Packing freeze-dried salmon for a dog training class

Salmon treats for obedience class start with a question to the trainer, since the class is theirs and some set treat rules. If fish treats are welcome, break pieces into bits at home, bring one class worth by weight, carry water, and reseal what is left before you head back out the door.

Should you bring salmon treats to obedience class?

Ask first. Every trainer sets the treat rules for their own class, and only yours can say what they are, and a message before the first session settles it. If you are wondering what treats to bring to dog class, that message is the answer.

If the answer is yes, salmon has a case. The store's scorecard gives it 4 of 5 for training value, and the store describes it as a high value reward. The listing says: "The pieces are medium sized and break into small, quick rewards." That is the whole pitch: it breaks small, and the store rates it well for training.

One note on age. If you are shopping for treats for puppy class, our fit chart on the product page lists adult dogs of all sizes, and that is as far as we go. Ask your veterinarian about a puppy.

How do you prep salmon before class?

Break the pieces at home, not in the parking lot with the engine still ticking. Snap each piece into bits your dog can take in one go and drop them into a small closed container. The pouch itself gets resealed and either stays home or rides along in your bag for more.

The salmon is freeze-dried raw. The bag says: "Wash your hands after handling it." Wash after you break the bits, and plan for soap or a sink at the training hall, since you will be handling the leash and your dog's collar through the class.

The class bag, then, holds five things:

• Bits broken at home, in a small closed container
• The class share, weighed at home and written on the lid
• Water and a bowl, or a collapsible cup
• The resealed pouch, if you want more on hand
• Soap, or a note of where the nearest sink is

Our guide to using salmon treats covers the handover itself and how a session at home runs. This page is about the bag by the door.

How much salmon should you bring to one class?

One class worth, inside the day's allowance. The treat budget calculator on our product page shows a treat allowance as salmon by weight once you type in your dog's daily calories. It opens on 10 percent as its default, not as a rule, and your veterinarian sets the real figure. On a class night, the class share comes out of that daily weight, not on top of it.

With the label's energy figure, about 85.6 kcal per ounce, the calculator handles the math. The label lists no weight per piece, so this page has no count to offer. Weigh the class share on a kitchen scale and break it finer if the class runs many repetitions: more rewards from the same weight, not more weight.

The bag says: "Not intended as a complete diet." Class treats are treats. Dinner is still dinner, and your vet sets what dinner is.

What do you do with salmon left over after class?

Reseal it and take it home. The bag says: "Reseal the pouch once it is open and store it cool and dry." Broken bits that were in your pocket or container go back in the container, lid on, and the whole class treat bag comes home with you.

Wash the container as you would a food bowl, and wash your hands once more. The bag asks for fresh water and supervision while feeding; after class that still applies to any bit you hand over at home before bed.

Leftover bits are not a reason to feed more that night. If the class share did not get used, it stays weighed and labeled for the next session or the next day, inside that day's allowance.

Other questions about the pouch may already have a page on the guides hub.