Treats and Treats for Dogs

What are treats for?

Most often, dog treats are used in the following cases:

• As a reward for training, training or good behavior. There are several options for rewarding your pet. Conventionally, they can be divided into three types: food, play and direct contact with the animal. To choose the right type of reward, you need to find out which type is most suitable for your pet. Almost all dogs are food eaters. That is, in exchange for food, they will happily do whatever the owner says. Therefore, rewarding with a treat is perhaps the most win-win. The main thing is to choose the right treat for which your little one will be ready to do the impossible. And one more important point - the treat must match the situation. That is, during training some treats are used, and for other cases completely different ones. We'll talk about this further.
• Treats can be used not only as a reward for a dog during training, but also as a way to give medications to a tailed, unwanted dog.
• Treats are also good when you need to keep your pet occupied or distracted from something for a while (for example, while you are away).
• In addition, various chewing toys work well as a tooth scratcher when the puppy’s teeth change and he constantly needs to chew on something.
• Well, the last option on the list, but far from the least in terms of its useful qualities, is a treat as a means of preventing the appearance of tartar in dogs.

Types of treats and treats for dogs

Dog treats can be divided into two main groups: homemade and store-bought. Homemade delicacies are prepared independently from natural products - fruits, vegetables, meat, offal, cheese, etc.

Store-bought treats are made from different ingredients, so when choosing such a product, the owner needs to pay special attention to the composition of the incoming components. Since not all manufacturers are conscientious, some types of ready-made treats contain propylene glycol, propyl gallate, BHA, ethoxyvin and other dangerous substances for the animal body. Do not buy products containing the listed components!

The assortment of store-bought treats is very large: snacks, sausages, crackers, jerky, tablet treats for training, etc. Manufacturers produce special products for puppies and adults. Treats come in different sizes, colors, shapes - in the form of bones, balls, toy figures, etc.

Dog treats can also be divided into four categories:

1. Traditional, used as a reward for good behavior or following commands.
2. Preventive treats aimed at maintaining excellent health, as well as used to remove tartar or when changing teeth. 3. Specialized, designed for dogs prone to allergies. 4. Grain-free – used to encourage dogs with sensitive digestive systems. Whatever treat the owner chooses to give to the dog, it is very important that it is of high quality and healthy for the pet.

For training, motivation and encouragement

Various types of store-bought and homemade treats are suitable for motivating, rewarding and training dogs.

For training, it is better to choose tableted or dried treats in small pieces. There are no restrictions for promotion at home.

Types of training treats:

• snacks; • dog biscuits; • pieces of dried meat; • drops; • hard cheese; • chicken fillet, cut into cubes; • crackers, etc.

For oral and dental care

Certain types of dog treats will also be beneficial for oral and dental care. Solid types of treats will relieve the puppy from the unpleasant sensations when changing baby teeth, and adults from tartar.

Types of treats:

• chewing sticks, bones; • pieces of raw fruits and vegetables; • gelatinous bones; • dry biscuits; • large articular bones; • bread crackers, etc.

Therapeutic supplements

To feed the dog, special types of treats are used that contain vitamin and mineral complexes. They are dietary products, have a reduced calorie content, and do not contain harmful components. Such treats are used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes according to the instructions or prescriptions of the veterinarian. You can purchase them at pet stores and veterinary pharmacies.

How to properly give treats to your dog

If you just want to keep your pet busy with a treat, then there are no specific recommendations on how to offer this treat. But if you are engaged in training and education, here are some points that must be taken into account:

• The animal should receive treats only as a reward. You should not give this delicious food as a regular meal or for no reason. This only enhances the effect: anticipation, joy, trying to follow the command and get the most delicious treat in the world.
• Offer rewards directly during the execution of the command, but not later. For example, you commanded “Sit” and the pet sat down. If, after executing a command, you offer a treat and he jumps up for it, the command is devalued. A delicacy is no longer regarded as encouragement, but as begging.
• If you still have a small puppy who is just making his first progress, be it the “Fu” command or a successful “visit to the street toilet,” be sure to reward your pet with a treat for each such achievement, for each correctly executed command. In the future, when the four-legged dog learns to do everything correctly, it is not necessary to reward it with a treat every time. You can use other methods of encouragement: praise, stroking, play.

