Understanding The Benefits of Choosing the Best Training Treats for Dogs
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Time to read 6 min
Where to start right?
Choosing the best training treats for dogs isn't just about picking up any pack off the shelf; it's about understanding and catering to your best mates nutritional needs, taste preferences, and the goals of your training sessions. Treats are more than just snacks; they're tools that can significantly enhance the training experience, strengthen your bond, and ensure your dog's health and happiness.
In this weeks blog post, we'll dive into the essentials of selecting the perfect treats for your dog. From nutritional value to size, texture, and flavour, we'll cover everything you need to know to make an informed choice. Whether you're training a sprightly puppy or an adult dog, our expert advice will help you navigate the vast world of dog treats, ensuring your training sessions are both enjoyable and effective. Join us as we explore how to choose the best training treats for dogs that will keep your dog eager, motivated, and on the path to becoming a well-behaved companion.
1. Understanding Dog Treats: The Basics.
1.1. Nutritional Value: While the primary purpose of treats is to encourage and reward positive behaviour during training sessions, their role in your dog's diet should not be underestimated. Nutritious treats can complement your dog's daily diet, providing essential vitamins, minerals, and protein that support their physical health. By choosing treats wisely, you can avoid unnecessary fillers and calories that contribute to weight gain and other health issues. Furthermore, treats with high-quality ingredients can improve coat health, boost energy levels, and support digestive health, making training a more enjoyable and beneficial experience for your furry friend. In essence, integrating nutritional consideration into your choice of training treats ensures that every reward is an investment in your dog's long-term health and happiness, reinforcing positive behaviours in the most wholesome way possible.
1.2. Treat Size Matters: It sure does. Think of how many treats pups need to understand a new command. It's a lot. Having treats that are small and soft enough for this is paramount. Also in terms of health, you don't want excess weight gain from all the extra food. Our dog is grown now but as a pup, we used to take whatever weight we would give him in daily food, and substitute that with treats for the day so we knew that we never went over the daily amount recommended. Imagine your dogs daily intake should be 300g but you were feeding 400g as they were getting 100g of treats daily as part of training. Thats an extra 3kg of food per month which can lead to weight gain you want to avoid. Instead, we gave him 200g of food and 100g worth of snacks via training each day. This way he didn't go over his daily food intake and responded much better to commands as he wasn't overeating and needed the food for energy.
1.3. Variety is Key: Keep it interesting. Find 2-3 different options that your dog really responds well to and mix it up. They will respond better as they won't know what reward they are getting until they gobble it down! Some dogs may respond better to Chicken, some Kangaroo and others Beef. You don't know until you try different options.
2. Types of Dog Treats for Training.
2.1. Retail Treats: Plenty of choices here. Start with small and soft, no added salt and sugar. Make sure you have heard of all the ingredients. Check the first 5 ingredients are real foods such as meat or vegetables. Keep it simple and find out which proteins your dog prefers or responds well to. Usually chicken is a winner but maybe your dog works better with kangaroo. You will need to test this out. Head over to our treat page for some All Barks options or take a look at the 3 options above this paragraph. They seem to be popular choices for dogs.
2.2. Homemade Treats: Another option can be making your own treats from home. You could boil some chicken breast so it stays soft and cut into cube pieces. You could do the same with most meats actually if you want to try this option. Any baking options could lead to excess grains and longer chewing treats where your purpose is to offer a quick, low calorie reward which captures their attention. Remember this when choosing your preferred option.
2.3. Alternative Treats. Store bought human food. Some people may try human food such as meats from a deli or pre-packed soft foods. Dogs may like these however I would advise to carefully and check the ingredients as they are well known for higher levels of sodium and sugar that are not suitable for dogs.
In the quest to find the best training treats for dogs, understanding the balance between motivation and nutrition is key. Taking into consideration the nutritional value alongside the treat's appeal to ensure that every reward contributes positively to your dog's health is something we highly recommend you follow.
Not allowing your dog to over eat or become dependant on a treat at a specific time of day is also something to consider. Treats should be reward based otherwise it's just another meal. Look out for bad ingredients and manage portion size for quick rewards on good behaviour.
There is plenty of choice for treats these days which can be overwhelming. Stick to our guidance with small and soft, no added salt and sugar. Make sure you have heard of all the ingredients. Check the first 5 ingredients are real foods such as meat or vegetables. Keep it simple and find out which proteins your dog prefers or responds well to. Can't really go wrong this way.
Enjoy training!
What is a Farmer's Nibble?
The Farmer's Nibbles are scientifically formulated to put your pups health first. In addition to using high quality, real ingredients we have added vitamins and minerals to boost nutritional value. We also make sure they are soft enough for pups to snack on when you need that little reward or reinforcement treat. A must try for all puppy training classes and is a stand out option as the best treats for puppies.
The Farmer’s Nibbles is a yummy blend of Aussie chicken, whitefish, spinach and kelp.
An enjoyable combo of Australian ingredients to get any tail wagging! In other words, the perfect little Australian chicken training treats for puppies. These bite sized dog treats are suitable for all life stages and ideal for training. In summary, if your dog loves chicken dog treats, they will love these!
The author: James Newman
In 2012, James embarked on a unique journey that would ultimately lead to the creation of All Barks, his own dog treat brand.
While navigating being an Integrated Fitness & Nutrition Consultant in Sydney, Australia, he found himself facing a practical frustration – the challenge of sourcing high-quality treats for his beloved Husky, Tintin. James, fuelled by a passion for canine well-being, began experimenting with homemade recipes, aiming to strike a balance between delicious flavours and nutritional value.
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