Best treats for a wary Chow Chow

Using treats to build positive associations with strangers is one of the most effective tools with a breed like a Chow Chow — they're naturally aloof and can be slow to trust, but they're also highly food-motivated when the treat is worth their attention. The best treats are high in protein, low in additives, and sized for quick delivery mid-interaction — many popular treats are nutritionally poor and frankly not interesting enough to override a Chow's wariness. Single-ingredient dried meat or fish tends to work best. To point you to the right thing: how big is your Chow, any allergies or sensitivities, and are you treating during actual stranger encounters or building up to them more gradually?

That's exactly the right instinct — the treat needs to be high-value enough that her brain is genuinely working to get it, not just tolerating the situation. At 25kg she's a solid medium-large dog, so you want something with enough smell and novelty to cut through her guardedness. Fish-based single-ingredient treats tend to have a stronger scent than chicken or beef, which makes them more compelling in a low-trust moment. Are there any textures she already shows a strong preference for — chewy, crunchy, soft?

Perfect — that makes this straightforward. Go with Icelandic+ Cod Skin Dog Treats. They're 100% single-ingredient dried cod skin, intensely fishy in smell, chewy in texture, and you can snap them into smaller pieces for repeated delivery during a single encounter with a stranger. No additives, no grain, no filler. The scent alone tends to get dogs like yours visibly engaged before they've even taken the treat, which is exactly what you want — you're trying to shift her emotional state, not just reward calm behaviour after the fact. They're available in a resealable bag on Amazon UK and hold up well in a treat pouch.

At 25kg, a few small pieces per encounter is plenty — cod skin is rich, so you don't need much to make an impression. Break each strip into four or five pieces before you head out, and aim for no more than one full strip's worth per outing. If you're doing multiple sessions a day, reduce her main meal slightly to compensate. The goal is to keep each treat feeling like a genuine event, not something routine she gets in bulk.

Good luck — with a Chow it can take a few weeks of consistent sessions before you see a real shift, but when it clicks it tends to stick. The key is letting her take the treat on her terms and not rushing the interaction. If she's taking it and staying in the vicinity rather than retreating, that's already progress worth noting.