Tricky T-day: Trick or treat edition

We have still been working on 'pick up your toys' and have had some progress. But we also wanted to report on Moose favorite part of Tricky T-day, and that is the TREATS!

Last week I followed Honey's recipe for liver and sausage treats just to compare them to the usual stuff we use in terms of convenience, appeal (to moose), handling (for me) and nutrition.
For the liver treats she suggested lamb or ox (but I got Beef- oops!) liver and you just microwave it for 2 minutes or so (cooked all the way through) then cut it up into tiny pieces.
For the baked sausage you cut it up into pieces before you bake them then put them in the oven on low heat for 10-20 min. They should be sort of dry when they are done. I think this would work with hot dogs but I got one of the thicker type sausages (I think they are already cooked when you buy them) and I got the low fat Turkey variety (mostly because it was on sale).
In the past I have used Charlee Bears, Old Mother Hubbard mini biscuits (these are on the larger size of a 'training' treat even for Moose but I will throw some in for variety or jackpots). These are very convenient (dry and don't need to be refrigerated) which means they are easy to have on hand or in pockets. Moose is so highly food motivated that these work fine for some situations. I was also using Natural Balance Treat Rolls and Bil Jac liver treats when I wanted to use something more enticing since they are moist and have a stronger smell. In terms of nutrition I am comfortable giving these to my Moose as occasional treats but some of the ingredients (Glycerin, propylene glycol, phosphoric acid etc.) are things that don't seem like they belong in a doggie's diet and now that we are training more I did not want to over do it, plus they are expensive! So I wanted to switch to something more wholesome and decided to try out making my own treats and so I followed Honey's recipe!
Both were easy to prepare and a cheaper than packaged dogtreats. Both end up pretty dry to handle and keep well in the refrigerator or freezer and even seem fine for a several hours at room temp. In terms of healthiness, liver is good in moderation and I think the sausage might be a little better than the packaged treats but there is still lots of corn syrup and preservatives in it. In terms of appeal to Moose... OMD he went absolutely wild for liver! The package accidentally came open in the fridge and I did not realize it but noticed Moose sniffing around the edge of the fridge like crazy and then while I was cooking it he had this excited and kinda glazed look on his face and would not leave the kitchen until I put it away.
The first few pieces I tried to give him elicited this crazy loop of every trick I had ever taught him in an effort to get some (bow, back up, paw, sit, speak, down, repeat)! He really gets so excited that he can't focus when things are that tasty. But I got the idea that this is exactly what I needed to start working on a reliable recall in more distracting places.

With a piece of liver in my hand, getting his attention is a lot easier! So a few times when we have gone out on walks I take him to a dead end road and unclip the leash and we walk along with me calling him back after he has moved on. I know this does not seem like much but there is no way I would have tried this with the other treats because he will come for those when he is good and ready (i.e. done sniffing everything!) and I am always too nervous that I will have to track him through the neighborhood to get him back. Anyways, thanks Honey for the treat tips!
Hey... Don't forget to head over to Ludo's to vote on the best non-trick! Should you want to vote for Moose's Couch surfing, he is #32!