Treat Pouch
🔴 Nice to have, but not essential
A treat pouch certainly isn’t an essential piece of training equipment – but it can be very practical in everyday life.
Especially if you regularly use food rewards, it keeps your treats within easy reach without having to constantly search through jacket or trouser pockets.
And after a few walks, you’ll probably appreciate the second advantage too: fewer crumbs, greasy marks and forgotten treats in your clothes.
Reward More Quickly
Timing plays an important role in training. When your dog has just done something right, you want to be able to reward them as quickly as possible.
A treat pouch helps you get to the reward faster without first having to open a pocket or search around for the right treat.
Especially during exercises with lots of small repetitions, this can make the whole training process much smoother.
For me, a treat pouch should be easy to open and close while also sitting securely enough that the entire contents don’t keep falling out when you walk or bend down.
I find models that attach to your belt or waistband particularly practical. Some also come with a shoulder strap or waist strap – which option feels more comfortable is ultimately a matter of personal preference.
The material should also be easy to deal with. If you regularly use meat, cheese or other slightly greasier rewards, a wipe-clean or washable lining makes things much easier.
Size Is a Matter of Preference
The pouch should be large enough to carry plenty of rewards for a training session – but not so large that you feel as though you’re carrying a handbag for your dog on every walk.
If you also want to carry a clicker, poo bags or a few other small items, a model with an additional small compartment can be useful.
And the Colour?
Training obviously works regardless of the colour of your treat pouch.
But if you’re choosing one anyway, there’s nothing wrong with liking how it looks too. And if you need a matching colour for every jacket, you certainly won’t lose any points with me. 😉