If you’re one of the lucky ones who own a dog, then you know how quickly they imprint upon your heart and become a part of the pack. That’s why it’s only natural to desire a healthy and happy life for your pup. One fun way to do this is by providing them with tasty food that excites and nourishes them. And not only food but healthy and tasty treats too! With so many options out there it can be hard to know what treats are good for dogs and which aren’t.
In this post, we’ll discuss some of our favorite types of treats and what to look for when shopping. So stay tuned to learn more!
Natural Ingredients for the Win
In a perfect world, all items consumed would feature only simple, natural ingredients. And this would be the case for both pets and humans! Have you ever received the advice to only shop the perimeters of the grocery store and avoid the middle aisles? The reason for this is that the external aisles are generally where you’ll find fresh and simple stuff like meat, dairy, fruits, and veggies. The middle aisles usually have more processed items.
When searching for doggy food and treats, it may be good to apply the same logic to your quest. Generally, the best items for dogs are the ones that contain natural ingredients. It’s best to avoid unnecessary fillers and products that contain a ton of ingredients you can’t pronounce. When determining what dog treats are good for dogs, simple is usually best! Speaking of wholesome ingredients, have you checked out our line of sweet potato dog treats? Sweet potatoes are known for their Vitamin A & C content, as well as fiber. These vitamins and minerals are believed to support eye health, promote a healthy and shiny coat, as well as reduce inflammation.
Quality Matters
We actually wrote a whole article about this topic, which you can find here, but quality is really important when it comes to dog treats. Back in 2007, many treats imported from China were contaminated with a chemical called melamine. This chemical is often found in plastic factories but found its way into animal food. Unfortunately, 5,000 animals become sick and 1,000+ lost their lives. That’s why high standards are important.
If you’re looking for dog treats that are good for dogs, then you probably want to look for companies with high standards. We’re not saying products from around the world are harmful, but knowing if the standards are the same can be difficult. If you can find treats that are from trusted sources, that’s key.
If you reside in the US, you can always look for items that have a ‘Made In The USA’ label. America enforces strict standards on manufacturers, and the label can only be used if the product was approved by the Federal Trade Commission.
Here at Carolina Prime Pet, we believe in producing American-made dog treats. What does that mean? Our ingredients come from sources we trust, right here in the USA. While buying mass-produced treats from other countries is often cheaper, a lot of times the risk outweighs the reward. We’re proud to have the ‘Made In The USA’ label!
Multi-Purpose Treats
Many times the best treats for dogs are the ones that serve a purpose. Ones that are not only a reward but potentially benefit their health in some way. Here are a couple of our favorite options:
Dental Treats
Dental treats are one of those types of treats! If you’re looking for an option that helps promote good oral health, then dental treats may be just what you’re looking for. They’re both good and functional, so they’re dual-purpose so to speak. While there’s no substitute for regular cleaning and dental exams, these types of treats may be helpful in preventing tartar and plaque buildup. Dental treats come in many shapes, sizes, and flavors. The best ones promote chewing and feature natural ingredients.
At Carolina Prime Pet, we’re proud to offer our customers Real Meat Dental Jerky. This treat features real chicken and also parsley, rosemary, and peppermint to freshen breath – all considered safe and very healthy ingredients by vets.
And what about almonds – can dogs eat them?
Training Treats
We can’t bypass an opportunity to talk about training treats. Why? Because we think they’re incredibly important; a well-trained dog is generally happier and safer. By teaching your dog the 7 essential dog commands you’re giving them the skills necessary to listen and obey, sometimes in critical moments. By knowing the command Stay, for instance, you can communicate to your dog that it’s unsafe to cross the road. The other commands are Sit, Down, Come, Heel, Off, and No. Chances are you can come up with a handful of scenarios where these commands would be useful.
Many dogs are motivated by food, so utilizing training treats is a great way to get them to do a desired action. Training treats are usually small in size, which can be helpful if you have a larger dog. To really solidify a command, you probably need to practice over and over again. If dishing out treats as motivation, a smaller treat will help you keep the calories to a minimum. As you may know, generally treats shouldn’t account for more than 10% of a dog’s daily calorie intake. The best training treats are made with wholesome ingredients that taste good!
Final Thoughts
We hope this article helped answer your question, “What dog treats are good for dogs?”. As you can see, we’re all about simplicity around here! We believe high-quality, natural dog treats should be the standard, not the exception. At Carolina Prime Pet, we value your pet’s well-being and do our very best to always offer you and your dog the very best. If you haven’t given our treats a shot, we hope you will! Be sure to check out our entire line of dog treats here.
