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Thank you so much for the extra details, they are very helpful! Based on your information provided, I think there are several options we can try to get her a little more interested and motivated. When dogs are free-fed, meaning that food is left out all day in a bowl and the dog eats whenever she feels like it, this often significantly decreases the value of food. For sake of an example, it's like us having access all day to an all-you-can-eat buffet (but with only one type of food served) which may seem like a feast the initial days, but then things start getting rather boring. On top of this, as kibble is left out, it leads to a significant loss of aroma. Dogs may therefore start turning their noses down to food that doesn't smell fresh and may therefore get picky about eating it. Hence, why many dogs who are free-fed often become picky about it and hold off eating it in hopes of getting better and more aromatic things such as people foods, canned food or cat food. Cat food in particular is particularly enticing to dogs because cats are obligate carnivores, and as such, their diets are very rich in protein and therefore very palatable. While it may not hurt when eaten in small quantities every now and then, vets frown on this practice if it's happening more often than not because its' not properly balanced for canines when it comes to certain nutrients. Not to mention the effects cat food can have on a dog's waistline over time and risks for pancreatitis (inflammation of pancreas) due to the high fat levels often found in cat food. So if we can prevent access to cat food, this can be helpful in the long run from a health and food-motivating standpoint (if your Chihuahua gorges herself on the cat food, she'll fill up quickly so less motivation to work for treats). Here are some tips to keeping your Chi away from your cat's food: -Feed your cat on a higher surface that your dog can't reach (like on top of a dresser or high table). -Separate kitty's feeding area with a gate/bulky item that your dog can't jump over. Now, as to her training and motivation on treats, here are a few ideas that come to mind: -You can try to use her additional foods for training. For example, if she eagerly eats her canned food, you can spread some on a cookie sheet and bake it at 200 degrees (expect it to stink to high heaven) until it is dry enough to chop up for use as treats and see if she enjoys that or you can grind some of her kibble and mix it with her canned food and make teeny tiny meatballs. If you cook her meals, you can use some of that too for training especially if there is some meat in it you can cut into small pieces. This is a win-win so that you aren't adding any extra calories since you're using up things she would normally eat. -You can rotate treats to keep her interest alive. Many dogs who grow tired of treats fast do best with this approach so they never have a chance to really grow tired because different treats keep them up their toes. So if one treat can keep her interested for 4 days, then before she gets tired of that, swap with one that has her interest for 2 days, and before she gets tired of that, try with the one that gets her interested for a week, and so forth, going back and forth. -Some dogs like to have a mix of treats and that helps keeping their interest alive. So you can try mixing a variety of treats in a trail-mix fashion so she never knows what's coming next. -Some dogs may even work for their kibble if we mix kibble with some cut low-sodium hot dogs (or some other stinky treats like freeze dried tripe or liver for dogs sold in pet stores) and letting the kibble soak the flavor overnight in the fridge. -Try tossing the treats rather than hand feeding. Many dogs have kick out of chasing their food rather than having it delivered directly to their mouth. It mixes the fun of the chase with eating. -I know some picky dogs who went bonkers for those food rolls for dogs found in the refrigerated section of many pet food stores or even grocery stores. They would cut a slice and divide it in many small pieces. -You can try using her kibble for brain games such as treasure hunts, Muffin game or the bottle game or place them in a Kong Wobbler/Buster Cube. Working for the food can lead to re-newed interest (rather than it sitting boringly in a bowl) and some dogs get addicted to it to the point of enjoying being trained with it, especially when tossed! -Your dog is very small, so consider she gets full very fast. This means working with tiny pieces of treats and training when she hasn't recently eaten. Also, try training for brief sessions so she doesn't get full or tired of the food. You want to stop when she's having fun and is eager so she'll want to be trained more and more. If your dog has food allergies or a sensitive tummy, consult with your vet for the most appropriate treats. I hope this helps! Keep me posted and let me know if you have any other questions, Happy training! Adrienne