An essential part of your dog’s diet besides the daily meals they consume is the occasional treats you give them. Whether it’s for training purposes or you just want to reward them for being a good pet, giving them a dog treat is one way to show your pets you love them.
Dog treats come in various forms—some are snacks you can buy from local pet stores, biscuits you can make at home and are safe for pets to consume, and it can even simply be the food from your plate. Despite all the choices, take note that you have to be careful about the food you give your dog.
While you can maintain your dog’s regular meals, once you go overboard with giving them treats, it could affect their diet in the long run. Keep reading below to find out tips on knowing how to feed your dogs the right amount of treats to support their growth and good health.
Importance of Dog Treats
No matter how big or how small your dogs are, it’s important to give them treats once in a while, so they have something exciting to look forward to besides their regular meals. Handing your dog a snack or two is a great way to strengthen your bond.
Dog treats have numerous uses—they are suitable for training your puppy, encouraging good behavior, or improving their canine dental health, so long as they’re healthy pet food. Every time you give your dog a snack, the fulfillment becomes mutual because not only are you happy for rewarding your dog, but your pet is satisfied for doing well and following your commands.
When to Avoid Giving Treats to Dogs
Too much of anything can be harmful. The same goes for giving your dogs treats, especially if they contain high amounts of fat and sugar. As a result, they could end up gaining too much weight the moment you realize you’ve given your dogs too many treats in a day to count.
When your pets become overweight, it could put their health at risk. If you don’t always get to bring your dog out for a walk or exercise them around the house, it’s crucial to hold back on the treats or at least limit it to a few pieces daily. Since they already have their regular diet to look forward to, you shouldn’t feel bad for cutting down the treats and saving them for special occasions.
How to Choose The Best Dog Treats
When you can’t help giving your dog treats, the least you can do is make sure to buy them from a healthy pet store to guarantee the snacks are low in fat and sugar. It will help to avoid giving them human food high in calories and stick to treats made specifically for dogs.
For best results, you should look at getting dog treats that contain more nutrients and dental benefits. But if you insist on feeding them fruits and vegetables, make sure they’re fresh, low in calories, and high in fiber, such as bananas, apples, broccoli, and carrots!
Conclusion
It’s easy to feel tempted to get your dogs all the treats you can lay your eyes on at the pet store. However, it’s important to remember to always look at their ingredients and contents to ensure they aren’t bad for your pets. Dog treats should only come second to your pet’s daily meals, and if you’re planning to give them a significant amount throughout the day, you should subtract the calories from their total daily diet.
Are you looking for a pet store near you that sells healthy dog treats? Wags to Wiskers is a pet supplies store in Ann Arbor that offers natural and holistic pet food for dogs and cats.
Get in touch with us today and learn more about the brands we offer!