Learn : Behavior & Training

Guide to Choosing the Best Treats for Your Dog

Just like dogs, treats come in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles. They also have a variety of uses. They can enrich your dog's life through training exercises, be part of puzzle play and mental stimulation, help reinforce good behavior, or simply serve as a tasty way to pamper your pup and let them know you love them.

That said, it's important to be mindful of how many treats you’re giving your dog and what type of treat you’re giving them. Treats should not make up more than 10% of your dog's diet,¹ if they do, then their normal meal portions should be adjusted accordingly. And instead of being full of fillers and less than healthy ingredients, treats should be wholesome, without sacrificing floor-licking delicious taste.

Let’s explore the different treat giving options out there, including ingredients to be mindful of and the best way to use them.

How to Read the Label

When selecting a treat for your pup, read the labels. But first, know what to look out for, and what to avoid.

What to look for:

A short ingredient list - the fewer the better.
High-quality whole food ingredients that are listed first. The sooner an ingredient appears, the more of it the treat includes.²
Natural functional ingredients - when used.

Natural preservatives - Vitamin C and E (mixed tocopherols).²
Natural humectants - molasses and vegetable glycerin - to help promote moisture content of chewy treats.²

Nom Nom's treats exemplify these qualities. For instance, Chicken Jerky is made from 100% USDA-certified lean chicken, free of preservatives, antibiotics, and hormones. Similarly, the Beef Jerky contains only 100% premium beef with no artificial additives, ensuring a wholesome snack for your dog.

What to avoid:

Sweeteners - opt for a natural sweetener, like honey, over a synthetic one.³
Long ingredient lists with things you can’t pronounce.
Chemical and artificial additives and colors - natural is better.
Chemical preservatives - with possible negative health effects including butylated-hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and ethoxyquin.^2,3
Chemical humectants - propylene glycol - for moisture content.²

Types of Dog Treats

Crunchy

These treats can come in a wide assortment of flavors, shapes and sizes, and generally, have a lower moisture content between 10-12%.^2,4 They often require a little more time for the dog to consume and are harder to easily break into smaller pieces for a quick reward. They can crumble when chomped, so give your dog time to lick up all the pieces.

Nom Nom offers Beef & Blueberry Flavor Wafers and Chicken & Cranberry Flavor Wafers, which are crunchy treats made with quality meat and fruit. These wafers are a good source of fiber and are prepared in the USA, making them a wholesome choice for your dog.

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Chewy

These have a higher moisture content, up to 25%, and contain humectants (antibacterial moistening agents that help to keep treats soft and chewy).² Their soft texture, makes them easier to break into tiny bite-sized pieces, which is desirable when giving frequent rewards for training.⁵ Additionally, they tend to be “stinkier” which dogs often enjoy, and are considered “high-value” or desirable treats.⁴ Finally, these treats are easy to carry, which is a perk if your pup is food-motivated and likes to hunt for one last morsel, letting no pocket stand in the way.

Nom Nom's single-ingredient Chicken Jerky and Beef Jerky are gently dehydrated from pure proteins, to achieve a chewy texture that dogs love. They're easy to break into pieces for training or to use as a meal topper, making them versatile options for various uses.

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Dehydrated or Freeze Dried

Fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, apples, and pumpkin can be dehydrated into treats too! Be sure the treats come from a reputable source and look for a single ingredient.

Nom Nom's Sweet Potato Chews are made from pure sweet potatoes and nothing else. They're an irresistibly chewy snack that you and your pup can both feel good about, free from preservatives or artificial flavors.

Animal Parts

Pigs ears, rawhides, animal bones, and hooves are examples of popular dog treats that make use of other parts of the animal. While this may seem more natural, healthier, and appealing, this isn’t always true. For example, pig ears, and similarly rawhides, are high in fat and calories, which can make them a poor choice for dogs that are overweight or have sensitive stomachs.⁴Pig ears are also very processed which means that they may be contaminated with unsafe chemicals.⁴ Recently, pig ears and rawhides have also been contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria, like Samonella, which can cause bloody stool, diarrhea, vomiting, aches, and pains.⁷ Pig ears, while generally digestible, can be very messy. However, rawhides, often have digestibility issues and can pose a choking hazard.⁴ While certain rawhides and pig ears might be safe for your dog under supervision as an occasional slow-eating special treat, bones and hooves are almost never recommended. Bones and hooves not only can cause gastrointestinal issues, they can splinter, and are further known to break or chip teeth (especially the big shearing teeth on the top of the jaw). Chicken bones, antlers, and cooked bones of any kind are considered the most dangerous.⁴

Long-Lasting Chews

In lieu of an actual bone, consider giving your dog a softer yet bone-like chew, like a bully stick. Bully sticks are often safer, easier to digest, and generally contain a single-ingredient (high-protein beef muscle), with no preservatives.⁸ Additionally, because they’re a slow-eating treat, they’re great when trying to occupy your dog’s time. However, be mindful of frequency of use, and your dog’s overall caloric intake as these treats tend to be higher in calories.⁹ Finally, always supervise your dog when they’re using chew treats and make sure to encourage them to take their time with it for ultimate digestibility.

Human Food

Apples can provide your dog with nutrients like calcium and phosphorus, are low in calories, and can also help to clean your dog’s teeth.¹⁰ Fruit and vegetables, in general, tend to be a lower calorie healthier option that can still be a tasty treat for your dog. A medium carrot is only 25 calories,1 and can serve almost as a “bone-like” treat that’s slower eating and fun to consume. On the flip side, several human snacks can be dangerous or toxic if consumed by your pup. They include grapes and raisins, onions, chocolate, anything with caffeine and fruit seeds and pits.¹²

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Homemade Treats

Making homemade treats can be a great option. Some fun “ice cream alternatives” to give your dog on a hot day include: frozen broth cubes maybe even with a treat inside, blended frozen plain yogurt and fruit, or even frozen chunks of fruit or veggies alone.^13,14 If you have a food dehydrator at home, making freeze-dried and jerky and vegetable treats is a great way to ensure quality.⁴ There are many recipes out there for homemade biscuits and snacks, just remember to be mindful of the ingredients, size and calorie content.

Uses of Dog Treats

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A dog parent might give their dogs a treat for a wide variety of reasons. Whatever the motive, just remember to be conscious of calories and quantity, to help your dog maintain a healthy weight.

Bonding

One major reason we give our dogs treats is to let them know we love them and to bond with them. A happy dog is part of being a healthy dog.

Training

Commonly, treats are used during training and to reinforce good behavior. It is important to identify what your dog considers a low, medium, and high value treat so they can be rewarded appropriately. For pups, high-value treats are often soft and smelly, which helps hold their attention when working in more distracting environments, like a park.^5,15 When you’re using treats to reward your dog, it is best if they are fast-eating and small, to allow for quick repetition of behavior and continuous reinforcement without too many calories. Also consider having a variety, so your dog doesn’t become bored.⁵ Remember to reward your dog while they’re performing or immediately following the desired behavior, so they know exactly what it is they’re doing right.¹⁶

Occupying Time

Slower eating treats have their time and place too, such as when you want them to associate their crate as a positive space.⁵

Cleaning Teeth

Certain snacks and specialty made chews can function to help clean your dog’s teeth. Dogs with poorly maintained teeth are known to have bad breath and dental issues.17 While this shouldn't replace regular brushing, specialty chews can increase chewing time and tooth contact, which help clean teeth via abrasive mechanical action.

References

Dietary Supplements Guide for Joint Health in Dogs

How to Choose the Best Fish Oil for Dogs and Cats