Best/ Worst Dog Treats And Chews

[JenniCB]

Hi All,

I have a 4 month old GSD with a sensitive stomach. I have been looking at and researching for the best training treats and the best chews (something that will keep my dog chewing for quite a while as she is a real shark). Any ideas? I have quizzed 2 vets, a dog trainer and several pet shop staff from different stores and gotten several different answers, many of which have surprised me.

My dog trainer uses Jerhigh Chicken sticks which from my inspection say they are made in Thailand and contain preservatives though they don't say which ones. She, like many others (inc one vet) has also suggested rawhide as a chew. Yet many others say don't go near rawhide. Too dangerous and probably not good for my puppy's tummy since she reacted badly to a pig's ear.

So far the treats I have found that I like are:

Lickables - Aussie made and 100% meat (beef,lamb,fish or roo) just dehydrated.

Fruitables - Apparently not all dogs like them but fortunately mine does. USA made. Good ingredients including pumpkin and apple. I guess my only concern with these is that they are a dry biscuit and my dog is already on a dry food diet with her Advance kibble (have heard that a dry food diet is a factor in causing bloat).

Fish For Dogs Sea Biscuits - UK made from dried fish skins. Not totally sure about these though. They say they are a dental treat which I would like as so far I haven't found any for my dog that I like. My local pet shop gave me a sample packet. I gave her one which she loved but then noticed that the due date stamp was quite old so threw them in the bin.

As for chews it seems that there is nothing much the pet shop can offer me that is edible. No pig's ears and no rawhide. We did look at some of the vegetable based chews and at some of the dental chews like Greenies but the ingredients don't seem all that great and I've seen too many reviews where dogs didn't digest them properly and had blockages.

So far the only things I have for her to chew apart from toys and ice cubes are the Wanpy Sweet Potato slices. I like them because they are just sweet potato and Penny loves them though they don't last long. BUT they are from China! Aaaaarrrgghhh!

Finding this all so hard and frustrating. I want to feed my girl the best and fortunately am good at reading labels as the advice I have received from "the experts" has been quite dodgy at times. It's just so overwhelming and difficult though!

Oh and yes she loves BBQ chicken and sort of apple but as for the other human food suggested they surprise me too.

Cheese - isn't that high in fat which can cause tummy upset like the pig's ears

Sausages - also high in fat, salt and sulphites (preservatives).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jennifer and Penny the Puppy

[Yonjuro]

Hiya

Jerhigh!!! That was one that caused either a death or illness recently. no way I would use that or any similar imported types. Only Aussie made for me.

In answer to your question, my Husky pup is also a shark and Huskies often get tummy upsets. I have been using a bully stick recently and they are awesome, and last around a week. Also use peeled carrot for him to gnaw on.

Your best be is to purchase a cheap food de-humidifyer and make your own. You can even dry out chicken in the oven on its lowest setting.

edit - I use boiled chicken at training classes, Ronin loves it and wont eat the sausage or other treats people have, which is good in my opinion. Another treat that he has is ZiwiPeak - that is really top notch stuff!

Edited January 20, 2014 by Yonjuro

[silentchild]

I never feed my dog those Jerhigh chews or rawhide. I've heard cases of dogs being ill or dying from consuming jerky made in China as well.

You can always make your own treats at home, there are plenty of recipes online on how to dry your own treats.

I rarely, if ever, purchase treats from pet stores.

I buy all my treats online, from australian stores which make their treats themselves in Australia using Australian ingredients, and states no preservatives or additives. I usually purchase my chews from www.australianpettreatcompany.com.au/

However lately I've found that some of their treats come in a different packaging which does include preservatives etc, so I am just super careful when selecting what to buy.

I do love the extra large bully sticks, keeps my Aussie occupied for several hours.

There are also lots of stores that sell homemade treats online, like Happy Paws Training Treats and BJ's Organics. I have used both and am happy with them. Sometimes local farmers markets also have stalls selling homemade treats & chews, if I see one I stock up.

Bones are a great way to keep dogs occupied as well. Deer antler is a favourite of mine, but I've found some dogs like it and some don't. My Rottie who was a huge chewer loved it, but my Aussie with a softer mouth is not a fan.

Edited January 20, 2014 by silentchild

[LisaCC]

For chews I just use deer antlers or frozen meaty bones

Before I put my boy on a grain free diet I had used Wellness Bars as a crate treat.

[sheena]

The only commercial treat I give my dogs is the occasional dried liver, but this is very rarely. I prefer to make my own healthy treats & keep them in the freezer. Here is a link to My Ideas & RecipesThe only chews my dogs get are a daily frozen turkey neck (1/2 if they are large). They have had deer antlers in the past & cow hooves, but I found both of these got very smelly when they were wet.

