What Are The Best Treats For A Puppy

There are an amazing array of treats available for your puppy and many different reasons for giving your puppy a treat. Treats have a very important role to play in the diet of a puppy and are a great reward and a handy tool for puppy training. Hard chew treats are great to keep your puppy entertained and at the same time support dental health by exercising the gums and scraping their teeth. Although be sure that treats don't account for more than 10% of your puppy's caloric intake. Your puppy's food needs to be their main source of nutrition, so be careful to not to overdo it by giving your puppy too many treats before meal time as this can make puppies be fussy about eating their dinner. Find out more about what treats are on the market and how they can benefit your new puppy.

Puppy Treats

There are a selection of treats on the market that are designed especially for use with young puppies. These treats may be smaller in size or made with ingredients that are less rich so are more gentle on your puppies sensitive gut or digestive system such as the VET IQ Intestinal Aid Treats For Puppies. Although there is no reason why your pup is not able to eat regular dogs treats, it is always recommended to take it slow when giving puppies new food or treats so as to not upset their stomachs.

Liver Treats

Dried liver is a true classic training treat for dogs and puppies as they are tasty and easy to break into small pieces. Liver is loved by the majority of pups and is considered a high value treat, which means it is useful for training or when your puppy needs a little extra encouragement. A liver treat like our Pet.co.nz Liver Strips are perfect for training as it is thinly sliced so you can easy break it into the appropriate sized pieces for your dog, as well as containing no antibiotics, gluten, grain or added hormones.

Freeze-Dried Treats

Another popular type of treat on the market is freeze-dried treats, these products are natural and high in meat content so generally go down well with dogs and puppies. These treats are convenient and easy to use for training. They are also healthy as the freeze-drying process helps to retain all the flavour and nutritional benefits of the ingredients. These treats are also suitable for pups or dogs with allergies as they contain minimal ingredients - usually only the meat itself. An example of a freeze dried treat is Orijen Free Run Duck Dog Treats, these treats are made of 70% fresh duck and 30% fresh duck liver without any unnecessary fillers or preservatives. Since they only contain duck they are suitable for dogs with allergies or who are on a limited ingredient diet.

Soft Treats

When selecting treats for your puppy it is important to remember that your puppy has soft baby teeth., so always select treats that are easy to eat so as to not damage your puppies teeth or cause them any discomfort. Soft moist treats can be a great option for pups as they are full of flavour and have a texture that puppies love, all while being easy to eat. A product such as Addiction Venison Meaty Bites Treats is a good option for puppies as they are wholesome and nutrition and full of real meat as well as containing no grains or artificial preservatives.

Dental Treats

Not all treats are used for training - there is a large market for dental chew treats that are designed to help keep your pups teeth clean and healthy. These products are more long lasting than training treats as they are designed to be more chewy in texture to help to clean the teeth and gums. Although different treats have different guidelines on their suitability for puppies for example Pedigree Dentastix can be used on puppies over 4months of age, Greenies Original Dental Chews are suitable for puppies from 6 months of age and Whimzees Toothbrushes are recommended for use in dogs over 9 months of age. These recommendations can be made based on the richness of the treat as well as the hardness of the chew, as puppies have soft baby teeth some adult chew treats may not be suitable for giving to young puppies.