To treat or not to treat? That is the question that every dog owner asks, especially new or expectant pet parents.
Treats are (or should be) a valuable tool in training your dog to follow commands, and for rewarding them after they’ve completed said commands.
But treats can also be a source of unhealthy calories that lead to obesity, which is bad for your dog’s overall health.
The solution is not just fewer treats, but better treats.
Dog experts recommend only giving one or two treats per day, but it often depends on the size of the treat given. Though treats should never exceed 10% if your dogs calorie intake.
As a general rule of thumb, reduce your dog’s normal meal by 1/8 cup for every treat you give and make sure that their meals don’t exceed recommended guidelines (1 cup for small breeds, 2 cups for medium and large).
If you love treating your dog with snacks from your plate, stop! It’s actually really bad for them!
Processed food like chips and cookies can have extremely negative consequences on their health (it could even kill them).
Soft foods like cheese or peanut butter are easier to digest than hard snacks without artificial flavors added in.
Treats can be used for training, bonding, and rewards.
While there are many schools of thought on how to train a dog, giving treats – such as Healthy Edibles Dog Treats – is a popular method and is one of the ways it can be done effectively.
As you can see, treats can be used in a variety of situations.
They’re not just rewards for good behaviour – they’re tools that can help you positively reinforce your dog’s actions and teach them what is expected of them.
Treats are also an excellent way to bond with your dog and give them extra energy when they need it.
Treats can be a great motivator for your dog.
They’re often used to teach basic obedience commands, as well as tricks and other behaviors.
Treats are also commonly used to reward dogs for good behavior, such as lying quietly while you change out of your work clothes.
In general, treats can be an effective tool when training dogs or reinforcing desirable behaviors.
In addition to training uses, treats can also help build trust and strengthen the bond between you and your dog.
The act of feeding is a very powerful way to strengthen relationships with our canine friends!
However, if treats are overused (or given in large quantities at one time), they can have adverse effects on your dog’s health.
That’s why it’s important to understand how many treats it’s safe for your dog to have per day—and what kinds of treats are best for him or her.
1) Training Treats
You can buy treats specifically for training, but any treat can be used for training if it’s appropriate to your dog’s size and activity level.
When you’re training your dog, it’s important to give them small pieces of treat so that they don’t fill up before you’re done with the training session.
Be sure not to give them too many treats during each session; limit the amount of treats you give during one session to 10% (or less) of their total daily calorie intake.
2) Bonding Treats
Bonding treats, as the name implies, are best used to build the relationship between you and your pet.
These can be used in training but are most effective when given to your dog after they do something that pleases you.
For example: if your dog lies down on command you could give them a bonding treat afterward.
The key with bonding treats is that they are not tied t
3) Rewards
Rewards can be used to reinforce good behavior and to show your dog that you are pleased with their actions.
Rewards can take the form of physical affection, such as hugs, pets, or play time.
Sometimes verbal praise is sufficient, but food treats are usually a better option because they’re easy to carry, easy to use as reinforcers during training exercises, and dogs absolutely love them!
Note: Never use treats as a punishment.
How Often Can You Give Your Dog Treats?
A lot of factors come into play when deciding how many treats are too many for your dog.
One thing to consider is your dog’s overall diet, including their regular food and healthy treat snacks.
The Association of Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) recommends that treats should make up less than 10% of your dog’s caloric intake.
Another important factor is the size and activity level of your dog.
A smaller or less active dog might be able to have more treats without gaining weight than a larger, more active dog.
One final factor that comes into play is the type of treats you are giving.
Many pet owners feed their dogs human foods as a treat, but this isn’t always a good idea because some human foods contain unhealthy ingredients or can even be toxic to dogs!
For example, chocolate contains caffeine which can cause heart problems in dogs if ingested in large amounts; grapes and raisins are toxic to the kidneys; and onions can damage red blood cells and cause anemia in dogs.
Treats should always be safe for your dog to consume — ask yourself if you would eat it before you give it to your pup!
Moderation Is Key In Avoiding Too Many Treats
Giving your dog treats in moderation can be a great way to train them and strengthen your bond.
However, you’ll want to make sure you’re giving the right kinds of treats and not overdoing it—you don’t want to undo all the good work of their diet.
Here are some tips for how to treat your dog with delicious food without spoiling them:
- Make sure they’re low-calorie. A healthy treat should be small, so that it’s just a few bites. It shouldn’t provide more than ten percent of your dog’s daily calorie intake (which is based on their size).
- Only give treats for good behaviour! This one seems obvious but is very important—it’s how you train your dog not to do bad things, like pull on their leash or chew up the couch cushions! So when Rover does something naughty, don’t reward him with treats; wait until he does something nice instead. And if you have a puppy who doesn’t know he’s been bad yet… well, now would be a great time to start training him!
- Use treats only for training purposes & bonding. Treats should be given as rewards for good behavior during training sessions or other times when there are specific behaviors being reinforced – they shouldn’t just become part of regular meals or snacks throughout the day where no training is taking place at all (unless medically necessary). It also helps if you use different types of goodies so that he doesn’t get tired of any one kind too quickly.”
Dog Treat FAQs
Here are the answers to some common questions on feeding your dog treats.
How many pigs ears can a puppy have?
Pigs ears are a great treat for dogs because they love them, but they are a high fat treat.
This means that you should give your puppy pigs ears in moderation.
As a rule of thumb, limit puppies to only one pigs ear per week.
The same limit should apply to adult dogs as well.
How many training treats a day should a puppy have?
When you are training your puppy, you may be tempted to really load him up on the treats so that he’ll do what you want.
But, treats are only good for puppies in moderation.
Don’t give your puppy any more than one to two training treats per day.
This is the ideal amount for good puppy health.