When it comes to feeding my dogs I fall into the category of "foodies", people focused on (or obsessed with) high quality nutrition. Our dogs do eat better than we do and I only give them what I consider the best.
What about treats?
Some people feel strongly about dogs not needing treats. I am not one of them. I use treats generously. I use them in training, behavior modification and sometimes just because. After dinner, we get a dessert and our dogs get a dessert also. They look forward to it. I think it's perfectly fine as long as they are healthy treats.
There are many great options for healthy treats for dogs.
Veggies are certainly one of them. But our guys are not very fussy on that. They'll accept veggies as part of a meal but not as a treat. Every now and then they enjoy chewing on a carrot, cabbage or cauliflower core, frozen broccoli ... but if I tried to pass that as treats I wouldn't get very far.
I admit I am yet to try cooking up some flavored veggies. I have to try that one of these days.
If your dog accepts veggies as treats, you're lucky.
Where is the bacon?
As it were, the only thing that passes as treats with my dog has to be made of meat. No, I don't give them bacon except the odd morsel every once in a blue moon. They love it. But pancreatitis is something I rather avoid. Even when Cookie did get pancreatitis it had nothing to do with fat, I prefer to play it safe. Plus there are other issues with bacon beside the fat content.
I only use lean meats for treats.
Since right now we're trying to get Cookie to lose some more weight, I opt for cooked over dehydrated. Meats I like using for treats are lean beef, lean pork, variety of organ meats ... presently I'm mostly using poultry breast and organ meats because they contain less calories per volume than beef or pork does.
Typically I slow cook it, though the guys certainly enjoy them barbecued. When I'm not counting calories, we make our own jerky from any of the listed ingredients.
I don't make cookies.
For one thing I'm not the baking type and I also prefer avoiding carbs. I baked salmon cookies only when I needed some really smelly attractive treats for Cookie's classes.
I typically make my own Kong stuffing. Sometimes I stuff the Kong with cream cheese or peanut butter. I use peanuts only peanut butter.
Cookie gets raw goat's milk but as food, not as a treat.
I give raw bones as snacks.
JD isn't into that; he'll just walk around with it, dropping it, picking it up but not eating it. Cookie, however, loves them. She gets turkey necks, chicken feet ... edible, raw bones. She loves that. I give large meaty bones as well, I suppose that in a way they qualify as treat as well though I mostly give it for their entertainment value and what they do for oral health.
There is only one type of commercial dog treats I buy.
Sometimes it's just easy and convenient not having to make the treats. The only product I buy is Benny Bullys Liver Chops. I discovered these because all of our vets are using them. They are made from a single ingredient - beef liver, freeze dried, low in calories, easy to store and easy to use.
What treats do you give your dog?
What about treats?
Some people feel strongly about dogs not needing treats. I am not one of them. I use treats generously. I use them in training, behavior modification and sometimes just because. After dinner, we get a dessert and our dogs get a dessert also. They look forward to it. I think it's perfectly fine as long as they are healthy treats.
There are many great options for healthy treats for dogs.
Veggies are certainly one of them. But our guys are not very fussy on that. They'll accept veggies as part of a meal but not as a treat. Every now and then they enjoy chewing on a carrot, cabbage or cauliflower core, frozen broccoli ... but if I tried to pass that as treats I wouldn't get very far.
I admit I am yet to try cooking up some flavored veggies. I have to try that one of these days.
If your dog accepts veggies as treats, you're lucky.
Where is the bacon?
As it were, the only thing that passes as treats with my dog has to be made of meat. No, I don't give them bacon except the odd morsel every once in a blue moon. They love it. But pancreatitis is something I rather avoid. Even when Cookie did get pancreatitis it had nothing to do with fat, I prefer to play it safe. Plus there are other issues with bacon beside the fat content.
I only use lean meats for treats.
Since right now we're trying to get Cookie to lose some more weight, I opt for cooked over dehydrated. Meats I like using for treats are lean beef, lean pork, variety of organ meats ... presently I'm mostly using poultry breast and organ meats because they contain less calories per volume than beef or pork does.
Typically I slow cook it, though the guys certainly enjoy them barbecued. When I'm not counting calories, we make our own jerky from any of the listed ingredients.
I don't make cookies.
For one thing I'm not the baking type and I also prefer avoiding carbs. I baked salmon cookies only when I needed some really smelly attractive treats for Cookie's classes.
I typically make my own Kong stuffing. Sometimes I stuff the Kong with cream cheese or peanut butter. I use peanuts only peanut butter.
Cookie gets raw goat's milk but as food, not as a treat.
I give raw bones as snacks.
JD isn't into that; he'll just walk around with it, dropping it, picking it up but not eating it. Cookie, however, loves them. She gets turkey necks, chicken feet ... edible, raw bones. She loves that. I give large meaty bones as well, I suppose that in a way they qualify as treat as well though I mostly give it for their entertainment value and what they do for oral health.
There is only one type of commercial dog treats I buy.
Sometimes it's just easy and convenient not having to make the treats. The only product I buy is Benny Bullys Liver Chops. I discovered these because all of our vets are using them. They are made from a single ingredient - beef liver, freeze dried, low in calories, easy to store and easy to use.
What treats do you give your dog?
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