[toshman]

I've been really enjoying my dehydrator,but none of the things I mention next are "long chew" stuff though

Dried sweet potato, chicken jerky, beef liver/kidney/heart, fruits etc. The dogs and I really enjoy our dried treats, and it's nice to know exactly what they are made of. And much cheaper than the commercial stuff!

I just don't buy stuff like rawhide, jerhigh etc. any more -

[The Spotted Devil]

Nature's gift and 4 Legs are some of the few commercial treats I use.

Otherwise it's cheese, chicken, tinned salmon (jackpot for a certain good Dalmatian I know), egg (cooked or raw), raw beef/lamb (for Em only) etc. For munching on I feed whole raw carrots and they get chicken frames as part of their meal. I don't like feeding anything with colours and avoid preservatives where I can. Em also loves Sardine Slice, which a friend of mine makes.

We won a heap of dog treats recently that are locally made and I'm very happy with them - from here: Aussie Agility

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I give my dog dried kangaroo. There's roo jerky - a piece lasts about 5 minutes but might take a less destructive dog a bit longer. And Roo ribbons - which is dried roo slithers that I can rip up as I reward.

She takes longest to empty a frozen black kong filled with home made dog food casserole (mix of mince, rice, veg or whatever you want to put in it). Takes about 20 minutes to empty.

Sometimes I fill the kong with kibble mixed with yogurt and freeze it but she's faster at emptying that.

I used to fill a purple rubber gorilla with kibble - but the kibble I have now is too small to stay in that. It just pours out when she picks up the head. Which is a trick she knows well.

I also use a bob a lot but it takes her about five minutes per cap full to empty and she could smash it if she wanted to.

[minimax]

My guys don't get food treats as a standard entertainment thing, they get a kong when I leave for work, but standard "treat" is a nylabone, antler or old bone that's had the beejeezus sucked out of it that they still love to pieces.

I have pugs so they would eat all day every day if I let them.

[Queen Maeby]

I don't give my Pug treats because he's on an organic, homemade diet (he's recovering from cancer). Though, on the days I take him to work, he has chopped up cooked chicken breast which I leave on a plate in the fridge for people to give him throughout the day (it's actually his dinner but he has it all day as a treat).

I would make the chicken jerky myself. There are recipes online, I've just never done it. There might be some on here too.

[RiverStar-Aura]

I'm like TSD, in that the only commercial treats I use are Nature's Gift. They're Aussie owned and made and my guys love the chicken ones.

I also use fresh, locally made liver treats a friend sources through her work -- but these are only a sometimes treat. Frozen chicken wings and turkey wings are given every few days.

[ish]

http://www.happypawstreats.com.au/

[Salukifan]

I buy all my treats online from the Australian Pet Treat Company and they are all made here in Oz.

Rawhide? No way - its a choking hazard.

[Scottsmum]

I have an office dog who is nuts for his nylabone (I'm not 100% convinced but I'm not his mummy). He also has an antler which gets a workout occasionally

http://www.petstock.com.au/Naturally-Shed-Deer-Antler-Dog-Chews---Med-Full-50-150gms/p/9337037009173

[bianca.a]

I used to give mine raw marrow bones but my male gets an upset tummy now. So antlers for them now days. My dogs adore their Happy Paws Training Treats too!

[Sagittarian]

There are plenty of Aussie made treats available - a few have already been mentioned. Companies such as Nature's Gift, Hungry Hound and Next Generation Petfoods all will answer any queries you send them about ingredients/processing etc.

Please be aware that Wanpy is an irradiated product. They weren't for a long time, but are now. Any treat or food that includes a label "Must not be fed to cats" is irradiated, and requires this label by law. That is often the only way to tell that a product is irradiated.

For a pup with a sensitive tummy, a filled kong is a great option. The Kong website and facebook pages have lots of interesting ideas on filling kongs.

Sags

:)

[sas]

I just do my own from meat I get from the butcher.

[Nekhbet]

Just make your own. If you know what your dog can tolerate you can make biscuit style ones and put them in a low oven to dry more then bake, or just boil up some meat and chop it into small pieces.

Too much crap on the market these days. Fresher is best.

[HeroeswitBSD]

I highly recommend Happy Paws Training Treats all Australian made and I have found all my dogs (and Cat) loves them.

[kelpiecuddles]

I bought a little pack of training treats from the supermarket yesterday, not something we use often but wanted something good smelling for keeping Sascha on track today, they are Nature's Gift brand and are Australian made and nothing artificial. She loved them too :)