Criteria for choosing dog treats

Many owners prefer to buy ready-made dog treats. Modern manufacturers offer a huge range of treats for pets, actively promoting their products as the best. But buying a product, trusting only a beautiful picture on the package or a favorable price, is unacceptable. Choosing a treat for your beloved pet should be done responsibly, paying attention to important nuances.

Primary requirements

Let's talk about the basic requirements for choosing dog treats.

How to choose treats:

1. The first thing to consider when choosing a treat is your dog's preference. Many pet products have an unpleasant odor for humans, but this does not mean that the dog will not like them or have a harmful composition. 2. We also recommend that you take a closer look at which product causes the greatest joy in your dog - meat, vegetables, cheese or something else. If you buy a treat for training, it must be motivational, which means you should buy the product that an obedient dog wants most. 3. Treats should not be harmful to the dog’s body. Try to treat her with tasty and healthy foods. You should not reward your dog with unhealthy food - fatty, smoked or fried, even if it causes a strong appetite and delight in your pet. 4. When buying treats in stores, be sure to read the ingredients of the product! 5. Quality dog ​​treats don't come cheap. This product is issued as a “premium” and in small quantities, so instead of several packs of cheap treats, it is better to buy one more expensive, but guaranteed to be beneficial for the animal. 6. If your dog has chronic diseases, be sure to consult with your veterinarian about choosing a treat to make it as safe as possible for the animal. 7. Pay attention to the expiration date of the purchased product.

Treats for training

Pieces of treats should be small in size, since this is still not food, but a reward. In addition, during training, the dog should quickly swallow the treat and not fiddle with it.

The treat should be moderately dried so as not to get your hands and clothes too dirty.

If we take the total daily diet as a percentage, then the amount of treats should not exceed 5-10% of the total diet. Why? Yes, here’s why: so that when training a dog, he will happily work for a tasty treat, it is advisable to make it from meat, liver or any other natural product. And this is quite filling and high in calories.

Pieces of dried or oven-dried meat or offal are ideal for training. As a rule, for Jackusik I cook pieces of liver, lung or turkey. I will tell you how to do this further.

What kind of treat can you offer your pet?

There are two types of treats for dogs: homemade and store-bought. Let's look at each one.

Shop treats

Of course, from time to time I buy Jackusika treats at the store. You don’t always have time to cook some tasty treat, but you still want to pamper your “rodent”.

The range of treats and treats for dogs offered in stores is very diverse: toothpick treats, training snacks, cookies, sausages, jerky and dried meat, tails, hooves, ears, dried tripe, pieces of lung... You just fall into a stupor: what could you buy?!

All bags are bright and beautiful, with appetite-tempting pictures depicting fresh grains, vegetables and meat with a golden brown crust.

But don’t rush to grab the first package you like off the shelf and run to the checkout. After all, as they say, they greet you only by their clothes, but they see you off... But we won’t think about how they see you off... I’ll try to at least tell you a little about what exactly I pay attention to when choosing a purchased treat, so as not to harm my beloved little tail.

The most important thing to pay attention to is where the treat was produced. If this is China, you should know that in China there are no regulations, standards or technologies for the production of animal products. Products for four-legged animals are produced without any control and their use is initially considered potentially risky.

As for Russian manufacturers, everything here is extremely simple. Yes, there are norms, yes, there is control. But, unfortunately, our reality is such that we have to rely on the integrity of the manufacturer. Everything will depend on the specific batch of goods: hope that the raw materials will be of high quality, and the preparation technologies are strictly observed. Unfortunately, this is also a kind of roulette.

I usually carefully study the composition of the contents of the bags. All main components are listed in descending order. The first - the content of which is the maximum.

Be sure to read everything to the end. If the delicacy contains flavor enhancers, artificial colors and preservatives, then it is better not to take such treats.

As for manufacturers, several brands are currently leading the market: Titbit, Village Delicacies, Triol, Biff, Pedigree.

Unfortunately, lately the reviews about these branded treats have not been positive at all. Something from the category of “pampered with a treat, but barely pumped out.” Communities are even created on social networks where dog breeders share “horror stories” of the consequences of eating store-bought treats. The most common consequences are disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, vomiting and long-term treatment. And if you look carefully at the back side of beautiful packaging, you will see that many “brands” are simply silent about the composition of the products, and this is the first indicator of a low-quality product. On some, it is directly written: “Manufactured in China.”

