There are a couple varieties of dog treats out in the market. The inexpensive ones, the okay ones, the good ones, and the bougie ones.
Inexpensive Treats
These usually have a long ingredients list. Most of the words you don’t know how to pronounce and likely don’t want to look too deep into.
These treats can also have hidden no-no ingredients. Many of these may seem innocuous at first, but, on further inspection, aren’t suggested for dogs.
Cherries can be toxic to dogs, but I’ve seen them on the ingredients list of a treat whose brand I no longer get.
Garlic can have health benefits in small amounts, but if a dog eats too much it can be toxic. The only way I’ll get something for my dog that has garlic in its ingredients list, then, is if I know there’s not much. I’ll also keep myself from giving him too many in a day. Most of the time, though, this food on an ingredients list makes me put the bag back on the shelf.
Cor is allergic to chicken. This means that treats with chicken also fall into this category for us. They aren’t ‘inexpensive,’ but it’s the same thought. The same goes for brands that have a history of getting their treats recalled.
And rawhide. I dare you to look into what goes into making rawhide chews. If that doesn’t put you off getting those ever again, I don’t know what will.
Okay Treats
‘Okay treats’ don’t have as many chemicals, colors, and questionable food ingredients.
The okay treats are, well, okay. You’re not giving your dog a bunch of chemicals and ingredients that toe the line of acceptable. But, at the same time, they’re not great. The ingredients aren’t good for your dog. These are treats with things like peas, ‘meal’ products, and a lot of grains for a carnivore. The good treats may have some of these, but the okay ones are treats where these make up most of the ingredients list.
These are ‘junk food,’ if you’re looking for a human equivalent.
Good Treats
Good treats, when it comes to ingredients, are good for your dog. Most of their ingredients are meat or organs, which make up the first several ingredients. There can be some fruits and veggies in these too. Maybe a few vitamins, minerals, or something of the sort.
Some of the good treats I get for Cor are a mix of beets or greens or carrots and some sort of meat. They’re good treats, and you can use several handfuls at a time for training. They’re good for the dog, and taste good, too. This can even be some of their kibble, if that’s of good quality.
Bougie Boy Treats
Alligator. Freeze dried salmon, duck, or beef. Beef Liver. Beef Spleen. Lamb Liver. Salmon, cod, or some other fish. Cow tracea. Cow hoofs. Pig ears. Human-grade pepperoni, the kind that can work as both a snack for you and treats for the dog while you’re working. Boiled chicken (if your dog isn’t allergic). The odd piece of vegetable that has health benefits for the dog. (Google or DuckDuckGo is your friend on this one.)
Bougie Boy treats often have less than five ingredients, and they’re all meat or organs. They often sound disgusting, and may not smell much better. They’re the kind of treats that you try not to think about the ingredients of, and that make your dog go crazy. These are very high value, and crazy expensive for the size of the package.
For you this might be like if something tasted like cotton candy but was made of a mix of veggies.
Because these are such bougie boy treats, getting a lot of them can take a toll on the handler’s wallet. You want to make a handler’s day and give them a huge grin? Get several bags of a mix. Just keep your budget in mind–it can get very easy to run your total up the wall.
These can be difficult to find in a chain pet store. Hollywood Feed, Raw Rations, and a few Pet Supplies Pluses are where I generally look for the ones I get. You can also check pet boutiques near you.
