what treats are healthy for my puppy??

Question

my puppy started training classes and so far he only listen when he knows he is getting a treat... so i have been though two 7oz bags in 4 days!!! i have started to cut the treats in half and in thirds when i give it to my pup, because i noticed they have too many preservatives including anti-freeze one.

so if you know of any healthy treats please let me know... THANKS!!!

Answer 1

I know the feeling. Good quality training treats are very expensive. If you go cheap, you're giving your dog a lot of unhealthy junk.

Commercial treats I love include
Zukes
Buddy Biscuits (they have soft ones now too that I break while training)
Freeze dried liver treats (they are very expensive, but yummy to the dog)

You can also use bits of fruits and veggies

I make jerky for my dogs a lot. Take a cheap steak from the grocery store, slice it thin. Cook it in the oven at 175 degrees for 3 to 6 hours. I then take scissors and cut them up more into bits.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

This is a tough one. While the all natural ones can usually be the best treats to get, they can also be the most expensive ones too.

There are training treats available at most pet stores. They're small enough that you can give them as a treat when they do what you tell them to, but not so big that you'll go through the whole container in one day. There's a lot in one container so it should last several days!

Also, you can ask your instructor what other rewards you can give your puppy. Too many treats are just as bad for the pup as giving treats that aren't good for him or her. Plus, you don't want your pup to start thinking that they'll get treats each and every time they do something. That will lead to a bigger problem as they get older (my 8 year old dachshund runs to our kitchen each time she comes in the house from going outside, regardless of whether or not she potties).

One treat you really want to stay away from though, is greenies. I've seen news reports that they break apart and get stuck in pets' digestive systems, and expand, thus killing your pet. I refuse to let my dog go near them.

Answer 3

You're smart for ditching the rawhide. Not only is it hard to digest, but if she swallows splinters, it can actually damage her little stomach. For sensitive systems, lamb & rice formulas are a good idea. Milkbone makes a good, healthy dog treat, and they even come in puppy sizes. They sell "long-lasting" treat bones nowadays, but I've found that they just get messy, and don't last all that long. If they're determined, it's gone in a few hours. I keep my little ones occupied by breaking up milkbones and cramming them in a Kong toy (a hollow, tough rubber toy). BUT since you want more than a day treats, i HIGHLY reccommend Nylabones or Gumabones (the latter is softer). They come in several flavors, many sizes, and are 100% digestible. Hope that's helpful!

Answer 4

One thing you can do is use some of your puppy's regular kibble as a treat during training. This works for my dog when we are doing a lot of training.

When we took a class he was more distractable so I gave him liver treats that I broke into smaller pieces.

Buddy Biscuits are another good option. They are all natural and very small so you don't need to break them into smaller pieces.

I just bought Nature's Recipe Training Treats this past weekend at PetSmart. They are soft and chewy and, like Buddy Biscuits, they are really small so I don't need to break them up.

Whatever you use, be sure to adjust how much you are feeding your dog so that he is not being overfed. I have a small dog and it seems like he always needs to lose two pounds.

Answer 5

Stick with treats that are natural and/or organic. I would suggest you rotate the treats , so, your doggy doesn't get tired of them. This is your opportunity to include veggies and fruits in his diet, since he's a pup. If you don't do it now, it'll be hard to include them when he's older. He'll probably refuse to eat them. I'm proud of my pup. He eats cauliflower, carrots, peas, green beans, celery, melon, apples, etc. He's growing up strong and healthy. Just don't feed your dog grapes and raisins. It's really bad for them.

Answer 6

I had the same problem with my dog when I first got him. I got him training treats from Petco because they are smaller. Because I was worried about him gaining weight (he was 2 when I got him from the shelter) I also started replacing treats with his favorite toy. He learned quickly that if he listens to me I will play with him, now he does his tricks just because he likes to.

Another suggestion is to keep the treats on you but only reward your puppy after the pup does a series of commands.
Like tell it to sit and stay, then only give the treat if the pup listens to both commands.

Answer 7

I would recommend only natural or organic doggy treats. They don't contain the stuff that caused the recalls. You can find these at any pet store, or look them up speicfically on a search engine. You can also look to see if your town has an organic or natural pet products store.

Answer 8

well i also have a puppy (teacup maltese)
and i also wondered what kinds of food i can give as treats.

so i turned on my computer and researched as best as i can

here is what i came up with:

fruits and vegetables are great for dogs like it is great for us.
just don't feed them spicy ones. .
dont feed them onions, nuts, garlic and mushrooms.
but you can feed them strawberrys, watermelon, apples, pears, carrots, cantoloupe, cucmbers, etc.

if there is another food that you're not sure to feed your dog, just go to www.ask.com and type in "Can I feed my dog (insert food here)?"

Answer 9

They have training treats at Petsmart that are small pieces that you feed after a trick.

Answer 10

I feed my dog only raw meat...so treats are chicken gizzards...