When choosing purchased treats and treats for your dog, be sure to study the composition of the product and pay attention to where the product was produced!

Of course, not a single manufacturer of snacks and treats for dogs has the goal of killing the animal. But, unfortunately, there are many cases of poisoning and even death after eating such treats.

When buying a ready-made treat for your beloved pet, you are taking a kind of risk. There can be a 100% guarantee only if you yourself prepare a tasty morsel for your favorite shilopopik.

Homemade dog treats

I want to tell you what you can offer your beloved pet as a natural homemade treat and what goodies I pamper my Jackusie with.

The simplest thing you can pamper your pet with is pieces of vegetables and fruits. Apple, carrot, cucumber, pear, banana. Everything your dog loves. But remember: everything is good in moderation. Excessive consumption of fruit treats can lead to diabetes in dogs.

Many people, especially novice dog breeders, often ask: “Is it possible to give a dog bones as a treat?” It is possible, but not all. Read about which bones can be given to dogs and which are strictly contraindicated.

As for our “bone dishes”, specifically from bones, from time to time, we give Jack these raw lamb or beef thighs or legs.

I prefer to give lamb ones as they are much smaller in size. Our dog is still small, and the huge leg of beef is too big for him. If you have a large breed dog, then it will deal with such a leg quickly.

What you need to consider if you give your pet these bones:

• Firstly, they must be hard enough.
• Under no circumstances should the bones be chopped. The bone must be intact. This is necessary so that the animal cannot bite off and swallow a piece or splinter of bone.
• It is best to give the bone raw, after freezing it for 2-3 days. Why raw? Yes, because when boiled, this delicacy can cause intestinal obstruction.

Beef marrow bones will be an excellent delicacy. Their structure is quite hard, so even the most toothy dog ​​is unlikely to be able to chew them. But even the most gastronomically fastidious dog will not refuse to feast on the tasty contents (the brain).

The most important thing you need to pay attention to when buying such brain bones is the evenness of the cut, so that there are no nicks or splinters, so that the dog does not injure its mouth and tongue. I buy these bones in supermarkets. They are delivered there from factories where cutting is done industrially - smoothly, without any notches. Jack is happy to deal with such a tasty treat.

If your pet does not know how to gnaw and gnaw bones, and you are still afraid to give them, you can safely treat him to beef throat (trachea). The trachea consists of hard cartilage. In addition to being an excellent chew, it is also an irreplaceable source of gelatin, which is good for bones and joints. Even if your dog swallows a piece of this delicacy, nothing bad will happen.

Deer antlers can be an excellent alternative to bones. This is a tasty, healthy and, most importantly, safe solid treat for dogs.

If you love to cook, you can make your own delicious treats. By preparing a treat for your pet yourself, you can be 100% sure that it will not only be tasty, but also not harmful to health.

There are many recipes for homemade treats that you can use to simply pamper your favorite barbosie, and which can be prepared as a reward for training.

DIY dog treats - 10 recipes

Modern stores have a lot of different options for pet treats. But I prefer to make treats for my animals myself. Because I know exactly what the treat consists of, I can add and change ingredients according to taste preference or need. And most often, making treats is quite simple, it doesn’t take much time and you get a lot of pleasure from making something nice for your pet yourself! Plus, homemade treats will cost you much less than store-bought ones. Our recipes will help you! Enjoy watching! Spinach, carrot and zucchini treat from Chungah, author of Damn Delicious

Ingredients:
- 1 cup pumpkin puree: You can use ready-made.
Or you can prepare raw pumpkin puree yourself: cut the pumpkin into pieces, place it in a thick-walled saucepan, cover with a lid and place on low heat, stir from time to time, simmer until soft, and blend into a puree. - 1/4 cup peanut butter, can be replaced with any vegetable oil; - 2 eggs; - 0.5 cups of oatmeal; - 3 cups whole grain wheat flour; - 1 medium carrot; - 1 medium zucchini; - 1 cup spinach (you can use any other greens). Preparation:
Grate carrots and zucchini, finely chop the greens. Mix pumpkin puree, eggs and butter in a blender, add oatmeal and gradually flour. Mix with carrots, zucchini and herbs. Mix the dough. It should be moderately thick and not stick to your hands.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Line a baking tray with baking paper and place dog treats on it.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and place our goodies there for 20-25 minutes.

