Treats play an important role in the life of pets. For some, this is an additional source of vitamins, for others it is a way of rewarding for exemplary behavior or a learned command, for others, such treats serve as proof of the owner’s love and affection. Since food from the master’s table is harmful to our four-legged friends, and you want to pamper your pet, modern feed manufacturers have launched the production of special delicacies. You need to select them individually, following the preferences of your dog, because the modern market offers a very wide range of sweets.
What is it and what is it for
Treats are special products for pets that are not included in the regular diet. These include all those chips, relatively soft, non-damaging bones, crackers that you see in pet store windows today, as well as fruit, cheese or dried deli meats.
A good owner will never give his dog treats between main meals. It is believed that this can disorganize the dog and provoke begging. But what are these delicacies for, then, that they are produced on an industrial scale?
The situations in which a pet should be given these goodies can be different:
- For small puppies during the period of changing milk teeth to permanent ones, they will help relieve itching in the gums and save the owner from damaged furniture and things. After all, everyone knows that four-legged babies gnaw on everything that catches their eye. For these purposes, bones, crackers or dry trimmed meat are best suited. They can also be used to solve and prevent dental problems, such as tartar deposits or cleaning teeth from plaque.
- Treats can act as a reward or praise for a correctly executed command during a workout. Puppies can be praised in this way for a learned action, such as the first visit to the toilet, on a walk to reinforce the result. At the same time, it is worth remembering that you should not constantly treat your pet so that he does not begin to take it for granted. And replace a tidbit, for example, with stroking. When choosing goodies for training, you need to pay attention to small pieces, pads or sticks.
- Very often, delicacies for dogs are produced as a vitamin and mineral complex. In this case, they will not only be a source of pleasure, but also strengthen the immune system. Such sweets are especially suitable for pets who eat natural.
A treat can also help if you need to distract the dog from a certain object. After all, one has only to show a bag with a favorite treat and all the attention of the dog will be riveted only to him. And you can also use the delicacies to give your four-legged friend the necessary medicines, which are usually difficult to take.
The benefits and harms of natural treats
When choosing treats for a pet, most breeders prefer natural or do-it-yourself treats.
Dog handlers and veterinarians adhere to the same opinion. It can be dried or dried offal, breadcrumbs, fresh fruit, brain bones, etc.
The main argument in favor of such delicacies is the absence of harmful additives, spices, salt and sugar.
Having prepared a treat with your own hands, you can be sure of the safety of the product, as well as the quality, which often suffers due to improper storage. Another plus is the ability to independently regulate not only the composition, but also the size of portions and pieces for dogs of different sizes.
Despite this, natural delicacies can also harm the dog’s body. Mainly due to the wrong choice of meat, which in no case should be fatty. Most often, dogs are given well-frozen or boiled beef and poultry to eliminate the risk of infection with helminths.
On a note! Giving natural treats is worth it only if the dog is constantly on the “natural”. If he is used to complete, industrial feed, then it is better to buy sweets in the store.
Due to the high sugar content, you should not give fresh and dried fruits too often. Cookies, biscuits, biscuits are also considered harmful, but only for obese pets. For the rest, this is just an additional source of protein and fiber.
By dog size
The selection of dog treats also depends on the breed characteristics. Larger pets such as Newfoundlands or Caucasian Shepherds need more nutritious snacks.
For the proper functioning of the body, they need much more useful substances than small Spitz. And the size of the treat should be selected appropriate.
Medium-sized dogs, such as Chow Chow, Poodle, Shar Pei, are most often prone to obesity, so it is recommended that they choose diet treats. In addition, almost all of them are owners of luxurious wool that requires care, which means that the best choice is delicacies enriched with a vitamin and mineral complex.
Small dogs like the Pomeranian , the Prague Ratter or the Chihuahua have one of their weaknesses – their teeth are not strong enough. Also, most representatives of small breeds have a very weak intestine, which also needs to be taken into account. Chewing bones or marmalade, small meat pads with a soft filling are suitable for them. You can give natural sweets pre-cut into small pieces. But it is strictly forbidden to give hard or oversized treats to small pets.
How to choose
Most often, when choosing treats for their pets, the owners are guided by an affordable price and beautiful packaging. More often they just take what they see in the advertisement. And this is fundamentally wrong. In order for the treat not to harm the dog, certain rules should be followed:
- The composition must be completely transparent, all ingredients are listed in descending order, there should be no harmful additives such as propylene glycol, E-320 or ethoxyquin.
- When choosing a natural treat, you should not regale the dog with food from the master’s table. Salty, spicy and smoked foods should be especially avoided. These products will only bring harm to the digestive system and the body as a whole.
- It is necessary to give treats strictly according to the manufacturer’s recommendations in accordance with the age and breed characteristics of the dog. Usually this information is indicated on the packaging. Therefore, you should not buy treats for puppies for a large dog, and huge lamb bones for a weak pet.
- Be sure to take into account the food preferences of the dog. It happens that they go crazy from the sickening smell that most natural delicacies emit or prefer tasty treats with a questionable composition. And since these treats cause a storm of delight in the pet, they are worth buying.
The cost of the product should be the last thing to pay attention to. It is not always possible to buy an expensive and truly high-quality delicacy, but there are no barriers for a loving owner if his goal is to pamper his pet.
Storage rules
Usually, the manufacturer indicates all storage recommendations on the packaging, but not everyone reads them. This leads to the fact that treats begin to deteriorate much faster, can harm the health of the pet, and if they are thrown away, then significant damage to the owner’s wallet. To avoid such situations, you should follow simple rules:
- store dry treats tightly closed at room temperature, wet treats in the refrigerator for no more than 12-24 hours from the moment the package is opened;
- if the package does not have a zip fastener, the sweets should be transferred to a more reliable container with a lid (a jar or a box).
For your information! Perishable treats are best bought in individual packaging designed for one feeding.
Conclusion
Dog handlers and veterinarians do not advise giving pets the same type of treats all the time. Monotony can quickly get bored and the dog will begin to act up. It is better to choose a few especially favorite delicacies and alternate them.
Treats that are used in training should not be given outside of them. Otherwise, they will become mundane and stop motivating the pet.
It is advisable not to abuse treats at all during training, gradually changing it to other methods of encouragement: praise or affectionate stroking.
Natural treats, such as fruits, cheeses, bones, are not good for all pets. If the dog eats industrial feed, then you need to buy treats in the store. This will help avoid digestive problems, since the stomach of such a dog is not able to fully perceive natural food.
And only one thing all experts agree on – first of all, a pet needs to be loved and taken care of. And this is not only goodies, but also walks, joint games and strong friendship.