Small
The treats you feed your dog through the MannersMinder dispenser must fit through the holes in either of the kibble discs that come with the device to be inserted at the bottom of the kibble bin. Place your dog's favorite food in the disc, close the top kibble bin door, then press the "Dispense" button on your fob to make sure 10 to 20 pieces of food fall into the treat bowl. If not, try a smaller variety.
Dry, Spherical
Premier urges that only dry kibble be used with its MannersMinder treat dispenser. This will keep the device from clogging up and make it easier to clean. It also urges users to use oval- or circular-shaped foods that also will prevent clogging in the kibble disc. If a dozen or more kibble don't fall into the treat tray when you press "Dispense," try a dry food with no edges that may get stuck in the machinery.
Fine-Tune
According to Dr. Sophia Yin, the co-creator of the MannersMinder, various types of foods will work best for your dog, depending on its likes and dislikes. Some dogs prefer pepperoni-flavored snacks; others like them peanut-butter-flavored. Many dogs don't discriminate; a few are finicky. The dispenser, if used thoughtfully, can help teach your dog tricks and good behavior while feeding it. For instance, if your dog eats about 120 pieces of food a day, rewarding it for good behavior 12 times a day could provide its food for the day while reinforcing the right way to act.
Biscuits
Wisconsin veterinarians Martin Smith and Race Foster recommend a range of natural, organic treats for dogs, ranging from rawhide and biscuits to fish fillets and jerky. However, many of these treats won't fit in the MannersMinder. For an alternative to putting kibble in the MannersMinder dispenser, however, various types of biscuits are made in small varieties, as are many other crunchy or meaty kibble to give your dog as special a treat as possible during its training.