Buying Your Dogs Treats - A Guide to Dog Treats.

There is a huge variety of dogs treats to choose from; aisles and aisles of everything from bones and biscuits to rawhide bones and pigs ears in the pet shop.

Many of these dogs treats are enticing colours and shapes and many, like pigs ears, look less than appetising. So, which of these doggie treats should we be giving to our pampered pooches and how often should we be offering them?

Dog Treats should be, as the name suggests, a treat for our dogs. Dog treats should not be something that our dogs receive so often that they take them for granted.

A dog treat should generally be given when our dogs have done something to deserve it; perhaps when they have done a trick or followed an instruction, like “sit” or “down, or even if they have behaved well whilst being groomed.

A dog treat which is earned by your dog will be much more valued and appreciated by your dog.

So which treats should you feed and how much should you allow your dog?

There are some dog treats, like biscuits, that can be devoured by your dog as soon as he receives them, and dog treats that may take hours for your dog to eat, like bones and rawhide chews.

The latter type of dogs treats are useful if you have to leave your dog alone for a period of time; they should take his mind off your absense and keep him busy for some time. However, you must be careful not to leave your dog alone with treats which may splitter and get stuck in his throat. Also, if you have more than one dog, you should take care that the dogs will not fight over treats.

Smaller dog treats can also be used to occupy your dog during your absense; a treasure hunt with treats hidden behind chairs and under cushions is an excellent way to keep him busy and encourage him to use his brain in your absense.

If you are doing some training with your dog, you should choose doggie treats that your dog really loves; they should be small and quick to eat and extremely palateable to your dog. Many trainers use liver treats or even cheese, both of which dogs seem to love! It is a good idea to save your dogs favourite treats for training time; he will be more inclined to perform the behaviours that you ask for when he knows that this is the only way he will receive his most favourite dog treat!!

Some dogs are more prone to putting on weight than others, so it goes without saying that a dogs treats should be given sparingly, especially to these dogs. Think about offering smaller dog treats or breaking treats into small pieces for dogs likely to put on weight. Below yoou will find more informatin on the specific dog reats available.

Rawhide Dog Bones

Rawhide dog bones are made from Beef hide and can be a long lasting treat for your dog. Many dogs will spend hours chewing on a rawhide bone, which can be particularly beneficial for your dogs’ teeth. Rawhide dog bones come in all sizes, so should be carefully selected for your own dog – too small, they may be a choking hazard and too big, they may prove impossible to chew!

Other Rawhide Dog Treats

Rawhide dog treats come in lots of other shapes and sizes; rings, sticks even lollipops and shoes! Some of these shapes are formed out of ground pieces of rawhide, which smaller dogs may find more palatable. Some rawhide dog treats are made out of many thin layers of rawhide, which should be a longer lasting treat for your dog.

Note: Dogs should be supervised when eating treats which may break into smaller pieces and become a choking hazard.

Liver Dog Treats

Although its easy to make your own Liver dog treats, it can be messy and just a little smelly! There are a variety of Liver dog treats on the market and these can be a useful training tool; Liver seems to be particulary attractive to most dogs, who will do just about anything for a liver treat!

As with most dog treats, it is important to choose dog liver treats of a suitable size and shape for your own dog. They need to be large enough so that they do not pose a choking hazard but small enough that they can be eaten quickly so that they do not interupt your training sessions.