It’s time to tackle that age old question. When exactly am I supposed to feed my dog treats? After meal times? As an incentive? To reward them?
More questions than answers and an overall lack of education on the subject can often lead to the development of bad habits and poor meal time practices.
So, to circle back to the initial question; when should you feed your dog treats? Treats serve multiple purposes and can be used in a variety of different situations. Here is an all encompassing guide to dog treats, and all of the do’s and don’ts you need to and your fur baby need to know.
WHAT TO DO ?
Training:
A great and fun way to incorporate treats into your dogs diet is through incentive. From stubborn to obedient, using treats to train your dog is always a great way to expedite the process. Rover not shaking your hand? Give him a treat in order to create a link between the treat and the command. Eventually, once your fur baby instinctively learns the association between two, you can ween him off the treats.
Rewards:
Training and rewards go hand in hand; rewarding your pooch after completing a command or good behaviour is an excellent way to incentivize them further, and even build a stronger bond. Rewards should not be overdone, however, and should be limited to small quantities.
Always read the label:
Prior to letting your dog indulge, it is your duty as a pet parent to be aware of what you are feeding your dog. Analysing the ingredients present on the label will give you a better sense of what may or not be ideal for your dog. Being aware of whether your dog has any allergies is crucial to ensure any undesirable reactions they may experience.
Provide your pet with water after:
The majority of mass produced commercial dog treats tend to be jerky, or other types of dry food. Never disregard the importance of cleaning drinking water after treats.
WHAT NOT TO DO ?
Avoid over feeding: It is of the utmost importance to check the recommended daily feeding guide according to the size of your dog in order to know how much to give them. Too many treats many excessive calories, therefore leading to weight gain.
Avoid giving your dogs human snacks: While it may be tempting to share your indulgences with your pet, human snacks tend to be high in sodium, which is not recommended for dogs. Excess amounts of sodium can lead to increased blood pressure and a myriad of other health problems in the future.
Treats are not meal substitutes: Under no circumstance should treats ever be used as a meal substitute. Most treats do not contain the same amount of nutritional value that a full meal would provide your dog with.
