Ana Weaver
Want to treat your dog but lack ideas of healthy snacks? In this article, we’re going to suggest ideas for nutritious and healthy treats for your pet. Keep reading if you want to know about cheap and natural dog treats.
Why is it important to treat your dog?
Dogs are ready to go even to the ends of the world for a cherished delicious treat. Treats are a great reward for them. Treats are used in the following cases:
● encouraging good behavior;
● during training;
● after visiting the veterinarian as a consolation;
● in case you need to take medicine.
When you receive a treat, your pet remembers that when performing a certain action, it will receive a reward for it. When you train your pet, it is very important to give clear voice commands, performing which, a dog receives a well-deserved reward in the form of a delicious treat.
Usually, delicacies are divided into two groups – homemade and industrial-made. In this article, we’ll talk about natural, homemade treats that you can easily make or purchase to delight your pet. Let’s talk about foods that benefit the dog’s health, not harm.
The best dog’s treats
Like humans, pets can have their taste preferences. And the best treatment for them is the one they love the most. However, note that such a treat should be healthy. According to Australian made and owned brand Vetalogica some of the best homemade delicacies include low-fat dried cheese, sliced fruits and vegetables, croutons, and dried meat. You can also pre-boil and serve in a small form in the heart or chicken stomach.
Sometimes you may not have time to prepare snacks, so you can simply cut fruits (apples, pears, bananas) into slices, take pieces of low-fat cheese or dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes).
Treats you should avoid
Of course, your pet may like some forbidden treats. Not all foods can be given to dogs. Products from this list are prohibited.
● sweets, especially chocolate;
● fatty cheeses;
● sausages and smoked meats;
● grapes and raisins.
● animal bones: their fragments can get stuck between the teeth, in the throat, esophagus, damage the walls of the stomach and intestines;
Crackers and non-kits are also considered quite unhealthy for the animal. It is allowed occasionally and as an exception to give 1-2 cookies, but no more.
There is also one more rule that every dog owner should know about. Salt and other seasonings in the form of herbs or pepper should not be added to the treats.
Easy recipes: how to make a snack at home?
Treats for dogs can be made quite easily at home with your own hands. You can save a lot of money to buy treats from the pet food department. In addition, when preparing treats for your pet yourself, you will know that it is made only from natural ingredients. You can use the following treat ideas and make your own at home.
Dried meat
You can take any kind of meat or offal, after keeping it in the freezer for 3 days. After that, it is cut into strips or small pieces. You can use both raw and boiled meat. The chopped treat is placed in the oven and dried. The first 20 – 30 minutes are baked at 180 ° C, then the temperature is reduced to 70 – 100 ° C.
Meat-based biscuits
From any minced meat or offal, take 100g and mix it with an egg. Next, flour is introduced to make a creamy dough. After that, the balls are rolled, you can use the cutting forms. Finished balls are baked for 30 minutes at 180 ° C.
Crackers
For this snack, we will need diced whole grain bread. Next, the pieces of bread are dried in the oven so that the crust is hard on top and soft inside. You can season the dish with olive oil.
Curd snacks
100 g of cottage cheese is mixed with softened butter and yolk. They make balls with their hands. Next, sprinkle them with oatmeal crushed into crumbs. The finished balls are baked in the oven for half an hour.
Pumpkin croutons
Cut the pumpkin into small cubes. After that, it is thrown into boiling water for about 10 minutes. Take out and dry in the oven or microwave.
What is the correct way to give treats?
Often the owners simply treat the dog with a treat to please the pet. However, it is best to reward your pet with treats during training.
Here are some tips to help you train your dog quickly:
● treats should be without seasonings – salt is not useful for animals and will cause thirst;
● hard crunchy snacks are ideal for training;
● the ideal size of the snack is “one tooth” so that the dog can quickly swallow it and not be distracted by chewing;
● A treat is given with an open palm or slightly raising the hand above the dog’s head, or placed directly in the mouth if you need to keep the dog in a static position – standing, lying, sitting.
Treats should be simple to prepare and simple to use. If you take them for a walk, they shouldn’t crumble or leave greasy marks on your hands or clothes. Stock up on special canvas bags or carry snacks in a belt bag for easy access to snacks.
The bottom line
Dog treats are a great way to feed and reward your dog during training. We recommend that you feed your pet natural snacks as they are rich in nutrients and have a positive effect on your pet’s health. When buying treats in stores, buy only well-known brands that you 100% trust. Making homemade natural snacks takes very little time and you use foods that you consume.