A very simple baby food treat

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by Capri Kimball

The beauty of these cookies is not only in the ease of preparation, but also in the ingredients used - there is definitely nothing harmful for your dog, only benefits

It's very easy to prepare.
We take 1 cup of flour from anything - it can be just whole grain flour, meal, fiber or a mixture of them, ground flaxseed, sesame, oatmeal, dried seaweed, in general, choose the healthiest thing for your dog and combine it. Plus about 100 g of baby food - vegetable or meat. This is usually 1 jar. If the weight of the baby food jar you purchased is different, adjust the weight of the flour. Knead the dough, roll out, cut out or form cookies, place on a baking sheet (with parchment) and place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Delicious flaxseed cookies
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from Todd and Diana, authors of the White on Rice Couple resource and owners of cute dogs Sierra and Dante

Very tasty and very healthy!

Ingredients:
- whole grain flour - 340 g;
- wheat flour - 340 g; - 3-4 tbsp. flaxseed (the author uses whole flaxseed, but I still recommend grinding it first, it’s better absorbed); - ground wheat germ - 55 g (can be replaced with any healthy bran, fiber or meal); - 1 tsp. sea ​​salt; - 2 tbsp. l. brown sugar; - 3 eggs; — 1 glass of vegetable oil; - milk powder - 85 g; - 1 glass of water. Preparation:
Mix flour, sugar, salt, flaxseed, wheat germ, add eggs and vegetable oil. Dissolve milk powder in water and add to the mixture. Knead the dough, it should be smooth and elastic, adjust by adding flour or water. Leave the dough for 15-20 minutes. Roll out the dough on a horizontal surface, cut out into cookie shapes, place on parchment and place in an oven preheated to 190 degrees for 40 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight glass container for no more than a month.

Hypoallergenic chicken biscuits
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by Jason Moeller

Suitable for dogs with sensitive digestion and allergies.

Ingredients:
1.25 cups rice flour 3 tbsp. vegetable oil 0.5 tsp. sea ​​salt 1/3 cup chicken broth

Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, adjust the consistency with flour or water, the dough should be smooth and elastic. Roll out on a floured surface, cut out into shapes, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 160-170 degrees and bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes. Store in an airtight container for no more than a month.

Delicious jelly
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from Dali, author of the Dalmatian DIY resource

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken broth (or any meat);
3 tablespoons powdered gelatin. Preparation:
Pour cold broth into a small saucepan, gradually add gelatin into it, leave for 5-10 minutes for swelling. Next, cook the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously, until the gelatin is completely dissolved. We do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat and pour into ice or candy molds. You can pour it into any other container and then cut it into pieces. Place the mold in the refrigerator until completely frozen. Transfer the jellies into a glass container and store in the refrigerator.

Dried chicken pieces from a resource dedicated to homemade treats for dogs and cats - Homemade Dog Treats

Ingredients:
- 1-2 chicken breasts;
- parsley or dill; - olive oil. Preparation:
To make it easier to cut the fillets, place them briefly in the freezer until they are firm (but not frozen). Cut the fillet into thin strips, place them in a bowl with olive oil and finely chopped herbs, mix. Place the strips on a baking sheet with parchment and place in an oven preheated to 85-90 degrees for 5-6 hours. Store in an airtight container for no more than 3 weeks.

Strawberry Dog Treats from Homemade Dog Treats

Ingredients:
- 0.5 cups strawberries cut into pieces;
- 1 banana; - 1 cup whole grain flour; - 1/4 cup oatmeal; - 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt. Preparation:

Using a fork, mash the banana and strawberries until pureed.
Combine flour with oatmeal and yogurt, mix, add fruit mixture. Roll out the dough, cut out shapes, place on a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 15-17 minutes. Store in an airtight container for no more than 3 weeks. Delicious treats for watermelon lovers These are delicacies for the hot season.
Author: Amy Tokic. It is very simple to prepare - 2 cups of seedless watermelon pulp are whipped in a blender with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 cup of plant milk (the author uses coconut milk) or water. Pour into ice trays and place in the freezer.

Frosty Apple and Yogurt Treats Posted by Amy (irresistiblepets.net)
The base is yogurt, the berries can be changed, you can also add honey, nuts, seeds, etc.

Ingredients:

- 2 apples;
— 1 glass of low-fat yogurt without fillers; - water (if necessary). Preparation:
Cut the apples into pieces, after removing the core and seeds. Add yogurt to the apples and beat with a blender. Add water if necessary.

