Are Dog Treats Good For Puppies?
Before we jump into which dog treats are safe for puppies, we need to know if it’s even a good idea to be using treats as rewards for puppies in the first place. The simple answer to that is yes, treats can be good for your puppy, and they’re your strongest tool for training your pup to grow into a well-behaved, well-adjusted dog—as long as you use them correctly. Time to stock up on those puppy training treats!
Best Adult Dog Treats You Can Give a Puppy
In this guide, we classify the treats in three major classes: The soft-baked dog treats, the freeze-dried ones, and the jerky dog treats. Lets dig in.
Just as the name suggests, soft-baked dog treats are soft. Theyre also pretty sweet for the dogs and easy on the puppys jaws. Since theyre soft, these treats are safe for the puppies and wont cause any harm.
These treats are filled with flavor, something that makes them very useful in behavioral training. They are also small in size and medium-soft, thus easy for the puppy to chew.
These treats are also full of flavor. The only difference is that theyre a little chewier but suitable for the pups developing jaws.
One way to determine calorie count is to consult a food database, like the one provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Data Central. Then with your dog’s calorie requirements in hand, perform some basic math. For example, say you have a 20-pound dog and you’d like to treat them to a banana. Since they require between 325 to 400 calories a day, a maximum of about 32 to 40 of these calories should originate from treats. Feeding her an entire small banana –which contains about 90 calories– is excessive.
Not every dog will take to every item on this list. Experiment with tastes and textures to find out what your dog likes. If you need extra treats that are going to fall outside of the 10% rule, you can also use your dog’s existing food as a treat if you change up the format. Consider saving a small part of their daily meals and fashioning it into smaller portions as treats. If you’re feeding fresh food, you can use an ice cube tray to make small bites, or put small scoops of food onto a baking sheet and bake to dehydrate for convenience.
If you’re wondering, “can dogs have carrots?” the answer is yes. Carrots are rich in nutrients like fiber and the antioxidant beta-carotene, which may help protect against certain diseases. One study of transitional cell carcinoma in Scottish Terriers—a urinary bladder cancer prevalent in the breed—found that certain leafy green vegetables and yellow-orange vegetables (like carrots!) may slow the development of or prevent occurrence of the disease.
Here, some tips for choosing and feeding treats, and a roundup of simple, fresh snacks that both of you will feel good about.
And keep an eye out for the foods you should never feed. Some foods, including onions, chocolate, xylitol, and macadamia nuts can be toxic to your pet. Always check with your veterinarian before making any dietary changes, ditto if your dog is exhibiting any unusual symptoms, as they can be the result of an underlying condition.
Tip Tuesday: how many treats should I give my pet?
In theory, if your dog is eating a nutritionally complete and balanced diet, they don’t need any snacks or treats—they won’t be hungry between meals and they won’t be starved of nutrients. In fact, too many “extras” outside of your dog’s meals can throw off the nutritional balance that those meals provide.
But let’s be real. Snacks are useful for training purposes, and dogs, like everyone else, take pleasure in a good snack. We can’t deny the excitement and happiness a good treat can generate, for us, and for them. Just follow a few guidelines to be sure that snacks aren’t undermining your dog’s good health.
Here, some tips for choosing and feeding treats, and a roundup of simple, fresh snacks that both of you will feel good about.