What are treats?
Treats are any food that is fed outside of your dogs food allowance.
Treats should be exactly that, a treat!
Treats should be the first thing that is stopped, or heavily reduced to bare minimum, when a dog is needing to lose some excess weight.
How much treats should my dog get?
Treats should make up an absolute MAX of 10% of your dogs diet. This means that if your dog is fed 1kg a day, 100g may be treats, 900g actual food. If your dog is fed 500g, 50g may be treats, 450g actual food.
Can I use raw food for training?
Yes! You can actually get squeezy tubes from Amazon that are fully washable and once you remove the elastic piece from the lid (as shown here) that allows substances to be pushed through it, you can use these with your dogs raw mince to help during training. We would strongly advise minimising the length of time the raw food is used outside, especially in warmer months.
I am new to raw but also training my dog, what can I use?
Don't worry, you can use the same protein treats as the one you are feeding, as long as they are 100% meat based. So if you are feeding chicken this week, use chicken pate such as JR Pet Products , you can dice this up nice and small, then freeze it and just remove the amount you need each day from the freezer.
I need ideas for treats please!
This list in in no way full or complete as new products come out all the time but can give you some idea as to different treat options for dogs.
⚠️ Please do not feed any rawhide product , the process of making rawhide involves bleaching and using other chemical agents which result in a product that causes blockages and choking. Also avoid heavy, thick weight-baring bones, or marrowbones. These can and do damage teeth, specially for power chewers but any dog can fall victim at any time
⚠️ If buying treats ensure you check the ingredients, as some are packed with synthetic additives or even grains.
PATE: Whether it's Drool Pet Products, JR Pet Products or Anco, or another brand, it's safe to say dogs love pate that is designed for them! You can chop it, slice it, freeze it, smash it onto a lickimat, or even dehydrate it!
Once opened, store in the fridge in a container and use within packaging guidelines or freeze it and just use as and when needed
Tree roots are by far a popular choice especially for teething puppies
FUR: From ears to feet, to skin (pelt or hide) dogs love fur. It's a great natural source of dietary fibre.
Start off with just a bit only as fur can be a bit rich at first. We recommend feeding these 2-3 times a week.
YAK CHEWS: We ask all members to read about how Yak chews are made and make their own decision whether to feed them or not. You can read about them here
FISH SKINS: These are dehydrated fish skins.
PIZZLES: Dehydrated penis, available in different proteins
SNOUTS: Raw, frozen or dehydrated, usually cow or pig. Should not be white as this indicates a puffed treat though we have not yet been able to confirm how UK produce becomes white
TRACHEA: Raw or dehydrated wind-pipe / throat. Can be fed as it is or stuffed with raw food. Can be frozen too even with the food in.
LIGAMENTS: Can be fed raw, frozen or dehydrated, great for those with joint issues.
BONES: Pick bones to suit your dogs age & size. Avoid cooked bones always
DEHYDRATED: Liver, testicle, heart, spleen, gizzard/stomach, lung, 100% meat, paddywack
⚠️ When dehydrating treats yourself, the thinner the item is sliced the quicker it will dehydrate.
⚠️ You cannot over dehydrate something, but you can under do it. If you do not dehydrate items fully they risk becoming mouldy
⁉️ Want to learn more about dehydrating? See our new Dehydrating guide for more information
HOOVES: Can be stuffed and served fresh or frozen as enrichment. Assess risks and choose whether suitable or not for your dog.
⚠️ Not suitable for power chewers, may also not be suitable for some resource guarders. Remove if damaged.
DEER LEGS: Large item. May be a bit rich for some. Assess risks and choose whether suitable for your dog.
⚠️ Not suitable for power chewers, may also not be suitable for some resource guarders. Remove if damaged.
ANTLERS: Again assess risks and choose whether suitable for your dog
⚠️ Not suitable for power chewers, may also not be suitable for some resource guarders. Remove if damaged.
Moon bones: Cartilage from a cow usually around the hip area
HORNS: Can be stuffed and served fresh or frozen as enrichment. Assess risks and choose whether suitable or not for your dog.
⚠️ Not suitable for power chewers, may also not be suitable for some resource guarders. Remove if damaged.
SCALPS: Can be from various animals
SKIN / HIDE: Can be from various animals with or without fur, often seen as BRAIDS
⁉️⚠️ Any chew or toy can be a choking hazard so we recommend always close monitoring of dogs around toys and chews, and removing damaged articles.
⁉️⚠️ There are risks of tooth damage with some items or splintering, so we always advise to consider risks and as the pet parent, make an informed decision whether or not you wish to give the item.
Dehydrating
⚠️ The cost of dehydrating with vary depending on the energy price cap, wattage of machine used, and how long you dehydrate for.
🐾 Some air fryers have a dehydrate function however it's worth noting that all animal produce should be done at 70 degrees so it's best to check you can use this temperature.
🐾 If your oven goes down to 70 degrees then yes you can dehydrate using it however it will mean your oven is tied up for many hours and may cost more to do.
🐾 When buying a dehydrator it is best to look for a back fan, with metal trays as plastic ones will warp over time.
🐾 You can defrost or use frozen items. Cutting wetter foods like offal products whilst partially frozen is often felt to be easier than defrosted.
⚠️ Although dehydrating can be a cheap way to make treats, it does not always work out cheaper as there may be deals on treats in raw shops so it's always worth checking in stores
🐾 When dehydrating, the time will vary depending on your machine and what you are doing. There is no way to over-dehydrate something but if you do not dehydrate for long enough you risk the product turning mouldy
🐾 Treats should be stored in glass air-tight jars such as mason jars to avoid any sweating which risks moisture returning and therefore bacteria & mould.
🐾 Some treats like ligaments / paddywack may need dabbing with kitchen towel part way through dehydration. Repeat as needed until fully dehydrated / product snaps nicely.
⁉️ For more information join Dehydrated Dog Treats Facebook group (not affiliated to this group but incredibly knowledgeable)
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