Pour the mixture into an ice tray and place in the freezer.

It is advisable to feed your dog only one cube at a time. Perfectly refreshing during the hot season.

Fresh Breath Treat
By Alicia, Holistic Pet Wellness
This is more than just a treat. The coconut oil and parsley it contains are an excellent remedy for eliminating unpleasant odors from dogs' mouths; in addition, they have an excellent effect on the quality of coat and skin, and improve digestion.

Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups coconut oil;
- 0.5 cups finely chopped parsley. If desired, you can add mint leaves and turmeric. Preparation:
Bring the coconut oil in a water bath until soft, so that you can stir it with the parsley. Add the greens, place in ice trays, or you can simply roll the mixture into balls. To enhance the antimicrobial effect, you can subsequently roll the treats in turmeric powder. We transfer the resulting treats to the refrigerator until they completely harden, then transfer them to a storage container and store them in the refrigerator. We give the dog one piece per day.

I wish your pets health!
Source
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Restrictions on treats

Of course, any dog ​​breeder uses trial and error to select a treat that is not only tasty, but also healthy.

We've already looked at treats that may be helpful. Now let's talk about those treats and treats for dogs that should be given in limited quantities or completely eliminated.

Treats that should not be given

When it comes to store-bought treats, I wouldn't recommend buying dried beef intestines. The fact is that we can only guess how the intestines are processed in production and whether they are processed at all. There are suggestions that it is the uncleaned intestines that are used in the production of tasty treats. And this is a breeding ground for various bacteria. According to reviews from owners of four-legged dogs, after consuming just such dried intestinal treats, cases of indigestion and even hepatitis in dogs become more frequent.

The next treat that many veterinarians place a “taboo” on is rawhide and ear treats. All pet owners have more than once looked at the dazzling white bones, twisted at the edges into a beautiful knot..., at the little white ears and treats in the form of braids, slippers or balls.

All these delicacies are made of rawhide (hides). To make it white, the skin is treated with various reagents, including formaldehyde, which is very dangerous. Also, if you notice, almost all of the bleached goodies are made in China.

As for the so-called homemade treats, it is strictly forbidden to give your dog “goodies” from your table. Sausages, sausages, smoked meats, fatty and sweet foods can at least cause an upset stomach, and with constant consumption, pancreatitis, allergies, diabetes and other serious diseases.

It should be remembered that not all bones are suitable as treats.

Treats to be given in limited quantities

But you need to be more careful with these goodies:

• Cheeses. Almost all dogs love cheese. Our Jack, as they say, is “ready to sell his soul” for a piece of this tasty salty treat. One of the main positive qualities of cheese is that it does not crumble. This delicacy can be prepared in a matter of seconds. Among the disadvantages: in large quantities, cheese causes gastrointestinal upset, after which the dog becomes thirsty, and sometimes allergies can occur. If you want to pamper your pet with cheese, choose low-fat varieties. Offer cheese infrequently and in minimal quantities.
• Chicken and chicken by-products. This is a good option as a treat, but only if your pet is not allergic to this type of bird. Chicken and offal are not very suitable for training, since offal is still a heavy food, and chicken fillet crumbles a lot.

Rating of the best treats for dogs

To make it easier for an inexperienced owner to choose the first treat for their dog, we suggest studying the rating of the best treats, compiled based on reviews from experienced breeders and pet owners.

Top 5:

1. PEDIGREE Markies - meat cookies.
Low cost, does not cause adverse reactions, can be taken for walks and used for training. 2. “Village Treats” – rabbit ears. Natural composition, do not cause allergic reactions, improve dental health. 3. Titbit Fitness muesli - contains only natural ingredients, has a therapeutic and prophylactic effect, affordable price, large selection of flavors. 4. Happy Dog – chewy sausages. High-quality composition, good for dental health, affordable price of the product. 5. Bosch Biscuit lamb and rice - well absorbed by the body, healthy composition, hypoallergenic, high quality product. You should not buy the same treat for your dog. Animals, like people, love variety in their diet.

If you don’t have store-bought treats on hand, you can pamper your beloved dog with delicious homemade treats made from high-quality and healthy ingredients.

Encourage your pet for obedience and good behavior, using not only treats as a reward, but also regular praise and care, and then your dog will become the most loyal and best friend!