Calories & Ingredients Matter!
We give our dogs treats for many reasons: as training rewards, to keep them busy, to provide nutrition, to help keep their teeth clean, and just because our pups are special. No matter the reason, I believe any treat we give our dogs must be healthy and nutritious. Since obesity is a significant concern, we must factor in the calories in the treats we give them and offset those calories by reducing the calories in their main meal. Helping our dogs maintain, reduce, or increase their weight is entirely within our control.
The first step in selecting healthy treats for your dog is to take the time to become informed about the ingredients in the treats you purchase and their caloric content. Specifically, look for treats that are high in animal protein and that clearly indicate the type of meat: beef, chicken, etc. The best treats will be low in fat content and have little or no carbohydrates.
Avoid treats with byproducts, sugar, propylene glycol, BHA, artificial colors or dyes, or artificial flavors in the ingredients.
Dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates, also known as starch or sugar. Carbs are very high in calories, typically twice as high as protein, and are a significant factor in obesity. If the package the treats are in does not indicate the number of calories, don’t buy it. Accompanying this article is a table displaying the caloric content of several treats. You can find a more comprehensive list in our store or on my blog. [ FMI– https://forcefreepets.com/SelectingDogTreats/]
Training is all about repetition, each rewarded with a treat, which is why I recommend selecting treats that are no larger than a green pea or can be easily divided into small pieces.
In the photo below, you can see one of many treats I use for training: Saint Rocco’s Beef and Pumpkin Dog Treats. Each bag contains 16oz of bars, approximately 10 to 12 per bag, and each bar is equivalent to 60 calories. The company states that each bar can be broken into at least 15 training treats. As illustrated in the photo below, I was able to get 84 pea-sized treats out of a single bar; each treat essentially has 0.7 calories.
Use the table on the left to assess how many calories your dog needs per day. If the caloric content of the food you feed your pup is not listed on the bag, I recommend you find a different dog food. This is essential information. For your dog's sake, subtract the calories of the treats you give from their regular meal. Ideally, no more than 10% of your dog's daily calories should come from sources other than their food.
Don Hanson lives in Bangor, Maine, where he is the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop (greenacreskennel.com) and the founder of ForceFreePets.com, an online educational resource for people with dogs and cats. He is a Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (PCBC-A) accredited by the Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB)and a Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP). Don is a member of thePet Professional Guild (PPG), where he serves on the Board of Directors and Steering Committee and chairs the Advocacy Committee. He is also a founding director of Pet Advocacy International (PIAI). In addition, Don produces and co-hosts The Woof Meow Showpodcast,available at http://bit.ly/WfMwPodcasts/,the Apple Podcast app, and Don's blog: www.words-woofs-meows.com.The opinions in this post are those of Don Hanson.