Holistic Training Treats for Deaf Dogs

Celebrate Halloweenie and Everyday Daily Deaf Dog Training Session
with Healthy & Nutritious Treats from Dr. Harvey’s.

I am NOT being compensated for this article. I am sharing information about Dr. Harvey’s holistic dog treats because I personally use them as a healthy training reward with deaf dogs.

Today just happens to be Halloween, which makes this a perfect opportunity to talk about treats for our dogs! I may not be able to get the dingoes here at Deaf Dog Central to play “Dress up for Daddy’s Blog” but they still deserve treats.

When sharing your life with a deaf dog, (or any dog for that matter), training needs to start early in your relationship. The sooner you can teach some basic life skills and then build up to “Wow, I’ve never seen a deaf dog sing on command!” or other equally impressive deaf dog skills, the more fun and rewarding your life together will be.

However, training shouldn’t stop once you’ve checked off your initial list of hand signs you want to teach; training should become a lifetime activity with your deaf dog. How else is he going to impress all of his dog-park dog friends or, which is more likely the case, all the pet parents of his dog park friends!

Let’s face it. Most of the general public doesn’t even know that deaf dogs exist, and many of those who do know that deaf dogs are walking and sniffing among us still hang on to incredibly low expectations of them. Many people I meet are seriously impressed that Edison can sit when I move my hand this way or that…Yawn!

It’s at this moment that I usually put him through the paces, to show just how much deaf dogs can accomplish, how much they can learn, to shine a light on how strong of a bond we have and yes, I admit it, to make their jaws drop a little. I get a proud dog-dad thrill out of knocking their socks off and seeing that tell-tale look in their eyes: His dog is deaf and can do more than my hearing dog…!!

When training your deaf dog, it’s critical that only humane, positive reinforcement techniques are used, and that you never use your hands or body to punish him!

It’s also important to know what motivates him. Knowing which reward is most valuable to your deaf dog is going to make the training process so much more effective and enjoyable. There is nothing better than that moment when you can see the light bulb go off in his head and you know that he knows what you want him to do, and he’ll do it every time!

Rewards fall into one of three categories: food, play and affection. Edison and Foster are both food motivated which makes training go so much faster. Instead of having to stop the training sessions to play with them or scratch their butt or belly, I can simply offer a high-value treat that they love. If you’re lucky enough to have a dog that is motivated by food, I have some great information for you today!

Dr. Harvey’s, staying true to their values and ethics which permeate everything they do, has a whole line of healthy, nutritious and delicious treats that are perfect for training your deaf dog. They are also small enough to fit into your training bait bag or pocket which allows for both hands-free training and impromptu 5-minute training sessions on the go.

One of our favorite all-natural treats from Dr. Harvey’s is Le Dogue Bites. These are freeze-dried, single ingredients treats that my dogs love. They are available in three flavors: Beef, Chicken and Fish. As a Francophile, I love the French branding but as a veterinary technician, deaf dog pet parent and blogger with a special interest in holistic health, I love the simplicity of these treats: one single ingredient with no sugar, salt, chemicals, preservatives, dyes or synthetic anything!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8APQRgTYNAc&w=560&h=315]

Healthy. Tasty. Motivating, What else could I ask for in a training treat?

One of our other favorite treats from Dr. Harvey’s are the Power Patties. Power Patties are made of freeze-dried green tripe. That’s it. Green tripe sourced and prepared here in the United States. The cool thing is that green triped is full of health benefits for your deaf dog. Check out what Dogs Naturally Magazine has to say.

Now, green tripe is not a pleasant smell for the human nose, but dogs love it. So much so that Dr. Harvey’s will tell you that they are not responsible if your dog steals the entire bag. In fact, they strongly recommend you hide the bag well!

A treat that offers this degree of motivation is perfect for training purposes. When teaching your baby Edison or Nitro (of Deaf Dogs Rock) important deaf dog life skills, you WANT a treat that he will move mountains to get into his mouth.

Learn more about Power Patties here!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwkKuXcqFtA&w=560&h=315]

Dr. Harvey’s has even more holistic, all-natural dog treats available. Go here to see them all. Pick up one bag and I promise that you and your deafie will be hooked!