My Susie is not really treat oriented either. She's learned from Maggie, so it is working out well. But, I did find that even tho she isn't into dog treats, she LOVES cheese. So I do my training with little bits of cheese and she responds very well.
Others report good results with small slices of hot dog (I used chicken hotdogs) and I know a couple who treat their dog with dried apple and banana bits. My dogs are always begging them for treats too
For Maggie it was easy since anything that comes from my hand see sees as a treat. I even used plain kibble (another brand from that which she eats) to treat when training. I was getting paranoid that I was giving her too many treats and upsetting her tummy, so I switched to kibble treats.
Anyway, if you find ANYTHING your dog really likes, you can use it for training. It doesn't necessarily have to be food or treats. It can be a toy, a trip to her favorite park. I taught Maggie and now Susie that they were rewarded IF they did their business when told, by letting them walk at their own pace and sniff whatever they wanted for as long as they wanted (within reason). It works. Now, their habit is to do business as soon as we hit the street, then they leisurely walk around the block, smelling and looking and whatever they want to do as a reward.
Susie LOVES to give and get kisses, so I use that a lot of the time too.
Good luck. I think you're on the right track. It does take time and patience. Frustraing as it is now, you'll wake up one day and realize that you're not worried about "accidents" anymore because you can't remember the last one which occurred. It is a good feeling.
Dan
