored with what they are getting and every now and again I'll chuck out an extra generous helping.
I also find a favourite toy or game is good as a reward too and that actually works more for my dog (she has really high prey drive so can't actually be left off lead although we still practice for that day when maybe we can). I think it helps to make yourself be more interesting than anything else they might come across. As well as treats when she comes back my pup loves tug games as her reward.

Primula, god knows why, but he loves it.

Tennis balls , our dog is ball obsessed and has never been that bothered about food . I always have one more ball than he can carry so I have something to attract him and he's not allowed balls in the house or garden ( apart from when someone is physically playing with him ) which makes them extra high value.

Thanks everyone! Sardines appear to be a winner and frankfurters also good. Am going to mix and match.
His recall is excellent until another dog comes along and then it goes completely out the window. Because of that we're starting again with something new. I want to avoid a long line if possible so we are now walking him in a large enclosed space and I am trying to avoid times where other dogs will be around.

I am trying to explain high value treats to my parents the dogsit my sisters dog who is a bit of a naughty puppy they nod enthusuastically and just throw treats at her

Why do you want to avoid a longline? Standard advice for dogs with iffy recall is they don't go fully off lead until they are as close to perfect recall as possible.

Arden Grange do liver paste in a tube, only time I get a perfect walk to heel! Great for winter too, I find most treats are not compatible with gloves...