The Best Healthy Dog Treats

A dog treat should be just that – something special which you give as a reward. Healthy treats for dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors but not all are nutritionally equal, with some snacks being better than others.

Giving dog treats is more than an expression of love for our dog; it can be a critical component in dog training and rewarding good dog behavior. One of the reasons treats work so well in training, is because a dog’s sense of smell is so unbelievable. Dogs can smell a treat from over 20 yards away and can get a pretty good idea of the main ingredients.

When to give dog treats?

In between meals is the ideal time to give treats. Choose a treat that your dog will enjoy. As a rule, of thumb, I save the best, most delectable treats for last, to re-engage a dog if she begins to lose interest in the training session. If you are using treats as a training tool, your treat won’t work as well right after your dog has had a full meal. Make sure your treat giving occurs in between meals and not immediately before or after a meal.

About ingredients!

When choosing a dog treat, make sure it’s something your dog will like and something that’s appropriate to give a dog. When buying treats for dogs, it’s good to follow the same rules you’d use when shopping for your family. Look at the ingredients list. If the ingredients include things you don’t recognize it might not be the best treat for your dog. Also, keep in mind your dog has a different palate than a human. You might not serve beef trachea at your next dinner party, but for your dog, it’s like filet mignon. Junior loves liver bites and Coco would do almost anything for beef tendons. Keep in mind, too, those human treats are not necessarily good for dogs.

How can you tell if a treat is healthy?

Your biggest tool for finding the best healthy dog treats is to read the packaging. If you want a meaty treat, make sure meatheads the list of ingredients. Next, look for the calorie count of each treat. Manufacturers of healthy treats want you to know just how good their product is, and most are happy to advertise the calories per treat. This is important because it’s easy to overlook that that those calories add up over the course of a day, so even if the treatment is healthy if you give too many it becomes unhealthy. Another sign of quality is if a governing body such as the FDA or VOHC approves the treat –the latter is especially important if the makes specific claims about aiding dental healthy.

Hier is the list of the best healthy dog treats available:

1. FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Just like us, dogs need the vitamins and fiber contained in fresh fruit and veg. Most dogs love crunching down on baby carrots or chewing through green beans. There are no holds barred when it comes to vegetables, and any fruit is fine with the exception of grapes, raisins or sultanas which are toxic to dogs.

2. BISCUIT TREATS

For some dogs, there’s nothing quite like the satisfying crunch of chewing a biscuit. Dog biscuits have been around for centuries, but just because dog biscuits were one of the first commercial dog treats to be made, doesn’t mean they should be overlooked. Biscuits have the convenience of coming in different sizes, from a big biscuit for a hearty crunch to smaller kibble sized treat so you can choose what best suits your dog. These treats are generally dry and non-greasy and so they won’t make a mess of a training pouch.

3. VOHC APPROVED DENTAL CHEWS

The Veterinary Oral Health Council takes seriously the claims made by the manufacturers of some treats about improving oral health. Indeed, to stop the consumer being misled and to help them find the best healthy dog treat for teeth, they subject many products to rigorous testing. Only those products proven to have a beneficial effect at wiping away plaque and abrading tartar are given the VOHC seal of approval.