Best Dog Treats To Use For Training

It is just as rewarding to pet owners to hand out treats as it is to the pet that’s on the receiving end.  When trying to train a dog to do tricks, become housebroken, or walk properly with you outdoors, there are some treats that are healthier than others that make for the perfect training tool.  When training a puppy at an early age, it is important to make sure you are incorporating the best treats into their diet so you start them out on the right track.  Training dogs is an important part of pet ownership, but you want to go about it as safely and healthy as possible.

Use Dog Food as Treats
There are a variety of dog foods that are made especially with the pup’s health in mind, so why not use these foods as treats instead of treats that can be full of fat, sodium, or preservatives.  One example of healthy dog foods you can use as treats is Natural Balance in the Roll.  The food is packaged just like sausage and actually has a similar consistency, allowing you to pick it apart to give small treats for training.  You can purchase Natural Balance at most independent grocery stores.

Use Human Food as Treats
Some people food is perfect to use as training treats for your dog, including carrots, soaked bacon, and cheese.  You still want to incorporate a crunchy treat into this type of training to help prevent plaque and tartar buildup, but these three examples make for perfectly healthy training treats.

–Carrots– Are a treat that dogs love, and also give that crunchy aspect.  You can rest assured that your pup is getting a healthy treat that will not start fattening them up!

–Soaked bacon– You’ll want to literally soak the bacon in water for 4-12 hours, changing to new water twice during the soaking.  Most of the preservatives will be “washed” away, making the bacon a healthier alternative to store bought bacon dog treats.  You can even put the bacon in the microwave after the soaking to give it a tougher feel.

–Cheese– Dogs love cheese and will do pretty much anything for it.  Not only does cheese make for a great training treat (in moderation), you can also use it to wrap medication in!  You can use string cheese, sliced cheese, or cube cheese, but stay away from cheese in a can.