Training treats for dogs with yeast infections

Recurring yeast ear infections that may be diet-related change the treat conversation significantly — certain ingredients, especially high-sugar carbs and common proteins like chicken, can feed yeast overgrowth and keep the cycle going. The most effective training treats are pea-sized, smelly, and high in protein so the dog swallows them instantly without breaking focus, but for a dog like yours they also need to be low in sugar, grain-free, and ideally a novel or single protein source. What size is your Flat-Coat, what are you training for right now, and has your vet flagged any specific ingredients to avoid?

Good — 30kg and working on recall and loose lead means you need something genuinely high-value, because those are the exercises where the environment competes hardest for attention. No chicken and no grains rules out a lot of mainstream treats. Has he shown a strong response to any particular food before — fish, lamb, venison? And are the ears currently flaring, or are you in a settled patch right now?

Fish is actually ideal here — it's a strong novel protein for dogs who've been on chicken-based diets, it's naturally smelly and high-value, and it doesn't carry the yeast-feeding risk that starchy or sugary treats do. I'd go with Forthglade Soft Bite Training Treats in the fish variety. They're grain-free, soft enough that a Flat-Coat will eat one in a single bite without chewing and losing focus, and the size is right for high-repetition work like recall and loose lead. The fish smell is strong enough to cut through outdoor distractions, which matters at 30kg when he's decided a squirrel is more interesting than you. Keep portions sensible — he's a big dog and training sessions can add up calorie-wise — but these won't spike blood sugar or add fermentable carbs that could destabilise his gut and ear environment.

Twenty minutes of active training with a motivated Flat-Coat can easily mean 50 to 80 treat repetitions if you're doing recall work, so it's worth counting them into his daily food allowance rather than adding on top. With the Forthglade soft bites, break them in half if you want to stretch them further — they're soft enough that it won't slow you down. The goal is tiny and frequent, not big and occasional. As long as you're adjusting his meals slightly on heavy training days, you won't be overfeeding, and you won't be giving his gut enough excess carbohydrate to cause problems.

Good luck — Flat-Coats are sharp dogs and they respond well when the reward is genuinely worth it. Keep an eye on the ears as you introduce them, and if you notice any uptick in scratching or head-shaking after a few weeks, it's worth cross-referencing with your vet whether fish is staying neutral for him. Most dogs do well with it, but individual responses vary when yeast is in the picture. Hope the recall comes together quickly.