Suggested Motivators for Nose Work

Nose work starts by letting your dog search for a preferred motivator. Some dogs find toys to be particularly motivating, while others require food rewards. For dogs who will work for toys, tug toys or balls with ropes are preferred to toys that must be tossed, to minimize disturbing the search area. Most teams use food rewards, both to create the desire to hunt and to reward the dog for finding odor, once odor has been introduced. If your dog's preferred motivators are toys, you probably already know the best choices. On the other hand, if your dog will be working for food, you may want some suggestions.

What makes a good food motivator? Ultimately, the choice depends on your dog's preferences. Some dogs go crazy for chicken, while others turn up their nose, preferring bacon. Moreover, motivation is often situational. In other words, what motivates a dog at home may not be motivating in the training facility, let alone in a novel environment. The lists and recipes below are suggestions from ARL Dog Sports' students, or treats we use in daily training. They are neither exhaustive nor required, but merely suggestions to allow creative minds to consider different ideas.

It is generally a good idea to have a variety of small treats (or treats that can be broken into small sizes). You can start with a lower value treat--or use lower value treats for easier search problems. Reserve the higher-value treats for harder problems or greater distractions. Match the reward value of the treat to the difficulty the dog experiences to keep him or her motivated. It's also important to consider the treat's impact on your dog's digestive system. Foods high in fat may cause intestinal upset, diarrhea or even pancreatitis. If your dog is sensitive to certain foods, find different ones that will work.

Many students will only feed their dog a partial meal or no meal before class, to allow for the additional calories your dog will receive from the treats for which he is searching (early in his training) or as a reward for finding target odor. Remember to not be stingy when training!

From the grocery store

Chicken pieces

• poached breast
• garlic chicken
• chicken nuggets
• rotisserie chicken

Cheese

• String cheese
• Bleu cheese crumbles
• American cheese
• Diced parmesan cheese
• Brie rinds

Bacon

Roast beef

Liverwurst

Hot dogs

Cooked liver, heart, gizzards

From the pet store

Soft, bite-size training treats

• Caru
• Nulo
• Bixbi
• Cloud Star
• Crumps Naturals
• Zuke's Mini

Freeze-dried training treats

• Stella and Chewy's
• Orijen
• Crumps Naturals
• Momentum
• Vital Essentials

Jerky treats

• Nulo
• Zuke's PowerBone

Biscuits and baked treats

• Charlee Bear Bearnola Bites
• Fromm Crunchy O's
• Honest Kitchen Parmesan Pecks

Home-cooked Treats*

Liver Brownies

• 8 oz. beef liver, preferably organic
• ¼ c. canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• water
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 2/3 c. whole wheat flour

1. Pre-cook the liver. (I usually bake it in a foil wrapper at 350 ºF for 30 minutes.)
2. Puree the liver in a blender or food processor with the oil and about ½ cup water (as needed).
3. Mix the liver puree with the eggs, flour, and as much water as necessary (about ¾ cup) to make a thick batter, about the consistency of very thick pancake batter.
4. Spread batter onto a jelly roll or brownie pan and bake at 325 ºF for 25-30 minutes. If the pan is not non-stick, lining it with parchment or waxed paper will make cleanup easier.
5. Let cool about 5 minutes before cutting with a pizza cutter. Stores about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Freezes for about 2 months.

Variations: Use 2 cans tuna in oil or 8 oz cooked chicken instead of liver.

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Peanut Treats

• 2-1/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c. all purpose flour
• 1-1/4 tbsp. baking powder
• 1-1/4 c. peanut butter
• 1 c. milk

1. Combine flour and baking powder in a large bowl.  
2. Combine milk and peanut butter in a separate bowl and mix until smooth. 
3. Gradually stir peanut butter mixture into flour in the larger bowl.
4. Knead dough by-hand and roll-out on floured surface to desired thickness. Cut-out treats.
5. Place aluminum foil on cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes at 400 ºF. Cool before storing.

Note: Cooking time may vary depending upon thickness.

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Cheese Treats

• 4 c. whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c. vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1-1/4 c. shredded cheese
• 1-1/4 c. milk

1. Measure flour into a large bowl. Gradually stir-in vegetable oil, cheese, beaten egg, milk and blend well.
2. Roll-out dough to desired thickness. Cut-out treats and place on lightly greased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 25 minutes at 400 ºF. Cool before storing.

Note: Cooking time may vary depending upon thickness

* These recipes have been in my arsenal for many years, but I no longer remember who provided them or where I obtained them. I do not claim any credit for creating them.