(Written by Georgia Hatton)

 

Puppy treats are essential for helping develop your new canine into a healthy, happy and active companion. They are also one of the easiest ways to include natural and healthy food into your dog's diet. However, it’s important to take your time to research the best treats for puppies, rather than just picking any off the supermarket shelf. To help you with that, here we have listed our top 5 tips for choosing the right and healthy treats for your puppies.

1. Ingredients

 

The first thing to consider is the number and type of ingredients used in the treats. Generally, the fewer ingredients there are, the healthier the puppy treats will be. Many commercial treats contain artificial flavours, colours, and chemical ingredients, as well as poor quality meat and unnecessary filler ingredients. The extensive processing that these treats go through can degrade the proteins in the meat, making them even less nutritious. Choosing natural treats, with few ingredients and a gentle manufacturing process means you are choosing the best quality nutrition for your puppy.

 

2. Size 

 

The size of the dog's treat also matters, especially for small breed puppies. It is hard for their small mouths and tiny teeth to tackle big chews, and their stomachs can be easily overwhelmed by large quantities of food at once. On the flipside, small treats can be a choking risk for very large breeds, especially if they are still learning impulse control (such as not gulping down large pieces!) around chews and treats. It’s important to consider the size of the puppy treats compared to the dogs size. 

 

3. Type

 

Dogs usually eat treats for one of two reasons: as a reward during training, or as a stimulating chew, and it’s important to choose the best puppy treats for each situation. 

A training reward needs to be bite size, and easy to swallow - whilst large or chewy treats might seem tastier (and more rewarding to your puppy!) they also take longer to eat. As puppies can concentrate for just a couple of minutes at a time, and training is most effective with frequent repetitions with frequent rewards, you will get the best results using small pieces in short training sessions. 

Chewing is proven to be a calming mechanism as it triggers the release of endorphins, especially in puppies when the adult teeth are developing! All dogs have, to some degree or another, an instinctive desire to chew. By providing your puppy with a treat to chew on, your slippers and furniture are more likely to be safe, and your puppy relaxed. 

 

4. Amount

 

You might find the best treat for puppies - but then what? The amount of treat! As well as having smaller stomachs, puppies have specific nutrition requirements compared to adult dogs, to make sure they receive the correct balance of nutrients needed to grow. As a result, it’s important that treats make up to 10% of their diet, with the remaining 90% coming from a balanced, complete diet. 

5. Source

 

Everyone wants the best for their puppies and so it’s necessary to find the best products. With natural treats, you can find top-quality products for your puppies. We make our treats from the finest ingredients, which are gently air dried, to produce high quality products. By purchasing through us, you are able to get the best value for your money and we are happy to advise you on the best puppy treats UK.