The Best Treats for Cockapoo Training

It doesn’t matter if you are starting puppy training or trying to retrain your cockapoo who has developed bad behavioural traits; using treats is a great motivator and reinforcer to use while you do it.

Cockapoos are incredibly fond of food, as you’ll already know or be learning quickly, so it can be used as a lure to encourage your dog to concentrate and respond appropriately to the commands you give him or her.

There is one crucial aspect you need to think about with regard to treat-based training and that is the kind of treats that will work best with your dog. It should go without saying really that taste is hugely important. You want to get your cockapoo excited about the treats you have to offer them.

If you are just starting and are still trying to work out which is best, this may require a little experimentation to see what works and what doesn’t.

Some Recommended Cockapoo Treats

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Bounce and Bella Grain-Free Dog Training Treats, 800-Pack

The first cockapoo treats we want to highlight in our guide is this great option from the relatively new company Bounce and Bella. Unlike the lower quality products, you can get, this pack of 800 treats only features a combination of potatoes, chicken gravy and then turkey, duck, and chicken in varying percentages. There is nothing else, so not only will your dog really enjoy them, you can be completely confident that you are not giving your cockapoo anything harmful.

Thanks to their small size, it also means you can avoid the likelihood of overfeeding your dog while training. Something that’s often a problem when you use less natural and more additive, sugar, preservative, and grain-filled treats.

As if that wasn’t enough, you also get a handy Training with Treats PDF that has been written as a guide to help you get the best out of training sessions with your pooch.

Barker and Barker Little Liver Dog Training Treats, 450-Pack

Next, we have a training treat from Barker and Barker, a company that has been at the forefront of the dog snack and treat industry for over 35 years. The little liver treats are prepared using a special high compression technique instead of baking, which helps keep more nutrients locked into each gram than alternatives.

Although all of the ingredients, with Pork liver being the main one, are of Scandinavian or European origin, the treats are made in the company’s Dorset-based factory. All the manufacturing and packaging are carried out there, to ensure the quality of the end product is controlled. As well as being tastier than many of the other options on the market these days, they also have a longer lifespan, lasting as much as 2 years.

Wagg Training Treats with Chicken and Cheese, 125g, 7-Pack

From the hugely popular and renowned company Wagg, the next training treats we want to highlight are these chicken and cheese flavoured, bone-shaped nibbles. They are ideal for training from as early as 8 weeks old and contain no additional sugar, artificial colour or flavouring. Wagg, for the initiated, is a family-run business that has been operating and manufacturing products since the 1920s and still produces some of the highest quality food and treats for our furry friends from their base in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

If you need any other motivation to invest in these treats, it’s worth noting that where possible, the ingredients are sourced locally.

If you are looking for something a bit different, there are lots of other flavours available, including interesting combinations like butter and banana and butter and chicken. We especially love the fact that you get 7 very practical and portable packets, all weighing 125-grams.

Pedigree Tasty Bites Cheesy Nibbles with Beef, 140g, 8-Pack

Last, on our list of great training treats for your cockapoo are these Tasty Bites Cheesy Nibbles from the hugely influential and reliable Pedigree. They have been designed and developed with the help of vets and nutritionists based at the company’s Waltham Centre, who have been working hard to figure out the textures, sizes, and shapes that will help your cockapoo to remain lively and attentive during your training sessions together.

Like the other offerings in our guide, these Tasty Bites do not contain any artificial flavours, colours or added sugar, but instead feature important minerals like calcium, along with vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. If you think your dog won’t be interested in the cheesy beef flavour, there are also other varieties such as Crunchy Pockets, Chewy Slices, and Chewy Cubes.

Pet Room Dog Treat Pouch Bag with Adjustable Belt and Shoulder Strap

Additional Item For Holding Cockapoo Training Treats

The key to successful training is to be fully prepared before you start and to persevere. Therefore, one product that you may find useful in staying fully prepared and focused is the Pet Room dog treat pouch bag. This has been manufactured using high-quality 600-denier cloth, renowned for its resistance to tears and abrasions, which helps it to last for numerous years. It also has a durable inner lining that keeps it all together.

When you invest in this bag, you get more than just the bag itself. You actually get a dog clicker (which doubles as a whistle too) and a silicone dog food bowl. What’s more, a lot of thought and consideration has gone into designing a bag that can be worn in three unique ways, to meet your own personal preference. For example, there’s a tough metallic clip that helps secure the bag to a pocket or belt so that your hands are freed up, there is also a waist belt so you can wear it similarly to a bum bag or the adjustable shoulder strap which allows you to wear it more like a traditional bag.

Above all of the great features we’ve outlined about this bag, the thing we love most about this training treat bag is the capacity. There is even a front pocket with a zip that is separate to the treat compartment, where you can keep values safe while you train or walk your dog.

Cockapoo Training Treats: Our Guide

Use a Combination of High and Low-Value Treats

Once you’ve figured out the kind of things your cockapoo likes and responds well to, you need to diversify the cockapoo treats you use. In what way? By using both high and low-value treats.

High-value cockapoo treats are very special rewards you might give your cockapoo when they have done particularly well or when you require a much stronger lure than normal to keep them focused on the task at hand.

Whereas low-value treats are those you would use on a day to day level when your cockapoo responds as you would expect him or her to.

The reason you should mix it up and include both kinds of cockapoo treats is so that your dog is always interested in training.

Examples of Low and High-Value Treats

Most dogs and more specifically cockapoo owners tend to use dog kibble as a low-value treat when they are training, whereas something like chicken or even cheese would constitute a high-level treat.

Before we look at some of the commercially available cockapoo-friendly treats you can use for training your furry friend, your dog may love some great homemade treats. These include:

  • Cheese
  • Sausage
  • Steak
  • Chicken

We have found in our own experience that these homemade treats work far better than store or online-bought treats; however, you may not always have them in your house. This is why you should consider investing in some of the following options.

What to Look For In The Best Treats For Cockapoo Puppies

Although we are going to highlight some great products, we thought it was important to discuss the features you should look for when choosing the right training treats for your cockapoo.

Taste/Flavour

As we’ve already discussed, this is vital and is something very subjective and different from one dog to another. It doesn’t matter if the treats have a crunch to them, are meaty or sweet, as long as your dog responds favourably to them and can progress with their training.

Healthy and Nutritious

This is often overlooked and not considered as crucial as things like profit margins when you are looking at some of the inferior quality products. However, any cockapoo treats you use while training your dog are supplements to their standard diet and should be similarly healthy or else it could undo any good you do with their mealtimes.

Practical and Convenient

Cockapoo treats for training need to be convenient and practical. You want to be able to reach for them out of the bait bag or your pocket quickly with no hassle. Look, ideally, for a treat that has a clean shape that stays in one piece until it reaches your dog’s mouth.

Size

Last, but certainly not least is the size when deciding on the best treats for cockapoo puppies. You will want something bite-sized to ensure your dog will be able to eat them quickly without being too distracted from the training. Smaller treats are less likely to fill your dog up too much during training that it could ruin their regular diet.

We really hope, at Cockapoo HQ, that this guide to choosing the best training treats for working with your cockapoo is helpful. The tasty treats and the bag we have chosen are highlighted because of the value for the money they provide you. Don’t worry too much about what other dog owners use with their animals, even if they also are training a cockapoo because all are unique and different. You know your own animal best and will be able to find the best treats for cockapoo puppies training.