High value treats for dogs

So many owners are targeted by dog food and dog treat companies. Their dazzling labels and clever graphics make their treats and food look the best option for your dog.

Clever graphics, colours and photos of their products are deliberately made based on consumer ideologies of what they would gravitate towards in a highly lit shop setting.

Just like a food restaurant adverts the food you see on TV, the bouncy fresh bun and the sizzling meat and the fresh crispy salad is not what you receive in the restaurant. Instead it's a stale bun with dried out meat, limp and browning salad and it looks like its been for a night out and got a stonking hangover.

But its too late because you've paid for it, your hungry and you don't want to wait whilst they attempt to fix it and it can never look how it does on the TV because those little wood picks they use to hold the foods in place and the glue they use for sauce and the plastic salad isn't edible.

Well, our pet food companies are no different. They too use clever gimmicks and inedible items to make their food look delicious for your beloved pet, be it a dog or a cat.

The food is carefully hidden in paper or plastic packaging but the graphics and the list of ingredients you can't pronounce are just laid out perfectly. This company hasn't got anything to hide and they have spent so much time on the packaging and it's got a reasonable price tag too. Nothing is too expensive for our beloved companions.

What people don't want is the Natures Menu bags which are see through and show you the cubes or the mince meat or even the treats. With their minimal packaging, dark colour label with minimal reasonings to buy their food and it doesn't look appealing.

But when does anything good ever look appealing? Personal Trainer shakes definitely don't look appealing and they sure don't taste like anything else you have consumed on earth but the Personal Trainer says it's good for you, the Gym has them stacked behind the counter waiting for your purchase to get the healthy body you want. But again we know that these products aren't necessarily good for us, especially compared to a homemade salad with no dressing.

However the homemade dressing with no salad is exactly what your body needs and you can add your favourite items to it meat wise and protein wise. Just like Natures Menu (except you add vegetables to Natures Menu if you get the mince).

If you've read this far and had a little chuckle, hooray we're getting there. So again the treats are made to look so delicious and when you open the plastic wrapper and look inside that silver foil encased bag they are the most miserable and dry treats you've ever seen. Kind of like a rich tea biscuit, great for nausea but not much else. And these treats like Rich Tea biscuits are not only empty calories but also filled with additives.

So what treats are best, human food. That's right our food, our chicken, our cheese, our ham, our sausages, our beef, our apples, bananas, blueberries, carrots, kale and so much more.

And yes there are dogs out there that think Kale is amazing!

So here is a list of treats to look out for, for your dog. Less GI problems, less hyperactivity, less Reactivity, aids in weight loss and weight maintenance and gives your dog the correct nutrients that they need whilst also having a workable relationship with your dog. Especially for the dogs who cannot look away from another dog or something scary for a miserable pedigree biscuit.

So here you go with an extensive but not exhaustive list of new treats to try. Your dog will thank you for it!

Ultimate Guide to Dog Training Treats

High value treats are always the way forward with Training these include and this isn't an exhaustive list for all countries or dietary needs for example EPI

Primula (plain, ham etc no onions)
Ham
Steak
Beef
Hotdogs
Cheese
Chicken
Duck
Tripe
Sprats
Hearts
Liver
Kidneys
Liver cake
Freeze dried meats
Dehydrated treats
Jr Pate
Liver Paste

These particular treats we highly recommend for taking in walks, classes, workshops etc

Treats at Home

Raw chicken wings
Raw duck wings
Raw Trachea
Raw Beef Knuckle
Raw hearts
Raw liver
Raw Kidney
Raw fish
(if not a raw feeder in the UK and in doubt please go to www.naturesmenu.co.uk input your Dogs information and they will tell you which of their treats is suitable for your dog.

Yak Chews although be cautious of coming to the end of the chew due to swallowing
Antlers
Dried Trachea
Beef Lips
Beef slices
Mega Bully Chew
Lambs Tails
Rabbit Ears (natural worming aid)
Chicken Feet (again use with caution)
Black pudding bites (Jr or similar not human)
Venison bites
Goat strips
Ostrich twists
Kangaroo twists
Braided Ostrich
Bulls Pizzle
Carrots
Watermelon (no pip's)
Peas
Sweetcorn (not corn on the cob)
Apple (no seeds)
Cucumber
Strawberries
Blueberries
Fish skins
Buffalo chews
Duck necks dried
Lambs ears

Kongs

Room Temperature or Frozen filled with favourite treats.

Our favourite is natural plain yoghurt with hotdogs ham, Blueberries, cucumber, apple or a mix of the items listed above. Place in a freezer bag to avoid leaking and done within 4 hours.

Cow hooves can be filled like Kongs

We fill these with JR Pate

Shop Treats (that I know are nutritionally good personally)

Natures Menu
Country Hunter
True Instinct
Barking Heads
Fish 4 Dogs
Sausage bites
Liver Bites
Black Pudding Bites
Venison Bites

***Always avoid commercial treats such as Pedigree, Bakers etc, always remember the more graphics the more they spend on graphics than the food***