How to choose the right dog treats

There are so many different treats on the market that it’s hard to pick one. How can you choose the best one for your dog?

Treats are a good reward and effective motivation for dogs alongside praise, petting or favorite games. However, we have to choose well and not give them treats at any time, otherwise we will do more harm than good. So how can we choose from this enormous amount of treats?

We should choose the right treats according to the occasion we want to use them on, as well as the dog itself. For example, soft treats are more suitable for puppies, senior dogs or small breeds than hard treats. Bite-sized treats are best for training, and chews that last them a while are great to keep them busy at home.

When choosing treats for training, you should pay attention to their nutritional value. After all, they get quite a few of them in a day, and if you were to use sponge biscuits as a reward your dog would quickly gain weight. It's therefore best to choose low calorie treats. However, they should also be easily digestible so as not to burden their body. Small semi-soft treats made of meat and rice are well suited for this purpose. They may even make up 20% of their daily food ration.

Today you can also find functional treats on the market, which will not only reward your dog, but also support his health. They usually focus on one problem - e.g. teeth, immune system, coat, post-sport recovery, etc. These contain vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances mixed to measure, and you choose according to the needs of your dog. They are actually food supplements in the form of a treat, a 2 in 1. :)

Dried meat is perfect for snacking at home, whether it comes in fillets or pieces. It's nutritious and healthy, and I can't think of a dog that doesn't like it. Dried organ meat is also a good option. The meat should be pure or with added starch.

Dental treats are also important; they help clean the dog's teeth and keep them healthy. They usually do this with their shape and spirulina content. From my own experience, I can say that the harder ones are the best. With the softer ones my dog took two bites and it was gone.

Whatever the treat is, it should mostly consist of meat. On the contrary, it should contain as little grains and sugar as possible, as well as artificial colors, preservatives and flavorings. It should be easy to digest and calorically balanced.

What are your dog's favorite treats? Now during the tick season, the Brit Care Dog Functional Snack Antiparasitic Salomon is very popular. 

 

Related articles

How to Take Care of a Pack of Drafting Dogs

Sometimes, one dog is not enough and it is better to have a whole pack. Especially if you breed drafting (or also pulling) dogs. Of course, the more dogs you have, the more care and issues it means, but it also means there’s much more joy for the...

Why is There a Variety of Breeds?

The modern world is not only rich in material things but also in the number of dog breeds. There are quite a lot of them, Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) recognizes 360 different breeds. And they are not only different from each other when...

How to Start with Dogdancing

You might be interested in this dog sport but you have many questions before you can decide to start with it. Will my buddy enjoy it? Do I have sufficient physical abilities? When should we start, isn’t it too soon or too late? This article and advice...

3 Ways to Keep Cat’s Teeth Healthy and Clean

A healthy mouth is a very important part of the complex vitality of a cat and we shouldn’t neglect taking care of it. There are many oral diseases our furry friends can suffer from. What can you do to keep your cat’s teeth clean?

What to Do When a Viper Bites a Dog

Snakes and scorpions are said to get out on Saint George’s Day. It has been a while since then, so it’s no surprise that we can see a lizard or a snake when on a walk somewhere or in our gardens. They already left their underground shelters designed...

Bikejöring – A Different Dog Sledding

Bikejöring doesn’t mean that a dog simply runs next to a bike. The dog pulls the bike when doing this sport, it is similar to dog sledding. A famous Slovak musher, Marcel Dučák, will tell us what equipment you need for it, what dogs it is good for,...