Using freeze-dried tripe as a reward in the crate

Tripe for crate training works with small bits, handed or dropped in while you are standing right there, and counted against the day's treats. The bag asks you to supervise while feeding. That makes tripe a reward for crate time you are present for, not something left in the crate while you are out.

Can you use tripe for crate training?

Yes, as a reward. The listing says to break a piece into bite-sized bits and hand them out one at a time, and you can do that through a crate door as well as anywhere. When to hand one over is part of the method, which is not ours to give.

What we cannot give you is the method. This page does not teach a dog to like a crate, and nothing here speaks to nerves, sleep or house training. Ask your vet or a trainer for that. We can tell you what the reward is. Our freeze-dried tripe has a one-item ingredient line, beef tripe. It is raw green tripe, unbleached, the beef is from a farm in the United States, and we freeze-dry it in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Two details from the listing matter here. The scorecard calls the smell strong, which is one more reason the bag stays shut. And we list the tripe for adult dogs, medium and large, and say small dogs can have it too, so ask your vet before you use it with a puppy.

Why hand it in while you are in the room?

Because the bag says so. The bag says: "Provide fresh water at all times and supervise while feeding."

Supervising means you are there, watching the dog eat. It does not mean a bit dropped in as you walk out the door. A crate is a small space, and it is hard to watch from another room. The rule is simple: if you are in the room, tripe can go in the crate. If you are leaving, it stays in the bag, and the bag stays shut.

When you are done for the session, check the crate and pick up any bit your dog did not eat before you leave. Then wash your hands with soap and water, since the tripe is raw before it is freeze-dried.

A short routine:

• Weigh out what the day allows.
• Break it into bits and press the bag shut.
• Stay in the room.
• Hand a bit through the door, or drop one in.
• Pick up anything left behind before you leave.
• Wash your hands with soap and water.

The bag's storage line asks the same thing in its own words: press it shut after every handful and keep it cool and dry.

How small should crate rewards be?

Small. The crunch is 3 of 5 on the listing's scorecard, so break the pieces down before you start rather than leaning on the dog to do it.

Piece size and pace are covered on our training page, and the same habits apply here. Break a handful ahead of time, keep it in a small dish, and work from the dish.

If a toy goes in the crate with a dog you are watching, our puzzle toy guide covers it. It stays in the room too.

How do crate rewards count against the treat budget?

Every bit counts, because treats come out of the day's food and not on top of it. The label energy figure is about 119.4 kcal per ounce, which is why we weigh tripe rather than counting pieces.

The calculator on the feeding guide turns your dog's daily calories, from your vet or the food bag, into grams and ounces of tripe. The default is a 10 percent treat share, and that figure belongs to the calculator, not to us. Your vet's number, if you have one, wins over the calculator's.

Count the whole day. A crate routine that runs several times will add up, so weigh the day's share in the morning and take bits from that. It beats guessing at night.

Meals stay your dog's regular food, because the label is clear that tripe is no complete diet.