This is a specific conversation about Dog training treats — high value, small size — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
After a partial tooth extraction, the mouth needs time to heal — hard or crunchy treats are genuinely off the table for now, not just a preference. The good news is soft treats can still be high-value and motivating, as long as they're small, smelly, and protein-rich. The best training treats are pea-sized, eaten in one bite so your dog stays focused, and more exciting than their regular food. To point you in the right direction: how long ago was the extraction, what are you training for, and does your Spaniel have any food allergies or sensitivities?
The extraction was about three weeks ago. She's healed well but the vet said to keep her on soft food and treats ongoing because she only has partial teeth on one side now. We're mainly doing recall and loose lead work. No known allergies.
inparticular.ai
That's really helpful. With permanent soft-only as the requirement, you need something that stays consistently soft — not treats that harden once the bag is open. For recall and loose lead, you also want something with a strong smell and real meat, so it cuts through outdoor distractions. What's her weight roughly, and is she on any kind of restricted diet — low fat, grain-free, anything like that?
She's about 10kg. No restricted diet, the vet just said soft only. She does tend to put weight on easily so I try not to overdo treats.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — at 10kg and prone to weight gain, you want treats that are small and low in calories per piece, which actually works in your favour for training because you can reward frequently without overdoing it. My recommendation is Lily's Kitchen Soft & Scrummy Training Treats. They're made with real chicken or venison, genuinely soft throughout — not just coated — and each piece is small enough to use in quick repetition without loading her up. They're also reasonably low calorie per treat compared to many soft options. For a 10-year-old Cocker doing recall and lead work outdoors, the smell is strong enough to compete with distractions, and there's nothing in them that should upset her stomach or conflict with her dental situation. Available on Amazon UK, usually around £4–5 for 80g.
That sounds good. Should I be doing anything differently with training given she's older and has the dental issue?
inparticular.ai
For a 10-year-old, keep sessions short — five minutes is plenty, two or three times a day beats one long session. Her motivation and ability to learn are absolutely still there, but older dogs tire mentally faster than puppies. Because you're working on recall outdoors, use the treats immediately and consistently — the timing matters more than the quantity. And since she's healing from dental work, avoid any treat that requires her to chew or break apart. The Lily's Kitchen ones dissolve quickly, which is exactly what you want. One thing worth checking with your vet at the next visit: whether they're happy with the ingredient list, just to be thorough given her history.
Really helpful, thank you. I'll give those a try.
